Wow! What a book! Literally kept me on the edge of my seat throughout, and when I thought it had revealed the (very unexpected) baby snatcher, the story continued with another twist to the plot. Absolutely fantastic and very well written!

Vey entertaining read. I loved that this was a book about a family liaison officer. I have not read a book like this before (I have not read any of the other books in the series). It is similar to a detective mystery but a family liaison officer is somewhat different. They are more close to the family so I liked getting the feel for what this character had to do. I felt that it was very emotional. Just the fact that a 3 month old baby's body was found was horrible. Not to mention other parts in this book which I will not spoil. The author did an awesome job bringing everything together and the ending was good. Not to mention the shocker!!! I highly recommend this book to mystery/ thriller lovers.

Hush Little Baby (DC Beth Chamberlain #3)

Author: Jane Isaac

Genre: Thriller

Publication Date: July 23rd 2020

My Review:
Hush Little Baby is a domestic crime thriller that is set in the United Kingdom. It is the third part of a series featuring cop Beth Chamberlain but it can easily be read as a stand-alone.
Fifteen years ago a baby was taken from her pram and the unsolved case became famous throughout the region.
Fifteen years later a young girl accidentally discovers a baby’s hand sticking out from the ground. The police find that the body is preserved in concrete.
The whole of the local area is agog. Could this be baby Alicia?
This novel is a great police procedural with a well crafted plot. It contains great characters: hardworking, brave Beth is a heroine and I loved the names and descriptions of the ‘baddies’ - the McNamara brothers and Jimmy Carvel.
The only aspect I wasn’t keen on is the book’s title. From it, I’d never have thought the book was a domestic crime thriller. I don’t feel the title fits with the genre or adds anything to the overall package.
The book is, however, a real thriller which will have you turning pages well into the night!
For that reason I am awarding it 5 stars.

This is the second book I’ve read from Jane Isaac and I have to say she did it again. So many twists and turns in this book. It did tear at my heart strings but to think that one person committed the heinous crime and finding out who really did it was a shocker. Secrets that tore a family a part. Then DC Beth Chamberlain having to deal with a crime happening to her own family. Definitely a page turner and I would definitely recommend.

Another great book from this author, was not expecting to be quite so hooked! Nrilliantly written and a great storyline :)

This is the third book in the DC Beth Chamberlain series, unfortunately I missed the second book but they can be read as standalone novels so all was not lost.
Well, what a great read. The story gripped me right from the first chapter. The plot builds, the suspense is tense and there’re enough intrigue to keep you guessing throughout.
I would definitely recommend this book to thriller fans.

This is the third book in the DC Beth Chamberlain series, but I haven’t read any of the others and this works fine as a standalone book.

This is a quick-paced domestic crime thriller which hits hard in places with many twists and turns and an emotional journey throughout. Three-month-old Alicia has been taken from her pram outside a supermarket while her tired mother shopped very quickly. No sightings were ever made until a body is discovered 15 years later. Beth Chamberlain is the family liaison officer for the family, keeping them updated and informed throughout the investigation.

The mystery is heartbreakingly solved and another missing child story surfaces when Beth’s 7-year-old niece Lily goes missing. A serial killer from Beth’s past is thought to be the culprit which appears to link back to one of the older books, having not read them I am unsure of the whole story but felt I knew enough to understand what was going on and why etc.

This had a good, though harrowing plot which was easy to read and follow. I could feel the devastation felt by the families and more so by certain characters, especially those who had struggled and didn’t feel that they deserved to feel the way they did. I felt more support should have been provided to the family of poor little Alicia, but I think the reality is that there just isn’t enough around for everyone.

The characters were well developed, and I felt like I knew them, likeable or not! Additionally, it was a great change for the main character, Beth Chamberlain, to be a family liaison office instead of a detective and this gives a good and different perspective on the book. I think Beth was my favourite character, she was empathetic but had a great backbone, she definitely enhanced the whole book.

This was a great thriller. Its the first book I've read from this author and I was really impressed. It kept me at the edge of my seat. I'll definitely be reading more from this author.

Thank you Netgalley, the author and publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book is the third in the DC Beth Chamberlain series and although you could read it as a standalone, I really think you benefit from reading the previous books in the series. This book continues time-wise from just after the end of the previous book, to find that the serial killer apprehended previously has escaped from police custody and is on the run. Although there are mentions of curious things happening, it’s not completely clear until the final quarter of the book exactly what is happening with relation to the escaped killer. The primary story focuses on a historical child abduction, and is very moving, given that all of the families have been affected over the previous fifteen years of not knowing what has happened to baby Alicia.

I love Jane Isaac’s writing style, and found myself immediately drawn into a story with such strong, believable characters. She is the queen of twists and turns, which meant there were a few times I found myself gasping out loud. She certainly kept me guessing on the main story as well as the side story. I adore this series so much, Beth Chamberlain is such a wonderful character, I find myself rooting for her constantly throughout this series, and look forward to seeing where Jane Isaac takes her next.

As a domestic crime thriller, I like the fact that Beth is a family liaison officer, which is a different role to those normally seen in this genre. I think the reason I enjoy it so much is that it leans towards the empathetic and emotional aspects of the case as well as the usual technical and physical moments seen in a crime thriller.

This was a great addition to the Beth Chamberlain series, and I cannot wait to find out what will happen next.

I am really enjoying this series, it gets better with each book. Beth Chamberlain is a strong character who likes to see things done. A great crime story which had me gripped till the last page. Looking forward to reading more.

Ohmidays, there was so much going on in this book. Talk about never a dull moment - and there genuinely were none. Poor Marie, is she the unluckiest person in the whole wide world? It definitely seemed so and there was almost no reprieve for her, except for Vic and Zac - and thank goodness for them. This is my cherry pop Jane Isaac book but now I will be buying the first 2 Beth Chamberlain books. She's a great police officer and a well rounded character who I became invested in. The layers of this story peel away one by one and there's a twist at each stage that I certainly didn't see coming. Fast paced, well written, full of actions and twists and red herrings being lobbed at every turn, this was a packed book, which hooked me in from the first page. A great read that I'm thrilled to recommend.

The first thing that frew me to Hush Little Baby was the cover. It evokes the lullaby-quality of the title, but with the dark colours there is also that sense fo threat. Hush Little Baby gives the reader some of the best staples of the suspense genre, family strife and tragic pasts, but occasionally fails the landing. Thanks to Aria and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Many detective and suspense novels are part of a series, which can be half of the fun. As the reader, you become fond of the set cast of detectives and follow their arcs across the series. I imagine that the continuation also gives the author a baseline by which to start and organize every installment. However, the requirement for successful detective series, in my opinion, is that every story can be a standalone, that the series narrative doesn't stand in the way of developing each individual plot. In Hush Little Baby this is largely successful until the end where the events of previous books take over to such an extent that I, having not read them, did feel a bit lost.

In Hush Little Baby a young teenager is shocked to find a tiny hand emerging from a cement block. This leads to the discovery of the body of little Alicia, who was kidnapped fifteen years earlier. Her disappearance tore her family apart and was a bit of a national scandal. At the time, the culprit got away with it, but now DC Beth Chamberlain is on the case. As the Family Liaison Officer, she is right there with the family, having to open up old wounds and pry into their affairs. The perspective of an FLO is very interesting as it gives us all the delicious twists and turns of families hiding things from each other and the police. I do have to say I wasn't entirely pleased with the resolution to the disappearance of Alicia, but that could be due to the fact that the novel then continued on into, seemingly, resolving a story line from the previous books. It was an odd shift and kind of took away the emotional gravitas of the main plot.

This was my first book by Jane Isaac and I did very much enjoy her characterization of Beth Chamberlain. She is a very empathetic main character who is balancing a relationship with family troubles and a challenging case. A lot of time is spent building up what the consequences of the crime were for the family. As time has passed, certain wounds have healed, while others are still very much open. Quite a few family secrets are revealed, yet not all of them hit equally for me. A few twists are quite shocking but happen later on in the story when there isn't a lot of time left to wrap up the main plot. Overall, Hush Little Baby did have me gripped and I was eager to get to the resolution. However, I would give the advice to read the other two books in the DC Beth Chamverlain series before going into Hush Little Baby to get the full experience, as I did feel like I missed out on some of the enjoyment.

I enjoyed Hush Little Baby but found myself occasionally disappointed by the twists as well as by the ending. I would recommend reading the overall series, however, as this would make for a better reading experience.

Very exciting book to read. Had my heart racing. You just can’t imagine being in this position. While it’s a horrible subject it certainly makes for great reading. Well written

One of those books that you love to get back to when you’re doing something else. A good plot with interesting characters. Perhaps a little lacking in tension where there could have been more but nevertheless a great read.

On a sunny July day baby Alicia is taken from her Oran outside of the supermarket.
Fifteen years later a gruesome find on a building site the body of a baby is found could it be Alicia.
Beth is the FLO officer and has to interview all the people involved when Alicia went missing.
Also there is a serial killer who has escaped police custody on the loose.
As they close the case on Alicia and find out what happened to her Beths own niece goes missing. Who has taken her? And will Beth get her back.
Thanks NetGalley

When the body of a child, missing for decade and a half, is found, the never closed investigation is ramped up. First, the must make sure the DNA matches the parents' DNA, proving the identity of the child. Then, they need to solve the case for the body that's been entombed in concrete. This British based crime story follows Detective Constable Beth Chamberlain as she picks up the case and faces down the family dismantled by the tragedy.

This is a fascinating character driven suspense read with lots of twist and turns. The main focus is on the still grieving mother of Alicia Owen, Marie Russell, as she has to face up to her fears and the secrets she's held onto over the many years. The story unfolds in her voice and also that of the newly assigned detective. Beth works in a liaison manner capacity to the family, working to understand the events surrounding the disappearance. Both woman have unique family situations and relationships that complicate their feelings surrounding the discovery. The story is well paced, allowing to reader to get to know each woman and the history. We learn that there's more than one crime that must be solved.

While this book us part of a series focused on Beth, it's not entirely necessary to have read the previous books. Hush Little Baby is the first book by Jane Isaac that I've read and i was able easily see where the previous stories were playing into this book. I will definitely read more from this author.

This story is emotional and poignant because it involves the death of a baby. The author captures the familial guilt and heartbreak in this story as Beth Chamberlain investigates the cold case. The third in the series, there are mentions of previous crimes and so reading the first two books is advised.

Beth Chamberlain is a believable character. Caring and dedicated, she gives the story authenticity. The dynamic in the police team is well-written and the depth, and pacing of the investigation realistically portrayed.

The compelling plot and engaging, though not always likeable characters immerse the reader into this dark world.

I received a copy of this book from Aria via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

A terrific addition to this wonderful series!

With the discovery of a baby's body on a building site, the team of detectives - including DC Beth Chamberlain - find out that the only infant who has gone missing in there are was fifteen years ago. Could this possibly be the same child? In re-opening this cold case, Beth must act as liaison officer to the parents, now divorced, and take them through their painful past once more. At the same time, Beth has ongoing issues of her own to deal with. Can she cope with it all?

Once I've chosen a novel, I put it on my list and begin reading the story without referring to the blurb again; it made my day when Beth Chamberlain popped up in this one - I welcomed her like an old friend. This is a superb series, focusing very much on the crime and the case in hand but also showing the hard slog undertaken by all members of the team to get a result. I love that I can never find fault (not that I try to, you understand, but I hate to find obvious holes in a plot) and whilst each book is a new story and doesn't hark back to the previous one there is a thread which connects them. The personal lives of those investigating is there but doesn't get in the way of the daily grind. Each character comes to life on the page and there are, of course, the in-house politics to deal with. I can't wait to see what Beth gets her teeth into next! I loved everything about this one, and highly recommend it. Absolutely a five star read!

My thanks to the publisher for my copy via NetGalley and in particular to Vicky Joss for my spot in this tour; this is - as always - my honest, original and unbiased review.

Jane Issac's Hush Little Baby is the third book in the series that profiles DC Beth Chamberlain in her role as Family Liaison Officer. This book, however, does function as a stand alone.

Thriller lovers and Anglophiles, this book is for you! We've got a stolen baby, a seemingly detached mum, a smart
Family Liaison Officer, and a body found 15 years later. I will say though that some folks may find the premise of this book to be polarizing. However, if you can deal with the initial premise, it's an intriguing tale.

Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book. All thoughts are my own.

Favorite Quotes:

Beth ground her teeth. She’d rather hoped she’d be shot of Andrea after she’d left the team to support the chief, and here she was, returning like a bad smell that refused to go away.


My Review:

This was my second time reading Ms. Isaac’s work and I am duly impressed. As with her last book, there was a deeply troubling and mammoth mystery which lead to an intensely twisty and shrewdly plotted tale that had me blinking hard, rubbing my eyes, and biting my lips. I enjoy her unique writing style with blended storylines that were unpredictable, tragic, multi-layered, complex, and highly textured with compounded issues and long-held and heartbreaking secrets. The writing was compelling, deftly executed, evocative, and set each scene with thoughtful touches and interesting observations of ancillary movements and actions that kept the visuals scrolling smoothly in my mind’s eye. Jane Isaac is a clever and cunning wordsmith.