I’ve read Wyer’s romantic comedies in the past and really enjoyed them so when I heard she was delving into the world of thrillers I was totally interested. Would the same author who wrote such heartwarming and fun books deliver a chilling and compelling thriller? Yes, yes she would. I was blown away by Little Girl Lost and am now in complete awe of the talented Carol Wyer.

Robyn Carter used to be a detective and now works as a PI with her cousin, Ross. She’s suffered some devastating losses so she takes a break from being a police officer to heal. Right as she’s preparing to head back to work, she starts investigating the disappearance of a teacher, Lucas Matthews. When she really starts to dig into the case, things begin to get seriously complicated and twisted. Bodies are cropping up everywhere and seemingly unrelated people are connected, but how?

I’m not going to lie, during the beginning quarter of this book I was slightly confused. It wasn’t the writing style or that weird plotting was going on, it was that there were so many viewpoints to keep track of. There was Abigail, a new mother to baby Izzy, Detective Carter as she tried to unravel an intricate web of details, and then there are chapters labeled Then from a girl with a tragically sad life. I was making myself crazy trying to figure out how all of this would tie together and then eventually things clicked into place and I was floored. I’m still amazed by how meticulously this was plotted, there were so many details to keep track of and Wyer tied it all together beautifully.

Most of the time it seems like there is one massive twist in a mystery novel but here there were several turns that were all shockers. Between the gripping plot line and the seamless writing, you’re introduced to Carter who was such a great character, I’m thrilled that this is the start of a new series based on her. She’s had a difficult past and has walked away damaged, but she’s a good cop and she has a killer instinct and doesn’t always follow the rules. She’s not afraid to take a risk and I admire her strength and perseverance. What a talented thriller writer Wyer is, if this is what she has to offer first, I can’t wait to see what she has in store next!

Great start to a new series with a flawed but likable lead detective, I like flawed characters makes them more interesting and Robyn certainly is.This was twisty and fast paced and I thought it was a clever book well written with plenty of twists.I'm already hoping the second book is not far away this one was a winner and I'd like to thank Netgalley and the publishers for an ARC in return for an honest review.

Little Girl lost is Carol Wyer first crime thriller introducing a new detective. I am familiar with the author's writing having read Life Swap which is a comedy. But I seriously cannot not believe this is Carol's debut crime novel. She certainly knows how to entertain her readers but wowers this story is absolutely flipping brilliant.....I was totally blown away! talk about grabbing you round the throat and not letting you go until the very last page! And it's been awhile since I've said that about a book.


The Prologue starts off introducing the reader to Alice totally setting the scene for what's to come. That was it for me I was hooked…..Boy do I love a good Prologue!


DI Robyn Carter is back at work after the loss of her husband and finds herself on a missing persons case. First of all a teacher goes missing under suspicious circumstances and an actor is murdered at a local reservoir there’s no obvious link between the cases. But as DI Robyn Carter starts to delve deeper, her investigations lead her to Abigail, perfect wife and mother to beautiful little Izzy. But how is Abigail connected to the victims? And why is she receiving threatening messages from an anonymous number?

With a story line alternating to chapters written from the Killer's point of view building up one creepy nail biting story.I actually read most of it with my jaw hanging off the floor. The tension in it is unbelievable. And kept me guessing until the end.


Carol certainly is a dark horse and my only question is why has it taken so long for her to come over to the dark side! This is certainly going to be one hell of a series and I am sure there is plenty more to know about Robyn. Which I am looking forward to. Massive high five Carol.


This story ticked all the boxes for me. This a must read which I highly recommend it giving it a well deserved 5 stars.


Thank you to Bookouture and Netgalley for a copy in exchange for an honest review.

Carol Wyer is already a well established author of romance and wit so this did seem quite a massive jump to write a straight talking psychological thriller, but wow did it work! Detective Inspector Robyn Carter has had more than  her own share of tragedy and is coming to the end of sick leave after the death of her husband. Although this DI certainly makes an impression in this novel, I don’t think she is still running on full steam and feel she will become quite a formidable character as the series goes on. She gets a pre warning from her boss as she returns to work which gives you the feel that this DI, who wants to roll her sleeves up with the rest of her team, will be quite a sassy lady.
From the start of this book it throws you in to  an emotional turmoil. A child has to go where a parent takes them, so when eight year old Alice’s mum Christina moves in with a wealthy widower and his two older children, she wants nothing to spoil it. When terrible events take place one night Christina is told to leave and take her daughter with her. No-one will listen to this brave little girl, well only Mr. Big Ears her stuffed rabbit and so far I felt he had given Alice pretty sound advice! 
Oh wow what an emotional start you just want to throw your arms round this brave little girl but what you feel the most is anger. Well bottle that because this is how she will always feel now. And twenty years in the future she is ready to release it onto those that caused her pain. Alice isn’t Alice any more but she isn’t the only one that has grown up to tell lies.
The way in which Carol Wyer writes determines the pace that you read this novel, a bit like a conductor of words rather than music, some gentle calming moments and others angry and loud but put together and it really is a masterpiece. I am already so looking forward to more of this series, a superb start.
I wish to thank Netgalley and Bookouture for an arc of this book which I have chosen to review

This is Carol Wyer’s first effort at writing a psychological thriller. She succeeds in spades.

The opening prologue, which should include a trigger warning for those who have endured childhood trauma, sets up this story which is both chilling and complex. Wyer has set a high bar for her new series featuring DI Robin Carter.

Carter is working as a PI with her cousin while she recovers from her own personal traumas. When a woman asks her to find her missing husband, Robin is caught up in a serial killer’s careful plans of revenge. While she is knocking on doors and hunting for background information on the missing teacher a sixty-year-old man dies while out jogging and his housekeeper is found dead under suspicious circumstances. It takes all of Robin’s skills to connect these allegedly accidental deaths to her own investigation. Running parallel to Carter’s investigation is the story line of Abigail, her pilot husband Jackson, and her adorable infant daughter Izzy. Abigail begins getting mysterious notes suggesting she needs to come clean about her past. And oh yes, don’t trust your husband because he is not telling you the truth. Wyer succeeds in making the reader suspicious of this couple and their friends.

This is the first in what I hope will be many books featuring Robin and her cousin Ross. The plot with all its twists and turns and multiple points of view drives the novel. We spend so much time in the killer’s past and present that there is little time for Carter to prove herself as a capable investigator. We’ve been introduced to her angst filled past and her dogged determination to follow her gut instincts and occasionally ruffle the feathers of her superiors but in this novel the investigator takes a back seat to the victims and the killer.

It’s a sign of a great writer when her readers feel empathy for a serial killer. Wyer wins for a new look at cause and effect. It is early in the year, but this well paced novel earns 5 stars from this reader.

Many thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review an eARC of this novel.

What I Thought:

Detective Inspector Robyn Carter has taken a leave of absence from the Staffordshire Police Force following a series of personal tragedies. Having spent time working as a private detective with her cousin, Ross, also a former detective, she is preparing to rejoin the police force when Ross sends her on one last case. A woman has reported her husband missing, following her meeting it soon becomes clear to DI Carter that this case is one for the police and she's back to work a little sooner than planned.

I really enjoyed Little Girl Lost. It took me a little while to get into the book, I think it suffers from the same curse as a lot of first books in a series, and the action was a little thin on the ground while we were introduced to Robyn and her back story. However once the main plot line really kicked in I found it almost impossible to put down. Carol Wyer does a fantastic job of planting just enough hints you think you've worked it out, before throwing a curve ball that leaves you second guessing yourself.

Throughout the book the present day chapters are interspersed with chapters based in the past. These chapters are written in the first person and gradually move forward in time until they reach the present day. I found this a great technique that added to your understanding of the motive behind everything without making it clear who was behind it.

Would I recommend it?

I would absolutely recommend Little Girl Lost. For me it was a top class thriller that left me turning pages well past midnight just so I could reach the end. I wouldn't have known this was Carol Wyer's first thriller if it hadn't been noted in the comments. The only thing I would urge caution about is the book does contain child sex abuse, which I wasn't expecting based on the blurb. For me this wasn't an issue but I can appreciate that for some this may be a trigger. Personally I will be keeping a keen eye out for the further adventures of DI Robyn Carter, Carol Wyer is a great addition to the world of crime fiction.

Thank you to my favorite publisher Bookouture and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book, greatly appreciated!
This is my first book from this author. It starts with a bang!! The first chapter had me very intrigued!
The writing is good, the story held my attention, I enjoyed Detective Robyn Carter's character and would like to read more of her and her past. I did find the ending a little too long and drawn out but overall I still very much enjoyed the book and would read the next book in this series!

I found the book very hard to get into with so many characters thrown at you in the first few chapters! I was struggling to figure out what was going on.

This is a book full of twists and turns. It's dark and messes with your head and you can't be sure who's telling the truth and who's lying. I enjoyed this first book of DI Robin, she's a woman with flaws, anger and regrets. She and every other character in this book felt believable. And, even if there are happen horrible things and a lot of people are getting killed, there is some understanding to the why it did happen. It gives an inside to the mind and thinking of a broken child and how one incident can change a whole life. Good job on the writing and I'm looking forward to the next book in this series. "Little Girl Lost" is highly recommended to everyone loving dark, mind twisting thrillers.
I chose to read this book and all opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased. Thank you, NetGalley and Bookouture!

Little girl lost by Carol Wyer is a mystery and thriller read the general fiction (adult) read.
A perfect family hiding disturbing secrets. A killer who wants the truth to be told. A little girl in terrible danger.
A teacher goes missing under suspicious circumstances and a man is murdered at a local reservoir. For Detective Robyn Carter, there’s no obvious link between the cases. But as she starts to delve into them, her investigations lead her to Abigail, perfect wife and mother to beautiful little Izzy. What was Abigail’s connection to the victims? And why is she receiving threatening messages from an anonymous number?
But as Robyn starts to inch closer to finding the killer, Izzy is abducted. Unless Robyn gets to the twisted individual in time, a little girl will die …
I loved this book. I loved the story and the characters especially Rosie. She was my favourite character. Didn't expect that. I liked the ending too. I voluntarily reviewed an advanced copy of this book from netgalley.

Thanks to Netgalley, Bookouture and Carol Wyer for an advance copy for an honest review.

DI Robyn Carter is going back to work for the first time since the loss of her husband. Her first case is the disappearance of a music teacher. Judging from the clues it's unsurprising that he has vanished but people around him seem to have a disconcerting habit of dying. Trying to piece together his movements leads her to a reclusive ex actor and a seemingly perfect family who have their own secrets to fear and hide.

For the first two chapters of this book I thought this was going to be quite bad. The first chapter is just nasty - I know the scene has to be set but sometime less is more and what's happening can be revealed implicitly. A little girl been abused doesn't need full blown descriptions. In the second chapter we meet Robyn and are told she lost her husband and unborn child. It felt a bit like the author was getting it out there as quickly as possible we have a tragic heroine, alone in the world yada yada. But again this could have been unveiled gradually. My last niggle was Robyn moonlighting as a private detective whilst on compassionate leave with her bosses apparent blessing. I just think that's really unlikely.

So sounds like I hated it right? Well the four stars say otherwise. Once we get passed those chapters suddenly we have a great mystery thriller. We have the POV of Robyn, Abigail (the mother in the 'perfect' family) and Alice, the girl suffering in the first chapter. There is a real sense of tension as Abigail is tormented by mystery calls, Robyn tries to work out how all the threads are linked and crucially what happened to Alice as she grew up. So after my initial disapproval I found I couldn't put this down. This is certainly an interesting beginning to Robyn Carters story and I look forward to reading the next installment.

People are going missing or popping up dead all over the place and DI Carter is put on the case to figure out if there is any connection and to find the killer. She is dealing with her own painful loss by diving into her work with this new case and her fitness - she can't feel anything more than the pain in her body while she's at the gym.

Abigail, married to a wonderful man and bringing up her beautiful daughter, Izzy, feels worn down with the changes in her life which begin to effect her marriage and her sanity. Someone is sending her cryptic notes telling her the truth needs to be told, secrets need to come out - or punishment will be delivered. They seem to know her every move and she doesn't know who she can trust anymore as her world falls apart around her.

The author has you hooked from the very beginning. The prologue is mouth dropping and you immediately need to know what's going to happen. She doesn't let you down for the rest of the book - it's fast paced, intriguing and full of surprises. Every time I thought I had an inkling of what might be going on, I would turn the page just to be proven wrong again. She puts you inside the mind of the killer and you become empathetic to their cause while still feeling for the people that are being harmed.

I will 100% be continuing this series. The mind of Carol Wyer is a terrifying place and I want to be put back in it. Love MJ Arlidge? You'll like this too.

Detective Robyn Carter is returning to work after bereavement leave following the death of her husband and unborn child. While on leave she has been helping out a friend who is a private investigator and her last case involved looking for a man reported missing by his wife. When his disappearance starts to look suspicious and a sudden death appears linked it becomes her first case back in her police job.

Abigail Thorne is a seemingly happily married mother of a gorgeous baby girl but she has secrets she has not dared share even with her husband. But someone does know and is sending her threatening texts and emails and trying to destroy her marriage.

Interwoven between these two threads, there are chapters from the viewpoint of a character called Alice, perhaps the 'little girl lost' of the title. She tells both the story of what happened to her as a child and what she is doing to avenge that. She has changed her name and appearance so no one recognises her, least of all the reader.

This is a fast paced mystery that will keep you guessing up to the end!

Little Girl Lost

Little Girl Lost will take you on a fast paced and wild rollercoaster ride that you won't want to get off! I really couldn't put this book down, thank goodness it's the first in a series because I can't wait to read on!

I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book, with thanks to Netgalley and the publisher. 5*

My Review: 3.5/5 Stars
Mystery: As a mystery this book did really well. I honestly had no idea what was going on until right at the end. I did figure it out right before the Detective Inspector (DI) did. The author did really well in keeping me second guessing myself. Really, the only issue I had was that there was a couple of instances where it was a little too convenient.
Characters: While the book was written in several different POVs, I am going to say the "main character" was Robyn, the DI. Her POV was a lot of fun to from. Reading about her past really helped you understand where she was coming from. Alice was a little girl who went through so in her life that I actually felt sad for her. I also felt bad for Abigail, she was about to be driven insane and it was really tearing up her life. I felt for this being under 300 pages, the characters were pretty well fleshed out and I found myself really feeling for them.
Murders: The murders were all mysterious and unexpected. I was surprised to find out some of the people that were killed. I even found my heart rate pick up a few times. I really liked that while I had an idea of who the killer was, everyone in the book had changed their names/started a new life, and so I really didn't know who was who.
Overall: This story was very suspenseful and I really enjoyed giving it a read. It was quick read that recommend if you are interested.

There are multiple characters within this book but I found them easy to distinguish. All of the characters had distinct personalities which definitely made things easier. The story is told from three different points of view Robyn, Abigail and Alice. I especially loved reading the story from Alice's perspective, I always enjoy flashbacks within a story as I think they add extra depth to a story.

Robyn is an interesting character with a back story that really brings her character to life. It was great to get to know her and I can't wait to read the next book in the series.

As the story progresses secrets, lies and truths are told these revelations kept me totally hooked. Little Girl Lost is a fast paced and unpredictable story with quite a few tense moments. My interest was kept throughout and I couldn't wait to discover the truth. Although to be honest I was enjoying the story that much that I didn't want it to end!

I'm not going to talk about the plot as I really don't want to spoil anything. I will say that along the way there were plenty of surprises and shocks that kept me on my toes.

Little Girl Lost will grab hold of you and won't let go until the very end!

Five stars from me!

Thank you to Bookouture & Netgalley for my copy. This is my honest and unbiased opinion.

A Debut Novel full of breathtaking moments. At times I literally had to remind myself to breath. The plot is amazingly thought out. It's full of surprises which you won't see coming. This is gonna be Big in 2017. If you haven't ordered it yet....What are you waiting for?? Don't miss it!

Robyn is currently working with a Private Investigator as she is currently on compassionate leave from the Police Force after suffering a personal tragedy. She has just started investigating the disappearance of Lucas Matthews, a teacher, and discovers something that she really should make more official so she returns to work early, continuing with this case. As she digs deeper, she discovers that the disappearance is only the very tip of a rather big iceberg, one that has been forming for many many years. It's hard to say much more about the story as it is all rather convoluted initially and so to try and do so here would either not make any sense (and possible put people off) or contain spoilers and that's a big nono!
So, convoluted plot... well, at first it appears that there lots of things going on. Some with obvious connections, others appear completely isolated and there there are the ones that could really be anything to do with anybody or nothing to do with anything. he author really kept me on my toes throughout this book as I tried to both follow what was being uncovered as well as trying to make sense of it all. This was compounded by having the book told through multiple POVs, each luckily having their own distinctive voice so, all was not lost!
And then everything just clicks into place. And, although I had guessed some key things, I was not all right about everything. A good way to be I think, I win and the author wins too :)
Despite the slight confusion I felt during the first part of this book, it never lost my attention. I have read enough of this style of book to just accept what I am being told, store the confusion away for the future and trust that all will come good eventually. I figured that I have read enough of this genre from this publisher for my trust to be easily given and I wasn't wrong. It pretty much hits the ground running right from the off and, apart from the odd hiatus for the reader to take a breath, the action doesn't let up until the end.
Yes, there are some pretty hard hitting scenes depicted in the book. No punches are pulled but, I felt whilst reading that they had to be that hard hitting as what happens speaks to character definition and motivation and so they are as bad as they need to be for the book to work rather than for shock tactics.
Characters are also good. well drawn and else to connect to in some way. Obviously, due to the nature of certain characters this is more or less easily done depending on circumstance but, that said, I did find a way through the secrets, lies and duplicity to see what really made some of them tick.
I believe this is the first foray into this genre by Ms Wyer. A bit of a departure from her more lighthearted back catalogue. Sometime it's a brave step to switch genres but I think that she has got it spot on here. I also believe that this is the start of a new series, can't wait for book two.

My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

Detective Robyn Carter series. Book 1.

I struggled to get through the prologue as it is quite graphic. Plus I don't like reading these explicit details.

Ignoring what I have written above this is quite a good book. We are introduced to Detective Robyn Carter who is returning to work after the death of her husband. Her first case is to find a missing person. Then, well I'm afraid you will have to read the book to find out as I would give away too any spoilers.

There is a lot of red herrings along the way. I did sort of guess the ending but that did not stop me enjoying this book.

I would like to thank NetGalley, Bookouture and the author Carol Wyer for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Crikey this book had me gripped once I got a little way in. It was one of those books that you think you have the 'who dunnit" sussed and then it changes. A psychological thriller that just goes to show what happens when you are younger can really shape the person you become. The story starts off with Alice who is only 9, her mother has a new boyfriend who they live with. He has two teenage children who are left in charge of Alice. Lucas has been to her room and touched her before, she is so scared he is coming again tonight. But she will be ready for him. Her rabbit Big Ears will keep her safe, he will tell her what to do. Many years later there are two murders. One a teacher and the other a well known actor. What is the connection? That's D.I Robyn Carter's job to find out. She has had a break from the force and has been working for her uncles Private Investigation company. While investigating these murders and trying to work out how they are connected, she comes into contact with Abigail a mother with a beautiful baby, a loving husband but how is she involved? Why is she keeping secrets from her husband? A brilliant book that keeps you reading and guessing. A great author who can write crime thrillers as well as she can write comedies!