Lost Girls: D.I. Kim Stone Book Three

A kidnapping drives British author Marsons’s riveting third outing for Det. Insp. Kim Stone (after Evil Games), set in the West Midlands. Nine-year-old girls Charlie Timmins and Amy Hanson are snatched before their parents can pick them up from the local leisure center and are held ransom. Hoping to pit the families against each other, the kidnappers send the parents text messages saying that the couple who outbids the other will see their daughter again, but the other parents will lose their daughter forever. Charlie’s mother, Karen, insists on having Kim lead the investigation, recalling her resilience from their days in the foster care system together. While Karen is confident Kim will bring the girls home, the search begins with the discovery of the badly beaten bodies of people who knew Charlie and Amy. As the chances of bringing the girls home alive dwindle, Kim turns to a behavior consultant and professional negotiator for help. Told from multiple perspectives, this twisty tale will keep readers guessing until the very end. Marsons knows how to keep the pages turning. (Oct.)