Alex Coombs is back with the second gripping instalment of his series featuring private investigator Hanlon: Missing for Good.

Hanlon never imagined that she would end up living in a tiny village far removed from civilization, but even she has to admit that her new life, free of all the daily stress and challenges of her previous life as a police officer, does have its advantages. However, where Hanlon goes, trouble always seems to follow as she discovers when on a walk through the village, she returns home and finds a man waiting for her ready to offer her a job to kick start her new business as a private investigator. A young girl has gone missing from Edinburgh and Hanlon has been assigned the job of finding her. This client could be lucrative and just what her business needs to revive its fortunes. With all her years of experience, Hanlon is sure that his job will be rather straightforward, however, as she begins her investigation, she quickly realises that there might be more to this case than meets the eye…

The daughter of one of Scotland’s premier art dealers has gone missing, but it turns out that Aurora was a young girl with plenty of skeletons rattling in her closet. With a troubled past and a history of getting involved with people she should have given a very wide berth to, Aurora could be in serious danger. Despite having all of the advantages and privileges denied to most people, Hanlon begins to wonder what made her disappear? Did Aurora know something she shouldn’t? Did she get mixed up with someone very dangerous? Or did she disappear because of her father and his connections? As Hanlon gets deeper and deeper in this case, she quickly realises that she needs all of her wits about her because one false move could prove fatal…

With the possibility that someone else might be attacked, Hanlon needs to work fast. She has to find Aurora – as the alternative does not bear thinking about. But is Aurora still alive? Or is Hanlon already far too late?

Alex Coombs’ Missing for Good is a chilling tale where the stakes are high, the tension unbearable and the twists and turns come thick and fast. In Hanlon, Alex Coombs has created a fantastic detective who is unconventional, intelligent, intuitive and truly one of a kind.

Alex Coombs is a talented writer who knows how to keep his readers on the edge of their seats turning those pages and Missing for Good is a pacy, thrilling and nail-biting page-turner fans of Angela Marsons and Cara Hunter will not want to miss.

Having not read any of the other PI Hanlon books, I was worried I wouldn't get into this book but that wasn't an issue. This is a gritty, graphic, and violent story, some parts even made me squeamish. Hanlon is a character that everyone seems to love including me. She is fearless and determined, smart and tenacious. IIf you enjoy a gritty, graphic crime thriller then this is for you.

This was a gripping novel which a strong plot and various twists that I liked.

The story starts off really well where Hanlon to investigate the disappearance of a girl. As she gets involved in the mystery, another girl gets murdered. The author does a very nice job of setting up multiple plots and motives for the characters to look suspicious. There are many suspects like Griffiths, Wyre, Luke, Miller, and even Cameron. So, the story is very gripping as Hanlon tries to figure out who is the cause of what is happening.

Even the negative characters like Jamie, Chris, Ray, and Dougie add a bit of dark humor to the storyline with their antics. The story has a lot of twists and turns which I did not expect, until the climax.
This is one of those stories which I enjoyed mainly because of the plot and mystery. More than Hanlon, I really liked the supporting characters. I thought Cameron, Miller, and Aurora were complex, and their back story fascinated me.

However, there were a few things which could be better. For instance, I didn’t really know much of Hanlon’s past. How did she get to be a famous detective and earn her reputation? It was hard connecting to her character because we don’t know much about her. Also, the references to the characters were confusing at times. For instance, at times the author referred to the characters by their first name, and sometimes by their last name. Hence, I had to remember the full name of the characters which was a bit tedious.

Apart from that, this was an interesting mystery, crime fiction which was entertaining to read.

I was really looking forward to reading this after reading Silenced For Good. I was not disappointed it was just as good as read as the first book.

This book sees Hanlon looking for a missing woman when her father enlists his help to find her. As he starts his investigation he realises the case might not be as simple as a missing persons case. Has she disappeared through her choice or against her will. There is a great range of characters Hanlon has to negotiate to get to thetruth.

A great read.

Private Investigator Hanlon is hired by a wealthy are dealer to find his daughter ... 23-year-old Aurora who has gone missing.

Hanlon is facing all kinds of dead ends, the people she talks to are more afraid of someone else. Is there someone else looking for Aurora? .. and why?

Well-written and action-packed, the plot is graphic and violent. The mystery is evident almost immediately. Suspense is nicely paced from start to finish. Characters are solidly drawn. Although second in the series, this is easily read as a stand alone. I do, however, recommend reading the books in order.

Many thanks to the author / Boldwood Books /Netgalley for the digital copy of this crime fiction. Read and reviewed voluntarily, opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.

A raw, gritty tale with some grisly scenes with PI Hanlon at the helm. When a 23-year-old disappeared, she was called to get to the truth. With secrets abounding, the story took its various twists down the pages.

Quite an intriguing tale it was. I quite liked the main character; she was determined and instinctive. The story was dark that caused me to skip those parts. the suspense was good.

A good read.

Thank you to Netgalley and Boldwood Books on the arc of this book by Alex Coombs.

3 star read- this was a quick read for me within 24 hours, a well written, well structured book with great characters and plot too, recommend to all.
⭐⭐⭐

I read this for a blog tour.

Hanlon is a former copper turned PI, charged by a rich art collector to find his missing daughter, somewhere in Edinburgh.

Delving into this case brings her up against the criminal underworld of drug dealers, who happily murder anyone who gets in their way.

A dark, gritty and intense crime novel, with a lovely doggy in a supporting role (always a bonus) that keeps you guessing as Hanlon unravels conspiracies on the university campus where her quarry studied.

This is not the first PI Hanlon book, but there was enough background throughout the book, that I was not lost at all reading this one. This is a gritty, graphic and violent story. It is not my usual genre and there were parts that had me a bit squeamish, but the story itself was quite good. Hanlon is hired by a rich art dealer to find his missing daughter. The reader are aware that she is in hiding after escaping a hit that had been placed on her by a drug kingpin. What we don't know is why. Hanlon is one of those PIs that people have no problem talking to. She is able to get all kinds of information from people she questions. The more she finds out, the more she puts herself in danger. She is fearless and does not give up. She is a smart, tenacious investigator who trusts her instincts to guide her when working a case. There are some other characters that are an integral part of the story and they are all fleshed out well. I really liked Luke, Aurora's ex-boyfriend and Hanlon's dog Wemyss. She actually compares Luke to having another dog to take care of, which was kind of funny. This is an exciting and intriguing crime thriller and it took no time at all for the plot to grab me. It's gritty, suspenseful and full of drama. As I said earlier, it is brutal and graphic at times, so not for the faint hearted. While I enjoyed the plotline and several of the characters, it was a tough read for me. If you enjoy a gritty, graphic crime thriller, then you will probably love this one

Is she alive, or is she missing for good...?

When the estranged daughter of Scotland's premier art dealer goes missing, Private Investigator Hanlon is hired to find out where Aurora is

But what she thinks will be a relatively straightforward job, soon turns dangerous. The missing girl has a troubled past but what made Aurora suddenly pack her bags and disappear?

Hanlon has her work cut out for her. The stakes are rising and she needs to get to the bottom of the case before someone else is attacked.

And is Aurora still alive, or is she missing for good?

A former detective in the Met, Hanlon now finds herself living in splendid isolation in the wilds of Argyll with just her knackered Vauxhall Corsa and her trusty hound Weymss to keep her company.

I wasn’t familiar with the work of Alex Coombs but the setting of Scotland was the thing which tickled my fancy. I live locally to the setting, I like a good Tartan Noir: colour me intrigued.

And Coombs did intrigue. Hanlon is a smashing character: damaged and haunted; loving her dog, her only emotional attachment; adjusting to her new rural life.

The University of Edinburgh alumni renders some parts of Scotland well – he’s good on the capital and its various sub-districts, as well as describing those single track roads which wind their way down towards the hamlets and villages on the road to Campbelltown.

There are some odd lapses – Loch Lomand in the Highlands? – but actually that’s the sort of mistake which seems to fit with the characters’ perspectives which is nice.

Coombs also has a mind for engaging characters – coke-addicted, psychotic Glaswegian hard men aren’t exactly original, but his is a memorable specimen of the species.

His gay hitmen are refreshingly rendered also and he has a lovely turn of descriptive phrase. “‘One person, they get in the van with the girl. Two people…’ He shook his head irritably. He was tired of this. There could be endless permutations – what if she arrived riding a camel? ‘Fuck it, if there’s two or more with her, we dinnae do anything.’”

He is no less comfortable skewering the pretentions of the Edinburgh students Hanlon encounters. “Morag was studying Creative Writing; if anyone was likely to make a mountain out of a molehill it was probably an aspiring writer with an overactive imagination.”

And this equally applies to the lecturers, “‘Look, I am an Artist!’ his dress proclaimed. Hanlon thought it also proclaimed, ‘Look, I’m an arsehole’ but for now she would keep that to herself.”

There are some false notes in the dialogue, occasionally it sounds a little generic and not specific to individual characters and there can be that flaw of the crime novel – a lot of recapping of plot while the detective muses to herself. Hanlon is a loner – having only a dog does limit her opportunity for natural sounding exposition

However, ‘Missing for Good’ is a rattling good read, sprinting along with enjoyable gusto and building to a satisfying crescendo. All in all, thoroughly recommended – I’ll have to go back and read Mr Coomb’s other stuff now.

I'd been anxiously awaiting this book since I read it's predecessor, Silenced For Good and was it ever worth the wait!

DCI Hanlon has left the police force and hug out her shingle as a Private Investigator. She's been living in semi-isolation on Argyll with her dog Wemyss when she's contacted to find Aurora Cameron, Hamish Cameron's estranged daughter. The family history is murky, but Hanlon takes the case on the proviso that if Aurora is found, but doesn't want to disclose her location to her father that all he needs is a photo and confirmation of her welfare. Meanwhile DI Murdo Campbell and the Edinburgh police are investigating the rash of incredibly violent murders, beatings and tortures that seem to lead back to a high level drug dealer Graeme Millar. It could be a drug/gang war, but those that survive are too afraid of Millar to talk. Ray Downie and Big Dougie are worried. Their boss, Graeme Millar has been growing increasingly erratic and more and more psychotic. Never an easy man to please, the current lack of success of tracking down one college-age girl has unhinged him. Any more mistakes by his subordinates, and they may end up adding to the pile of bodies he's racking up.

While on the surface these things are only peripherally related, Alex Coombs writes a deliciously tightening series of Venn Diagrams showing how and why these things overlap. Without her official standing as a police officer, Hanlon comes into her own. She is tough and resourceful, dogged in her tracking down of the missing girl. Along the way she meets the people whose lives intersected with Aurora's and learns that the missing girl is far more complex that just a rich girl who had had drug issues in the past. She survives several near-death encounters while trying to make sense of both facts as she knows then and the hearsay told her by Aurora's former flatmate.

Missing For Good is a whirlwind ride through some of the seediest sides of both Scotland and the underworld. Hanlon is no hero, but but seeing through the broad strokes of the gray areas between good and evil, the author has painted a breath-taking landscape where one is both immensely satisfied and yet longing for more!

Note: Content Warning, this book does reference past child sexual abuse but not in any detail. Wemyss doesn't die in the book. Promise!

Although most people probably know my love for Historical romances and fantasy/paranormal, I do enjoy crime and thriller novels. Why? because it has always been something I had fun watching with my family, and now I enjoy reading the books.

Missing for Good, is the kind of novel I enjoy reading in the mornings, to wake up with a missing case book and mysteries that grabbed my attention. I knew I couldn't read it at night or I would sleep only after I uncovered the truth. So I decided to only read this book in the mornings to start my day with excitement and curiosity. Who doesn't want to start the day with something interesting?

This is the second book of the series and it's my introduction to PI Hanlon. I was already curious about the series and book one, so I decided to take a chance and begin with the second installment in the series. Let me say I now have to go read the precious book, because I enjoyed this one very much.

The characters had me going, Hanlon was a fantastic character and I love her attitude and seeing her at work. The kind of character I would enjoy seeing in the big screen because my brain just isn't enough. And the other characters and the interactions added to my curiosity.

Then there is the plot and that was just brilliant and all the elements in the book made sense with the plot. Drama and mystery. The excitement of figuring out or theorizing about the crime. very page turner for me.

Overall, it was fun - can I use that word for a crime/thriller novel? - and I enjoyed every page of it. I can't wait to read the previous book in the series so I can see the character's development and see how that crime resolves. I will keep my eyes open for the future books in the series.

[I want to thank Rachel, at Rachel’s Random Resources, Alez Coombs and Boldwood Books for the eCopy of this book, via Netgaley. Thank you for allowing me to join in the fun and being a part of the blog tour with my honest review of the book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.]

I love reading a book set in Scotland, I get to explore places I know and I love it when the author uses scots dialect as well.

Missing for Good takes us to Edinburgh, Glasgow and the Highlands as Private Investigator Hanlon takes a case from a prominent art dealer to find his missing daughter Aurora. As she delves deeper into the case it becomes clear that both father and daughter have a lot secrets to hide. I loved Hanlon as character, I found her to be such a strong female lead.

This was a gritty mystery with lots of twists and turn, and quite graphic and violent., which you will either love or hate - personally I loved it and it added to the authenticity of the tale that Coombs was weaving. I haven't read book one 'Silenced for Good' but there was enough of a backstory on Hanlon that this is easily a stand alone. This was my first foray with this author and it will not be my last - I loved the setting, the style and authenticity that he created.

4 stars

Was a good read about a premier Scottish art dealer whose daughter disappears and hanlon who used to be a police officer but now a private investigator is hired to try and find her. She thinks this is gonna be an easy to shut case of a daughter that's dissappeared but will it.

Jamie and Jordan had one job to do.... kidnap Aurora. A week later Jordan ends up dead and Jamie is nowhere to be seen.

Graeme Millar, a nasty piece of work, local gangster is looking for Jamie who appears to have vanished.

Cameron who is Aurora's estranged father is concerned that his daughter appears to be missing and drafts in ex police office Hanlan to find her.

Hanlan quickly finds out that the job is far more dangerous than she first thought, she is beaten up and Aurora's flatmate is murdered. Hanlan slowly unpicks aspects of Aurora's life and things aren't all they seem.

Gripping, full of suspense and a great dark night read.

With a possible kidnapping, murder, disappearances and threats – and that’s in the first chapters – you’re in for a fast paced thrilling mystery for Hanlon, a Private Investigator, to solve in this Scottish gangland thriller. There are secrets to be uncovered, attacks to be prevented and justice to be sought in this page turner. Has Aurora been kidnapped or gone into hiding? Where is she?

This is a story with many parts, a jigsaw where finding where the pieces fit starts to reveal the whole picture. It is a gritty story with plenty of malice, menace, machinations and murder. It is the first case for ex-cop turned PI Hanlon and she has dogged determination in uncovering the various facets to reveal the truth and solve the case. The characters are well developed, their emotions dramatically portrayed. It isn’t a story for the those looking for a cosy mystery – this is a dark thriller, anything but cosy. Hang on to the edge of your seat and get ready for shocking revelations as this suspense-filled read progresses.

Thank you to Boldwood Books and NetGalley for the copy of this book which I have voluntarily read and honestly reviewed.

I had to toughen up to read this book. I’m the adult who can’t watch 18 rated movies because I find them too violent. I’m also the adult who sits with fingers in ears and eyes screwed shut, making “lalalalala” noises until someone nudges me to tell me the violence is over, if a 15 rated movie sneaks a surprise attack in from left field. I can usually cope much better with violence in books, although I wouldn’t go out of my way to look for one specifically for this.

Missing For Good starts violently and keeps up the attacks all the way through as Hanlon tries to track down the missing Aurora. Set in Scotland, it takes the reader to a dark place of gangland violence, revenge attacks and fear. Imagine if Irvine Welsh, Lee Child and Martina Cole shared their authorial genes: this book would be the product of that gene pool.

I must hold my hands up and admit that I had to skim read the violent parts but that’s purely because my imagination insists on taking whatever is written on the page and turning it into a super HD reel for me. And I can’t screw my eyes shut as easily when I’m reading… That being said, I was wrapped up in the plot, followed the red herrings (dead, of course) until the story began to draw all the threads ( garottes) together in a totally unexpected way. I didn’t see what happened coming at all, and I love that about a book.

Hanlon wasn’t my favourite character surprisingly; instead, I was drawn to the anti-hero Jamie McDonald, a violent criminal who is trying to stay one step ahead of a psychopathic gang boss. I enjoyed the relationships between Hanlon and other characters in the book and the different dynamics with them.

So, dear bookworm, if you like your red herrings with a pinch of murder and a dash of revenge, look no further than this book! 3.5 / 5 stars

Missing For Good by Alex Coombs is the second outing for Private Investigator Hanlon. The first being Silenced For Good, which I read and reviewed previously.I have been looking forward to another PI Hanlon book and hoping it would keep up the high standard that was set with Silenced For Good, good news for everyone...it definitely does that! If you haven't read the first you can just jump in with this book,but, be warned, you will most definitely want to return to the first.
Hanlon is still working as a Private investigator but as an ex-cop she has the tricks up her sleeve and people who will gibe her a hand from time to time. She is also still a violence junkie but with a softer side to her that Alex Coombs manages to convey very well. We see flashes of a more maternal side on the odd occasion, but don't be lulled into a false sense of security. Hanlon is still the fearless woman we met in the first book.I love the fact that she has a multitude of layers that are hidden from everyone, the fact that she is damaged with secrets she has told noone but can still thrive in her life shows what an amazing woman she still is.
This time there is a missing girl to be found which Hanlon begins to investigate and discovers the girls father may be a bit dodgier than is first expected and his daughter may have just disappeared to escape him. Hanlon deals with this in her inemitable way, revealing layers upon layers of lies and deceit.
A gripping, brutal and exciting crime thriller, that, yet again had me in the palm of it's 'hand' from the start. If you prefer a tamer book, this is not for you but if you love a gritty, violent story, try this out. You should not regret it!
Thank you to Rachel's Random Resources Resources, Boldwood books and NetGalley for the book today.

I read, reviewed and thoroughly enjoyed reading Alex’s first book to feature Private Investigator Hanlon, which is called ‘Silenced For Good’ and it was released on 14th April 2020. It’s another cracking read by Alex Coombs, which I thoroughly enjoyed but more about that in a bit.
Private Investigator Hanlon is a bit of a mystery. She seems very much a longer with few friends, not that she really wants to be around people. Her best friend is her dog. She used to be in the police force but she left the force and is now working as a private investigator. She is still in touch with some of her former colleagues, which you can understand. In ‘Missing For Good’ Hanlon is asked to take on a case of a missing girl called Aurora, after her name was passed to the girl’s father. Unable to resist the challenge, Hanlon takes the case and gives it her full attention. I get the impression that Hanlon is a bit of a complicated soul with more layers to her character than you would find on a parcel during a game of ‘Pass The Parcel’. Unwrap one layer and another half dozen appear. Hanlon doesn’t suffer fools gladly, she doesn’t beat around the bush and she tells it like it is. At the same time she is very determined and she works very hard, giving 110% to her work.
Oh my word, it took me next to no time to get into ‘Missing For Good’. In fact by the time I got to the end of the first few pages, I knew that I was going to be in for one hell of a read and I wasn’t wrong either. I found it nigh on impossible to put this book down for any great length of time. My Kindle wasn’t exactly glued to my hand but it might as well have been because it travelled everywhere with me. I simply couldn’t bear to miss a single second of the story. The pages turned increasingly quickly as my desperation to find out how the story concluded, grew and grew. All too quickly I reached the end of the story and I had to say farewell to Hanlon.
‘Missing For Good’ is extremely well written but then I thought that to be true about ‘Silenced For Good’ too. The author certainly knows how to grab your attention from the start and he then takes you one hell of an at times scary and unpredictable journey. For me, ‘Missing For Good’ was perfectly paced- the story hit the ground running and maintained the fast pace throughout. Twists and turns were introduced with ease and there were a few OMG moments as I worked my way through the book. For me, ‘Missing For Good’ is a tightly plotted and gripping read, which had me on the edge of my seat throughout.
In short, I really enjoyed reading ‘Missing For Good’ and I would definitely recommend this book to other readers. I will be reading more of Alex’s work in the future. The score on the Ginger Book Geek board is a very well deserved 5* out of 5*.

The second book in the Hanlon series, now a private investigator she takes on her first case, not the simple missing person's case its first seems. Aurora has secrets and is hiding from her art dealer father who also is not the upstanding businessman he portrays. The story darkens as it progresses, as Hanlon comes up against drug dealers, gangs and people with secrets that they will kill to keep hidden.

Hanlon continues to have anger issues and remains a closed book to most her relationship with her dog shows her lighter side. She is an enigma but excellent at her role. This gritty, graphic ganglit but Hanlon isn't afraid of danger given her background at the Met and is determined to find out the truth.

If you like your crime fiction hard-boiled this will suit you.

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