This book had me hooked, I just wanted to know more and I knew there was more. I thought I had guessed the end but nope I hadn't!
I liked the characters especially the female police officer, she had lots of levels to her.
I would recommend this book to friends and I look forward to the next instalment.

LIttle Girl Lost is an excellent psychological thriller, well written with a host of characters good bad and just plain evil.
The police detective Robyn Carter is the 'good' character, having returned to the force after loosing her partner and still grieving , she has a lovely personality and is well liked and respected.
The other characters are Paul the father of Natasha and Lucas, and Alice and her mother. I don't want to go into anymore detail as I would only give away spoilers, others can probably write a much better synopsis without giving too much away.
Although I worked out who was responsible for the terrible events that occur, I did keep doubting myself due to the way the story unfolded.
A brilliant imaginative tale that kept this reader turning pages long after lights out!
Thanks to net galley and publisher for opportunity to review this book

A story of family with secrets and the repercussions of things swept under the carpet. I really enjoyed this book. There were a lot of intertwined events and interesting characters.Told through two different time frames, one from the first person perspective, the reader gets an insight as to the 'why' The true identity of the narrator keeps you guessing. At times I did get confused as to the real identities of the other characters as well- but that's probably just me!

I liked Robyn Carter and her approach. I'm looking forward to reading about more of her cases. I thought this was a good start. Thanks to Netgallery and the publisher for introducing her and look forward to more from this author.

The opening chapter creates a great background on a sensitive subject for later events. Alice is a little girl who copes with the death of her father and her mother’s remarriage by communicating with her dead father via a toy rabbit called Mr Big Ears. Her mother marries a well known actor with a teenage son and daughter. One night Alice is molested by her step brother after the parents leave to attend a function and her step sister is downstairs watching TV.
The story then switches to some time in the future. DI Robyn Carter has taken a leave of absence from the police force (a job she loves) to recover mentally and physically from a series of personal tragedies. Temporarily working as a private investigator is the lifeline she needs until she is ready for a return to work. Through this job she becomes involved in the search for a missing husband, missing child and the investigation of several murders. Her senses tell her the crimes are connected in some way and she battles to find the common thread. Time is something she doesn’t have a lot of when a little girl’s life is at stake.
I swayed between one or two suspects working together until close to the end when all was revealed. Also for a while I was puzzled what, if any, connection the mother of the missing child had with past events. You will have to read the book to find out! I was very empathetic when she discovered her child was taken, such an emotionally packed time for a parent. It was very interesting reading how she was manipulated while in her weakest psychological state. It made me think how easy it would be to do the same in real life (no, I’m not planning on doing it any time in the future). I also couldn’t decide if the killer wanted to be discovered or was just intent on seeking their own form of justice.
The ending wasn’t a total surprise but the author did throw in enough twists and turns to keep me engaged and make me doubt if I had the right suspect/s. I found it a tad hard to believe a little girl would use the word member to describe a sexual organ. Perhaps this was altered prior to publication? Overall I did enjoy the first book in the series and would be keen to read others by the same author.
This book is recommended to readers who enjoy serial killers, mysteries and psychological thrillers.

A great start to a new detective series. Detective Carter has many typical detective personality quirks but also a great deal of orginality as well. This chilling tale is both gripping and haunting. A must read for crime officiandos or the casual reader who just wants an exciting read.

It took me a little while to get into this book because it was confusing for a while, but once you get a little further into it, you see where the story is headed, and the pace picks up. There are a lot of twists and turns, and just when you think you have it figured out, something else comes up and changes your mind. Enjoyed it a lot!

Where the hell do I start with this one?
I'll begin by being honest I suppose . . . I wasn't sure what to think when I heard that Carol was moving to the dark side. I mean, have you read any of her other books? Have you spoken to her? I've had the pleasure of getting to know Carol over the last six months and let me tell you, she is the sunniest person alive! Always smiling, always happy and always making me (and everyone else) laugh out loud!
Now I'm not saying that nice people can't write crime, there are loads of uber nice people behind some seriously disturbing books, it's just we're talking about Carol E Wyer! She's the last person I'd have thought would have turned to the dark side!
And dya know what? I'm bloody glad she did!
Little Girl Lost is one of the slickest crime thrillers I've read for a long time, there is not a hint of it being written by a newbie to the genre, none whatsoever!
I know that Carol was like a debut author when writing this book, and why wouldn't she be? She was completely out of her comfort zone, but let me tell you lady, it does not show at all in the book! Not in the slightest!
You have done a sterling job!
Little Girl Lost is the first in the DI Robyn Carter series and what a start it is! From the first page to the last, you will be utterly gripped. Now chapter one is hard reading, like really hard reading, now I'm not going into details, nor am I going to lie, it may put people off in terms of the content, HOWEVER, the subject matter doesn't continue throughout the book, but it sets up the plot perfectly and it actually makes the book even more credible, in fact, it makes Carol more credible as a crime writer, she dared to go there and she did it with style and respect.
Robyn is a brilliant character, she is damaged (who isn't?!), she's had a really tough time but she's getting there, wherever there is for her and she's doing it with a great team of people around her and a fascinating case to dig her teeth into.
The plot is intelligent, clever and brilliantly executed, there are twists and turns that will keep you guessing the whole way through, from the first page to the last, you will be gripped! Utterly gripped!! Do not start this book if you have any pressing plans cause let me tell you, you will cancel them! You will not want to stop reading, in fact, you won't be able to stop!
Little Girl Lost is the ultimate sleep-stealer!
I doff my hat to the author, Carol, you have done a stupendous job and I cannot wait to see where else the dark side takes you!

Little Girl Lost – 1st in the DI Robyn Carter Series, in stores now. I absolutely loved this book!!! I would give it 100 stars if I could. This is THE BEST thriller I have read in a while. Hands down. So let’s get right to it, shall we?

A local teacher is missing and a millionaire is found dead at a local reservoir. At first glance, they don’t seem related. As Detective Robyn Carter begins to dig into the circumstances surrounding both the disappearance and the death, she uncovers a family hiding very dark secrets. But how is it all connected? Can she put the pieces of the puzzle together before the killer strikes again?

I will be honest and say that I almost put this story down. The first chapter is a very hard read. If child abuse is a trigger for you, you may want to skip this one. It was not at all what I was expecting three pages in to the story. That being said, I appreciate the fact that Wyer wrote the chapter the way that she did -- enough to set the tone and the back story of the main character without being gratuitously graphic. I am so glad that I kept reading because the plot for this story was FANTASTIC. There were so many twists and turns and every time I thought I had the identity of the killer figured out, Wyer would expose another clue and I would be thrown completely off track. There are a LOT of characters involved in the story and the chapters are told from alternative viewpoints. This type of narrative is my favorite but can also be very difficult to pull off. Wyer nails it and once you get to the end and all the pieces fall in to place, and you have picked your mouth up off the floor after the killer’s identity is revealed, you become aware that you just went on a journey with an author that is destined to become one of the great voices in this genre. I can not rave enough about it. Hopefully she is already working on Book 2.

Thoroughly enjoyable and will keep you gripped through to the end. I love it when I cannot preempt the finale to a thriller and this one did not disappoint! I had sympathy with Abigail, and although I knew what the ultimate act against her was to be, it didn't detract form the suspense at all - Read this!

This well written twisted tale has two strands. At the beginning of the book we meet a little girl called Alice who suffers abuse at the hands of her stepbrother and reacts by stabbing him in the eye. It seems no-one will help her and as the book develops we see how this incident and its repercussions have affected her life.
We then meet DI Robyn Carter as she returns to the police force after personal leave. Following the death of her partner and the loss of her unborn child, she has been working as a private detective but she decides it is time to return to the force and she becomes involved in investigating two murders and the abduction of a little girl and she needs to see the connections first.
The two strands inevitably meet and become entangled. Thinking back, there were clues along the way as to what was going on and who was involved, but the book was very clever in the way it drew the reader in DI Carter’s thought processes and solving of the case.
Thanks to Net Galley and the publisher for a review copy.

I'm so happy! It seems that my reading mojo is back, especially thanks to Angela Marsons series... and this little gem! I had seen this around but haven't requested because there were so many other similar books out there... But I read several glowing reviews and I had a feeling Little Girl Lost could be so much more than it seemed. I was so right!

I was immediately hooked thanks to the very disturbing prologue... and even though it wasn't a short book, I would've finished this sooner if I hadn't had plans (I was honestly considering staying at home!). Little Girl Lost is the author's first experience with crime... and I was amazed she had been writing romantic comedies up until now.

This book had everything I like in a mystery. The main character was amazing, the case was full of twists and turns, there were multiple POVs, creepy flashbacks and even some gaslighting! (I already told you how much I love that). Although I was able to guess some of it, it was one of those times where I wanted to be right and I was completely satisfied with the way everything ended.

For those of you who have read countless of police procedurals, I'd say that Little Girl Lost is among the best ones I've come across and I think I know why it made a difference. I believe this was an excellent novel because its main focus was on the case and not so much on the investigation. Thanks to the multiple points of view, I was able to immerse myself into Abigail's life as if I was reading a psychological thriller. Sometimes, police procedurals are more focused on the everyday tasks and you aren't able to connect that much with the case they're investigating. This certainly doesn't happen here and you still get to follow Robyn's investigation and play detective with her.

At the same time, I feel like I want to know more about DI Carter, as she seemed like a great character (and her backstory was sad and touching), so I hope we can count on many more fantastic books featuring her and Carol Wyer's ability to craft complex mysteries. Don't miss it!

Within the first minute of this book, it popped and I thought to myself 'if this beginning is anything to go by, this is going to be a fantastic read'.

Unfortunately for me it was not. The first 70% of the book bored me. I dragged my way through it, only persevering as I promised a review of the book. I found the characters to be simple, the storyline confusing and sometimes off track and I thought there was little substance to the writing.

The ending was predictable, the book poorly edited with a lot of grammatical errors throughout it and while the overall concept of the storyline was good, I felt there could have been a lot more depth and excitement throughout the book than what I got.

I love this female DI. The author does such a great job with keeping the pace, tension and story so well, with as mentioned before a collection of great characters, good and bad. I had no glue to the guilty character/characters and kept changing my mind.

Good mystery with great characters and a steady but paranoia driven build-up to the twisty end. Highly recommended.

Thanks to Bookouture, Carol Wyer and Netgalley, for a ARC digital copy; it was my pleasure to write an honest review on the nail biting, gripping and tense thriller.

Bookouture you have found a great author here, I loved this book.

Another great female Detective Inspector character that I will have to follow.

Detective Robyn Carter, returning to the police force after a series of personal tragedies, dives into several investigations; a husband has gone missing and a man turns up murdered. Once she begins her investigations, she sees a link between these men. As she digs deeper and deeper, her investigation leads her to housewife Abigail and her family. How is she connected to these victims and why is she receiving threatening messages; there are secrets and someone wants those secrets told. When Abigail’s daughter is abducted, the race is on to find the perpetrator in time…

The author does such a great job with keeping the pace, tension and story so well, with as mentioned before a collection of great characters, good and bad. I had no glue to the guilty character/characters and kept changing my mind.

The story picks up to a rollercoaster pace for the last 30% -40 % of the book, and the race is on for Detective Inspector Carter and her team.

A fantastic book that I can recommend to everyone. A clear five stars.

This author will be one I look for her next book alongside great police thrillers from Angela Marsons, Sharon Bolton, Casey Hill, Mel Sherratt and Robert Bryndza ... to name a few.

I will say that the subject matter and the number of players in the beginning was a bit hard to sort out.

This one was slightly better than OK.

Considering this is written by an author who usually writes a completely different genre, you certainly would never know this is her first venture into the dark side!
What does become immediately evident, is that Carol is certainly well versed in knowing how to draw her readers in to the book very early on, and keeping them hooked until the reach the gripping conclusion.
The characters are well drawn and the plot seamlessly fits together. By an author of a lesser talent, this wouldn't have worked, as there are quite a lot of characters to discover. However, Carol manages this perfectly and I have to say, this definitely lived up to my expectations.
All in all, this was excellent, and I look forward to reading the next instalment with Detective Robyn Carter at the forefront!

This book shows how young children are often not believed when sexual encounters occur . They are even less believed if a family member is involved . Revenge is bittersweet in this book. Sexual abuse, pedophiles, prostitution, alcohol and drug abuse are just a few topics in this book. Not many happy moments in this book . but if looking for a fast paced read with a variety of characters and lots of gruesome deaths this book is for you .Thanks Netgalley. This author has so much potential with Detective Carter ion the scene. Way to go!!

Thank you to net galley and the publishers for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

Robyn Carter is returning to work after the death of her partner and a miscarriage brought in by tragedy. Her private investigator work has crossed into her police work.
Alice was a little girl when she was hurt and the loss of her perfect life has escalated into her adult life. Bring into that numerous murders and lots of twists can Robyn solve the murder and save the missing baby.

I absolutely loved this book and it was so exciting and had me gripped from the start. Definitely one for our book club (less)

Thank you to Netgalley and the Publishers for this review copy.

My first Carol Wyer book. I have seen other books by this author but they have looked to be more light hearted. This appears to be the author’s first thriller book and the first book in the Robyn Carter series. The story begins with 8 year old Alice. Her father has died and her mother is now engaged to a famous actor, Paul Matthews. They have moved into Paul’s house where he lives with his 2 children, Lucas and Natasha. The problem is, Lucas is abusing Alice. Once night when her mother and Paul go out, Lucas attempts to rape Alice but she defends herself by sticking a sharpened pencil in his eye.

We then move on some years later, and we meet Robyn Carter. Robyn is a Detective Inspector who is taking some time out following the death of her husband and unborn baby. She is working with her cousin Ross as a private investigator. In between the insurance cases and following unfaithful husbands she is asked to look into a missing person case. The missing person is Lucas Matthews. His wife has reported him missing and as Robyn delves deeper, she discovers things about Lucas that she feels needs to be investigated by the police. She agrees to go back to her old job early so she can be in charge of this case.

We also meet Abigail. Abigail is mum to baby Izzy and wife to husband Jackson. Abigail is a stay at home mum whilst Jackson is a pilot for a private airline. She has a small circle of close friends – Zoe, Claire and the newly befriended Rachel. One day she starts receiving strange texts and phone calls by someone she doesn’t recognise. They know all about Abigail’s secret. It does appear that Abigail does have secret, but what is it? The two storylines run side by side. Robyn’s investigations takes her to the town where Abigail lives, but are the two connected, and how? Robyn suspects that the two cases are linked, but she’s running out of time to put the pieces together.

This was a fantastic read. I could not put this book down. The prologue was hard to read considering it was focusing on child abuse, but once over that the story was better. As well as the story from Robyn’s and Abigail’s point of view, the story is also interspersed with the story from Alice’s point of view as she grows up. The story is great in that you don’t really know who Alice really is and how she connects to the story now. It’s very difficult to explain without giving away too many spoilers! I loved Robyn’s character. The relationship she has with her cousin Ross is humorous but you also see the emotional side to her as she recounts how her husband and baby died. It’s great that she tries to overcome her emotions and goes back to her old job as Detective Inspector, but she keeps questioning herself if she really has it in her any more as all her ‘hunches’ seem to come to nothing.

The story twists and turns so fast sometimes you don’t know which way it’s going. I think there’s nothing worse than reading a book where you’ve guessed the plot and ‘whodunnit’ early on in the book. This one was nothing like that! I genuinely did not know who was what until the very end when all the pieces slotted together. For me, there were no loose ends, nothing seemed wrong or unanswered and everything fitted together perfectly! An absolutely brilliant book. Roll on for the next one in the series!