For contemporary novels, the elephant in the room is how to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic and resultant lockdowns. Jane Bettany chose to acknowledge the event, but it's not an integral part of the story; it does help transition the story arc from the previous book where Isabel Blood re-unites with her long-lost father. DI Blood is a unique figure in police procedurals, a happily married, middle-aged woman with children, but she is as sharp a copper as they come. Fighting the battle common to many as they climb the ranks, Isabel is being told to step back and manage her team when she enjoys the daily grind of investigating. I enjoy this series, and this latest was full of enough twists and turns to keep me hooked until the last page (which came all too suddenly in my view).

Thanks to HQ Digital for access to a digital ARC via NetGalley.

This is a really well written book. It was really atmospheric, gripping and with lots of twist and turns a really great physiological thriller.

A solid four star read. Well written. Good characters. Fast paced. Gripping. Plenty of suspense to keep me enthralled but t I guessed the most of the twist but still a few surprises.. Would definitely read the next novel. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the chance to review it

This was well written with a good storyline and well developed characters that played their parts really well. It was well paced with a good amount of tension and a good level of unpredictability and mystery, I really enjoyed it.

I received a copy of this novel from the publisher via NetGalley.

This opened really strongly with Lauren wondering why her friend Anna hasn't come to pick up the son she has been baby-sitting for her. It was a solid police procedural, with a good balance of focus on the case and the personal lives of the police officers. I haven't read the first two instalments in this series, but it read like a stand alone book. There was a point in which the focus on DNA evidence got a bit confusing, but I thought the solution was satisfactory and despite the odd loose end (who was Anna on the phone to when Fenella entered her office?) I would recommend this novel and would read others by this author.

This is the third in the D.I Isabel Blood series and a welcome return to form. I loved the first in the series but felt that the second spent too much time on D.I Blood's family issues. This is a fantastic police procedural that had me completely gripped over the course of 24 hours. Blood and her team are called in when Anna Matheson, a Marketing Manager and mother of a baby son disappears after a works party. Bettany is great at characterisation- we get to know more about Blood's team as well as those who knew the victim. It moves along at a great pace with a few twists and turns and I can't wait for the next in the series. I'd recommend starting the series from the beginning , but this works well as a standalone. Recommended.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this digital ARC.

This is #3 in the DI Isabel Blood, but don't hesitate to pick it up as a stand-alone!
DI Isabel Blood and her team are called in when Anna Matheson disappears after a work party. The party seems innocuous enough, but as the police investigate it's anything but! . Anna, it seems, was making big changes company wide and ruffling many feathers within the organization..

Before long, everyone at the party is a suspect and Isabel has her work cut out for her!
A great, competent and clean mystery for all of you detectivers out there! #LastSeenAlive #HQdigital #NetGalleyReads #NetGalley

This book is a welcome return for DI Isabel Blood and her team.

Anna Matheson has gone missing after a works party, she would never have abandoned her five month old son, so where is she? As investigations begin, DI Blood and her team will have their work cut out for them to establish who is telling the truth and who has something to hide.

An enjoyable read with a few unexpected turns. A good addition to this series.

Credible, Immersive….
The third enjoyable outing in the DI Isabel Blood series finds Isabel and the team with a missing persons case. Wholly immersive as the novel progresses swiftly and satisfactorily with a credible cast of characters and an intriguing storyline. Whilst most threads are neatly tied up, the ending seems extremely abrupt and….what on earth happened to Nell?….Overall another worthy addition to this well crafted series.

Really well constructed police procedural that kept me gripped throughout. Well rounded characters, especially the police ones. You can really feel DI Blood’s frustration with her superior officer too. Many secrets to be revealed in this book. Very enjoyable read.

#LastSeenAlive #NetGalley
Anna Matheson fails to collect her son from the babysitter after a works party, the police are swiftly called. Anna is a stickler for time and a good mother – she would never abandon her baby. Her disappearance is totally out of character and DI Isabel Blood and her team soon suspect foul play. CCTV footage shows Anna was last seen at precisely 11.11pm, as she collected her coat to leave the party. But the cameras outside the venue have failed to pick up her exit from the car park – how could she have vanished in plain sight?
Thanks to NetGalley and HQ for giving me an advance copy.