The Playground Murders (The Detective's Daughter #7) by Lesley Thomson
Genre: Crime Fiction, Thriller
Date: 4th May 2019
Purchase: Amazon
(release date: 4th April 2019)
★★★ 3.5 stars
I requested this book THE PLAYGROUND MURDERS not aware that it was part of a series, namely The Detective's Daughter. However, it can be read as a standalone in my opinion as it reads quite well as one, and I didn't feel I was missing anything by not starting from the beginning.
Of course it was the storyline of the original murders forty years prior and the mystery that surrounded them that grabbed me from the off. The fact that it had dual timelines was a mega plus for me, as that is my favourite style. I always love how the story flips between the past and present with the mystery unfolding between the two.
So the story begins forty years ago, in 1980, with the murder of not one but two children. It is no mystery from the beginning who killed the children, and even before the first tragic death, the reader is given a dark and twisted perspective of one of their own. It is more than obvious that something is definitely not normal with this child. No remorse, no conscience, no real emotion. It is clear that has this child been an adult, they would be diagnosed as a psychopath. But the dark and twisted tale of this group of children and the self-imposed glue that held them together was something extraordinary that kept us turning the pages.
At the time of THE PLAYGROUND MURDERS, Stella Darnell had been 14 and living with her mum Susie. Her father DCI Terry Darnell was tasked with investigating the murder of one of the children, 6 year old Sarah Ferris, who soon found himself armed with the help of self-imposed detective Danielle Hindle, the 10 year old daughter of career criminal Eddie Hindle. And everyone knew to steer clear of getting on the wrong side of the Hindles. Terry didn't see much of his daughter during this time as being a teenager Stella was wrapped up in her own world of hormones.
Now it's 2019 - Stella is 53 and her father Terry has been dead 8 years. When a young highly strung young woman waltzes into Stella's detective agency claiming her father was innocent of the murder of his mistress in their house, Stella gathers her team to hear Carrie Phillips' story. The woman is emphatic that her father was innocent and yet he was sitting in a prison cell awaiting trial for his mistress' murder. But who does Carrie think killed Rachel Cater? Her answer will surprise you and even moreso, the true identity of that person!
As Stella sifts through the evidence and interviews suspects, she discovers a link between Rachel's murder and that of little Sarah Ferris 40 years ago - a case which her father Terry had investigated and solved. Stella feels uneasy digging up the past of an already solved case, but in doing so she begins to feel a connection to her father once again and with it comes the regrets of not having seen him before he died.
Terry's DC at the time of the 40 year old investigation, Martin Cashman, has risen in the ranks to Chief Superintendant and is an old flame of Stella's - a fact which continually riles her business partner and love interest Jack Harman. I have to admit, the constant appearance of the green-eyed monster in Jack over Martin drove me crazy. Did he really not trust Stella? Was he that insecure in his relationship with her? I found it annoying and a constant bone of contention throughout the book. As we discover, Jack comes with his own baggage. Having not read the previous books in the series I am unable to comment on the growth of their relationship, but I am not a fan of mixing romance with mystery thrillers. For me, I think it gets a little messy, as it appears to with Jack's jealousy over Martin Cashman and Stella. It is that, I feel, that lets it down. Just investigate crimes. No need to jump into bed with each other!
As Stella pieces together the past with the tragic death of Sarah, she begins to make connections that threaten to bring danger to all Stella holds dear. And it isn't long before she is drawn into tale of jealousy and the end of innocence. As we get to know the killer, we can see the consequences the past can have of all who are involved.
THE PLAYGROUND MURDERS takes off slowly as the story shifts between the past and present, building to a twisted, complex, dark and disturbing tale. With a little twist at the end. It is not a fast-paced thriller but has more of an atmospheric feel to it. Tension is definitely rife throughout.
An enjoyable read as a standalone or in the context of the series. As I've not read the series, I thought it rated well enough to be a standalone.
I would like to thank #LesleyThomson, #NetGalley and #HeadOfZeus for an ARC of #ThePlaygroundMurders in exchange for an honest review.
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