The stolen girls by Jez Pinfold.
Detective Bec Pope Mysteries Book 2.
Eight years ago, three girls went missing. Only one was found. Dead.
Her body dumped in the street. No drag marks, no blood.
It was Detective Bec Pope’s first case. And she has never given up hope of finding the others alive.
Now. A young woman stands in the doorway of the police station, silhouetted against the fierce sunlight. ‘Help me,’ she asks Bec.
Her pale yellow dress is drenched in blood. But it isn’t hers.
I really really enjoyed this book. I am enjoying this series. I was unsure if I believed the girl or not. I did like the writing style. Twisty and gripping as I did not know who to believe. An easy read and I was surprised by how quickly I read it. I do hope there is more to come. 4*.

This was my first contact with Pope and it was a good introduction. I enjoyed the plot and I was actually hooked from the moment when one of the missing girls wander into the police station. I am eager to get to know the characters better, hoping for some great character growth in the near future!

Brilliant edge of your seat read, the story and characters go so well together to bring the reader an excellent book that they will love an I for one will look forward to more from Jez Pinfold.

Rebecca Pope is a dedicated police officer who is plagued by insomnia and an overactive sense of responsibility. Haunted by an earlier case she was unable to resolve, the last thing Bec expects is to have one of the girls still missing wrt that case show up unexpectedly all this time later.

That's exactly what happens though, when Alice shows up so long after she initially went missing. Where has she been all this time?

A gripping crime novel featuring an intriguing protagonist, this is one for those who enjoy a strong police procedural. It gets 3.5 stars.

Bec Pope finds herself pulled deep into a case that reminds her of her first case ever that remains unsolved. This is the second book in the series but can be read as a standalone as it gives enough context to events in the first book to have an understanding of the dynamics between characters.

The plot itself is something that would traditionally interest me, but I felt the character development fell flat and there were some parts of the plot that were unrealistic.

It is quick moving, but there is redundant information that could have been cut to keep the plot flowing smoothly.

This one wasn’t for me, but I can see how someone who wants a palette cleanser after an emotional read would benefit from picking this one up.

THE STOLEN GIRLS by Jez Pinfold. The premise was interesting and the opening chapter was intriguing. The narrative only skimmed over the surface and became repetitive. The characters lacked any depth making it difficult to engage with them. The ending was disappointing in that it left many loose threads and story lines that were not finished. However, it was an entertaining and quick read.

Thank you to the author, Joffe Books, and Netgalley for the opportunity to preview the book.

A brilliant story with great twists and turns. I really enjoyed this book. Great characters to go along with a amazing storyline

This book had me hooked from the beginning. I had to read the first book in the series just for my own reading order preference, but this can be read as a standalone book, all the key parts from the first book were brought up briefly here to catch the reader up to speed. This book was interesting, I loved the story line and also hearing more of Bec's story when she first came on the squad and her first case and how this story relates. It was interesting to learn a lot about cults and especially how relevant they are today. There is a great background knowledge of getting in the mind of the perps and I love reading about that! I do wish there was more of the background story of everything that had happened during the past few years with Alice, but hopefully that means there is a follow up story to this!

Eight years ago, Detective Bec Pope's first case was when three girls went missing and only one was found. Now a young woman shows up covered in blood and Pope is thrown back into the past all over again.

I enjoyed the overall story about what happens when the past catches up. I did feel a little unconnected to the main characters and wished for a little more character building. The story was pretty straight forward but entertaining and I'd be interested to see what happens to Pope during the next installment. A definite read!

Thank you to NetGalley, the author & Joffe Books for an advanced copy of this book. This is the second in a series but can be read as a standalone ( I hadn’t read the first book but certainly wish I had)

DCI Bec Pope is the main character and when a young woman covered in blood who doesn’t know her own name, collapses on Pope outside Charring Cross police station, Pope knows this case is going to be a tough one. With her partner Brody having differing opinions and more revelations linking the girl to an 8 year old case where 4 girls went missing, the pressure is on Pope and Brody. Pope is also trying to navigate her personal life, while balancing work and home. There are problems in her relationship with Alex and his daughters Hannah and Chloe that she knows she has to prioritise to fix but with the case snowballing into something much bigger time isn’t on Popes side.

The story was really good with lots of interesting plots and again I wish I had read the first book in the series. In fact I think I will go back and read book one as I will be sure to read more from this author and keep on this series.

Thank you NetGalley! I loved this book. I knew after reading it that I would have to check out others in the series. Can’t wait to read more from this author

A decent story although no great surprises.. it’s the sort of mystery which is great to read on a plane where you want to dive into something but know you might be interrupted and need to come back to it later. I found it a bit hard to engage and the characters did not really grip me.

I had a tough time with this one. It was pretty surface level. If you are a reader looking for something less complex and sinister, then this book is it. There was nothing novel and no major hook for me. It was predictable. The characters were all static. The concept is great, the summary sounds intriguing. The writing didn't quite work for me.

Plenty of twists and turns in this story to keep the reader guessing throughout as to whether Pope is being conned or the victim has true memory loss, and the author keeps up the pace right to the end!. The story also highlights the potential which the internet can have to lure young vulnerable people into a scenario which they did not anticipate. Great story and this is developing nicely as a series.

Thanks to Netgalley and Joffe books for the ARC to review.

Eight years ago, four young girls vanished; one of those girls, Tina Waterson, was found murdered shortly afterward. All of their cases remain unsolved, but when a young woman walks into Pope's station, covered in blood, and collapses, Pope gets a second chance at solving the mystery that has chased her for the better part of a decade. But is Alice Lowery the victim she presents herself as, or is she the one Pope should be wary of? 
 
I was able to read this book thanks to Netgalley, and I very much enjoyed it. I found the story to be intriguing and fun. Although some parts were a bit predictable, I enjoyed the story as a whole. I have not read the first book in this series, so some of the background story for Pope and her family were a bit confusing for me at first, but I may pick up the first book to fill in that gap and am very curious about what happens next in this story. What will happen to Alice? Where are the other girls? What is the fallout of this whole thing for Pope, personally and professionally?

Really engaging mystery, witty and believable characters. This was an excellent fast paced crime thriller. Set against the backdrop of London, Metropolitan police DCI Bec Pope discovers a young girl covered in blood on her way into the police station one day, but who does the blood belong to? Who is this girl? And what has happened to her? These are the questions in need of a quick answer, as we follow Pope on the investigation to catch a killer, fix her home life and maybe get a decent nights sleep if she can find the time.
Pinfold has delivered another well written, intriguing murder mystery full of hidden clues and interesting side stories. Twists in the investigation keep the reader guessing while a few well placed hints make you feel like an unofficial part of the team while you read.
Whilst I found the premise and the story developments captivating, the ending fell just a little flat for me, feeling rushed and incomplete. Perhaps this was intentional leading into another book in the series or perhaps not. For me the ending took away the 5* status I had in mind during the rest of the book.
Overall a fantastic and enjoyable read, would highly recommend to anyone looking for a speedy thrilling read.

It was an interesting case and strong start but felt for most of the story it only skimmed the surface of Pope and Brody personalities. Without the depth, I struggled to stay engaged with the investigation and their lives. It is still an entertaining thriller with good twists and it is a quick read but I've just enjoyed others more.

This book sounded fantastic. The cover art and the summery really had me pumped up for a good story. While the plot wasn't terrible, I felt that the writing was very simple. This book would make a good pallet cleanser for thriller lovers who need a break from the deep dark stories. Overall the story was decent, but the writing style is what got me.

This is the second book I have read in Bec Pope series and I enjoyed it as much as the last one.. Great characters and storyline. Plenty of suspense to keep me enthralled. Look forward to the next offering. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the chance to review it.

Wow! Fantastic read! I thoroughly enjoyed reading this one! This book had great suspense, intrigue, action packed, murder, mystery, kidnapping, cult, a twisted who done it and some crazy twists and turns! The storyline was very interesting and had me glued to my Kindle! I highly recommend reading this book! Thank you NetGalley and Joffee books for sharing this book with me!
A young woman stands in the doorway of the police station, silhouetted against the fierce sunlight. She is red with blood. The woman stares Detective Bec Pope dead in the eye. “Help me,” she says. Then collapses. The woman is Alice Lowrie, one of the three girls who went missing and were never found in the Tina Waterson case eight years ago, Pope’s first case as a detective. Tina’s body was found dumped just outside Bermondsey, but the other girls have never been found. Until now. Pope is determined to right the wrongs of the past. But what is the truth about Alice?! .and where has she been all this time?