A great read, full of twists and turns. I would love to see more of the police team in future novels and I hope this happens. Looking forward to reading more from the author.

Unfortunately, I have not been able to read and review this book.

After losing and replacing my broken Kindle and getting a new phone I was unable to download the title again for review as it was no longer available on Netgalley.

I’m really sorry about this and hope that it won’t affect you allowing me to read and review your titles in the future.

Thank you so much for giving me this opportunity.
Natalie.

Great relationship between the two police characters which I hope will be revived in future books. A bit slow to start but when it got going unputdownable!

An excellent read full of twists and turns

This was a new author for me so I am really pleased that he has a back catalogue as I loved this book; not only the plot but also the way it is written.

Alice Teale is a 17 year old student at Collemby College in the small town of Collemby in Northumbria. She is attractive, bright and popular but one day she leaves school and goes missing. The PE mistress at the school saw her leaving but had no idea where she was going.

Alice seems like a normal happy teenager, she lives with her parents and older brother, enjoys studying, enjoys the various after-school clubs and has a steady boyfriend, Christopher Mulleby. There appears to be no obvious reason as to why she has gone missing and who would have wished her any harm.

A new detective partnership has been created and are given the task of discovering what has happened to Alice. DS Lucas Black is 40, an experienced detective, straight talking, abrasive and with rumours around him that he has killed a man in the course of duty but was it lawful? DC Beth Winter is new to the job, very keen and anxious to do well. One of the main strands in this book is the way their relationship develops which is fascinating to follow.

However, once the pair starts investigating the apparently motiveless disappearance, they start to receive pages from Alice’s journal from an anonymous source and soon realise that all is not what it seems. In this journal Alice writes frankly about her life, her friends, her family and what really goes on in this small place. We as readers are given tantalising glimpses of what she has seen and heard and like Detectives Black and Winter have to put together what has actually happened. One minute I was suspecting her family, the next her boyfriend, then the teachers at her school. I was so determined to find out what happens that I had another late night finishing this book as I had to know the outcome and what a brilliant ending it was.

I am really hopeful that this is the start of more books featuring these two detectives as they really work well together and the plot was so good. Another author to look out for in the future for me.

Dexter

Elite Reviewing Group received a copy of the book to review

5⭐ read I love that this book was set in my county so I instantly felt a conn with the book and characters. Fantastic plot well written to keep the reader guessing. Brilliant

Alice Teale Is Missing is the first in a new series and also the first book I have read by this author. I’m happy to say that it is a book I really enjoyed and I am happy knowing that there is another series to read. I have a feeling that this series is going to be a good one.

One of the main reasons is that I liked the way the two main characters Beth and Lucas were together. Lucas could have been unlikeable and unfriendly with the disastrous case he was involved in but instead he was shown to suffer from it. A loner in the police force and a broken marriage he could have been shown as bitter and blaming everybody else but he doesn’t. Instead he has tried to move in, whilst acknowledging the gossip and mistrust from other colleagues.

Beth is the graduate officer, has a pass into her position but desperate to do a good job. She has been made aware of what happened to Lucas but wants to investigate Alice’s disappearance so tries to accept it.

I had no idea what happened with Alice. I couldn’t work out if she was dead or alive or the reasons why. I couldn’t work out if she was a nice person or if she wasn’t as popular as se seemed. I had no idea who could be trusted or relied on. I felt frustration at the lack of help from former employees and I loved the description of live in a rundown town with no chance of prospects. And I’m sure we’ve all been in a pub like The Dirty Donkey!

I see huge potential for this series. A very likeable partnership and I want to see them succeed and prove their colleagues and superiors wrong

This book opens in Collemby, Newcastle where the reader and the Northumbria Police are faced with revenge, control, manipulation, secrets, abuse of trust, morality, small town/village mentalities, rumours, vulnerability, gossip and a search for the truth.
Wowsers! Such a mysterious opening – I was absolutely gripped! The first few chapters of this novel set you up and reel you in from the get go. A pacy read that is full of suspense – I simply LOVED it. I really enjoyed the way the author delved into Alice Teale’s life – we learn about her through the perspectives of other characters in the novel – each person painting a different but similar picture of who Alice was to them. The description in this book is fantastic – you are brought into each scene as an observer and with an excellent build up of tension and suspense, I couldn’t put this book down until I read the very last page!
I’m only going to mention a few characters to give readers a feel of what they can expect. Alice Teale is described as young, beautiful, 17 years old … and missing! We learn snippets from her directly through journal entries that are being sent by a mystery person… a friend or foe? You’ll have to read the book to find out! Alice comes across as independent, moody, headstrong and a gatherer of secrets – she’s always writing in her journal. So who would want to abduct her?
DC Beth Winter is part of the police team tasked with investigating Alice’s disappearance. She has been fast-tracked and feels she has something to prove. I really liked her character and hope that this is not the last we see of her. Although at first I thought she may be a bit of a follower – she soon proved her worth when making up her own mind about things which could have led her down an alternative route in both her professional career and the investigation.
DS Lucas Black is known to have a bit of a shady past and the more I learned about him, the more I liked him – despite his questionable attitude! His colleagues don’t seem to rate him, but I liked his no nonsense way of dealing with things. More of him too, please!
Although there are many more characters I could mention, the final one I will end on is Daniel Teale – Alice’s brother. He was said to be possessive and over protective when it came to his sister. A bit of a loner and not much of a high achiever in life, there were some questionable rumours going around about him and his sister! Oh my days! I have to say, he did leave a bit of a bad taste in my mouth – I’d be interested to hear what other readers thought!
So would I recommend this read? Hells bells, you bet your bloody arse I would. I love Howard Linskey’s writing style – well developed characters, interesting settings, superb storylines – and this one was no exception! An immersive read that left me wanting more!

Wow, wow, just wow. A gripping read with some serious twists and turns that will make you keep on guessing right up until the end.

I was taken by the interesting synopsis for this novel even though I hadn't heard of Howard Linksey, and was delighted to discover that Alice Teale is Missing is set in Collemby, a small fictional Northumbrian mining town. Alice Teale has vanished; she was spotted leaving the school grounds late one evening and she's never been seen since.

Enter Winter and Black ( I love the names!) - DC Beth Winter is a fast track police officer, on her first proper posting with DCI Everleigh's team. She's working with DS Lucas Black who has just taken over the investigation into the missing seventeen-year-old schoolgirl. Nobody wants to team up with DS Black about whom rumours are rife since he shot a man dead, whilst attending a call-out. Collemby is a run-down town, buzzing with gossip and a place where everyone knows everyone. The local Comprehensive is managed by new headteacher, John Morgan, who has turned it around from being a failing school.

In this atmospheric crime read, Howard Linskey's superb writing allowed me to get a real feel for the town of Collemby, although this wasn't difficult for me as it is my local area. Howard Linskey's characterisation was marvellous, from the complex Alice, and Beth Winter who felt she had something to prove, to the ex-military Lucas Black who was unforthcoming, reticent, and burdened by his past performance in the Force. Both of these detectives were part of an investigation that had ramifications for them, personally and professionally.

Alice Teale is Missing was a hugely gripping, entertaining and compelling read, with many twists and changes of direction. The horrifying truth is eventually revealed in an unexpected and fulfilling denouement. I would definitely recommend this novel to fans of crime fiction.

I have found myself another favourite author and I'm off to grab myself a copy of No Name Lane, another of Howard Linskey's novels that I'm now hoping to read.

I received a complimentary digital copy of this novel, at my request, from Penguin Michael Joseph via NetGalley and this review is my own unbiased opinion.

I have to be honest I really don't know what I was expecting from this book. I knew I'd read other works by this author so thought I'd just give it a go, an open mind to start with.
The setting and the story line of this book was done brilliantly. It really helped with the great characters to draw you into those pages. It mad you want to continue to read no matter what else you needed to do, reading really takes over when you start this book, so if you've got plans, put them on hold if you intend to start this book.
Alice Teale, walked out of school one day and was never seen again. Why, where did she go?
It's down to the unlikely duo DI Lucas Black and DC Beth Winter to figure that out. This is now a case they need to work on, and things will certainly not be easy for them.
An interesting and addictive read that I can highly recommend.

The opening is, to say the least, creepy and unsettling. The perfect introduction for what is to follow. When the seventeen-year-old girl left school she was seen by a teacher, Alice Teale didn’t reach home.
DC Beth Winter had been transferred to Collemby, a small town in Northumbria when she graduated training college to join DCI Everleigh’s team. When Alice Teale went missing she was assigned with DS Lucas Black to take over the case from a retiring officer. Black comes with a past that makes him like the leper no-one wants to partner and a pairing that Winter felt very uncomfortable about. Something that she would have to deal with if they are to solve the case of the missing teenager. Thing is he is such a lovely bloke.
The town has seen better days and the school had been failing until John Morgan had been brought in and turned it around with his radical ideas that worked. When Black and Winter dig into the school’s history there have been disturbing problems in the past. Alice Teale is a popular girl, very pretty and up for a laugh but her home life leaves a lot to be desired. The murky pool of suspects clouds even more when torn out pages of Alice’s journal begin to arrive at the police station to taunt Black and Winter.
I felt like I was chasing every chapter so desperate to find out what had happened to Alice in this run down town, with residents that completed the picture perfectly. Every relationship had its ugly side, friends, lovers and workmates. The journal pages were cryptic but I got that completely, no-one wants their secrets and inner thoughts being found and read by someone else. Alice is quite a character, that isn’t easy to forget and to be honest I really don’t want to forget her. Black and Winter turn into a team I need more of. A perfect pairing.
Howard Linskey has got himself a real winner with this book and although he has stated it is a standalone I really hope that he makes this into a series, it would be a belter.
I wish to thank the publisher for a copy of this book which I have reviewed honestly.

I really enjoyed this dark gripping read, which was the first thriller I’ve read from this talented author. I’m a huge fan of his historical books so I was very curious to see what his thrillers would be like.

This book drew me in from the start with its intriguing storyline and the lovely writing which made it very easy to read. The story is told from the point of view of the two detectives investigating Alice’s disappearance and I enjoyed following them on their investigations. I particularly liked that the story starts at the beginning of their investigation as it was fun to be involved from the start. The story is interspersed with extracts from Alice’s diary where we start to learn a little more about the real Alice which I thought was cleverly done, particularly as it was written in a different tone to the rest of the book. Some of the passages were quite revealing and made me think more was going on then I originally thought.

Interestingly I liked both the main characters, despite not being keen on Lucas Black at the beginning, he grew on me as the story progressed. I liked how he could show different faces to the world and be a gruff guy sometimes but be almost caring at others. Beth, as a new police officer, gives a fascinating insight into what being on an investigation means and how tricky it can be earning respect as a newbie. I liked how the author includes her real feelings into the story so she’s not just a professional cop but also a human being capable of getting frustrated and annoyed with people, though she tries her best to hide it. I thought they made a very good team and hope that they might appear in future books.

The tension and mystery in the book is slowly increased as the story goes on and I had many scenarios running through my head as to what might have happened. The pace isn’t overly fast to begin with as the author sets the scene but I found myself enjoying watching Beth and Lucas work together as well as learning about Alice so I didn’t mind this. The last quarter of the book is very gripping however and I found it very enjoyable to see everything unfold, with the ending being very satisfying.

Huge thanks to Sriya for inviting me onto the blog tour and for my copy of this book. I’ll definitely be reading more books from this author in the future!

3.5 stars rounded up to 4

This story is about how seventeen year old Alice Teale disappeared on her way home from school. There are quite a few suspects. It's set in the Cambrian town of Collemby. A place where everyone k ows everyone's business. DC seth Winter and DS Lucas Black are sent to investigate Alice's disappearance.

The two detectives had not worked together before but they were put together to try and find Alice. They are likeable characters who work well together. The pace is fast at the start of the story ut by the middle, it takes a dip. But thankfully it picks up again. No one has seen Alice for six days. Will they find her safe and well? There are plenty red herrings to put you off the scent. I hope to read ore a out Winter and Black in the future.

I would like to thank NetGalley, Penguin UK-Michael Joseph for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Brilliant. The storyline, setting, characters and writing style all come together to form a cleverly written book which I found really hard to put down. I have read other books by Howard Linskey and really enjoyed them. I would definitely recommend any book by this author.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy.

Immensely enjoyable read set in Northumbria and featuring DS Lucas Black and fast track graduate detective Beth. An unlikely pairing and one Beth is unsure about herself as all the rumours and online information she has gleaned speak of an ex army man who as a firearms officer for the police killed a man...
However the two work well together and are fantastic characters with plenty of banter and dry humour in the conversations between them. So much so, I would love this to be the first book in a series of their police adventures and investigations.
There is a huge cast of suspicious candidates for the disappearance of Alice Teale and the book explores the investigation, the interviews, the smokescreens, the conflicting evidence and the lies people in the small community are telling. The duo are determined to uncover what happened the day Alice left school and we get to revisit the evidence through the perspectives of all the 'persons of interest' the police talk to as well as carefully selected entries from the journal that Alice kept but which has also gone missing.
Fast paced, tightly plotted and littered with suggestions of guilt in one camp, then another, then another, until there are so many possibilities the reader just has to get to the end to discover the truth. And when you do it is sadly a very believable and twisted tale indeed.
Fans of crime thrillers will not be disappointed.

Another new author again but another great first read!!! Lucky me!!!

Absolutely tore through this book in two days and didn’t stop for breath, brilliant storyline and characters and loved the detectives who had their own baggage and life dramas going on in the background.

Thought it was fast paced though it kinda slowed in the middle but not too much, great ending too, left me wanting more.

Looking forward to more of the same....

H A Linksey's Alice Teale is Missing is an excellent police procedural thriller set in the North East that introduces the reader to a new police duo that will hopefully around for a long time.

A teenager goes missing in an old pit town but nothing is what it seems.

The author delivers an excellently paced novel that kept me hooked throughout

Definitely recommended

A gripping story set around a familiar theme of a missing teenager, and 2 detectives who come with baggage trying to solve the mystery,,Winter and Balck are both great detectives and I liked both of them
Non boring police procedural with many twists made it a very satisfying read

#AliceRealeIsMissing #NetGalley
A clever thriller with masterful twists.
Alice Teale, a schoolgirl unraveled a secret of a person and then she's gone missing the day when she was coming from her school and is never seen since. Someone sent her diary's pages to police. Who sent them? Who had taken Alice? What was that secret?
This is a very clever psychological thriller with masterful twists. I love the author's writing style. Narration of the story is excellent and twisted.
Characters are all lovable and twisted in a way as they should be in a psychological thriller.
Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Random House UK Michael Joseph for giving me an advanced copy of this psychological thriller.

With thanks to Netgalley and Penguin for this ARC in exchange for an open and honest review.

Graduate trainee DC Beth Winter was excited when she gained a p!ace on DCI Eversleigh`s team. However she was warned that her boss would be DS Lucas Black who had gained notoriety for killing a man.

On her first day on the team Beth learnt they were on a missing person case. Six days earlier 17 year old Alice Teale was last seen leaving Collemby Comprehensive School, she had not been seen since.

At home Alice had a troubled relationship with her volatile father. Her boyfriend Christopher also attended Collemby Comprehensive. However when Christopher split up with Alice for a short period, She started going out with his best friend Tony. When Christopher made up with Alice he had a huge fight with Tony in the pub. After that Tony was ostracized from his friends at school and decided to leave. Ever since he had spent his time at home, getting increasing bitter.

As the investigation progressed Lucas was sent selected parts of Alice`s journal. The journal showed the real Alice and what she really thought of her friends and school.

I instantly warmed to Beth and I could understand why she was wary of Lucas. Lucas was an intriguing character and I can't wait to found out more about him. When he told the story of the killing I could feel his remorse. I especially liked his friends Adam and Gemma and loved the idea of an American diner in a railway carriage.

The plot was skilfully woven with twists and turns a plenty. I don't want to reveal any spoilers but the ending was shocking. If I had any criticism I don't understand why parts of Alice`s journal was sent to the police, it didn't make sense.

I thought Beth and Lucas made a great team and hope this will be the first book in a series. A big five 🌟 from me.