Sherryl Clark is an author with a keen eye for a fascinating central female character, and Lou Alcott is one out of the box. A Melbourne based Private Investigator with a prominent organised crime figure for a grandfather, she's a disillusioned ex-cop with a major attitude when it comes to domestic violence perpetrators.

Starting out as a PI in a job facilitated by her grandfather, she finds herself in a small office with a boss who is impressively competent and a full time tech-expert who is very good at what he does. Assigned a couple of cases up front, one of them is a security check on the home of a young woman, Melinda, fleeing a violent ex-partner from NSW.  Her home seems pretty secure, and there's no sign that her ex-partner has left Sydney, yet she vanishes. Which probably engendered the only slightly bum note in the book - Alcott responds like she's lost a dear friend, which never did quite make sense. Minor quibble though. The other is a woman who has disappeared right from the start. Her husband is trying to convince everyone she simply up and left her two young children, her parents so not convinced that they have hired the firm Alcott is working for to find out the truth. 

Meanwhile Alcott's beloved grandfather is battling a dangerous adversary who kills his long-term friend and employee, blows up cars, and by connection, is threatening Alcott as well. All while she's trying very hard to find both missing women - both of which disappearances just don't make sense.

The investigations lead Alcott and her colleagues into the murky and odd world of online dating, as well as down some very deserted backroads. It's bad enough that her grandfather's life is being threatened, and she's caught up in that, but the two cases she's chasing also have the potential to become very dangerous indeed. It feels, at times, like Alcott's time is up even before she gets started.

Touching on some very real and major issues in today's society, this is a topical and elegantly balanced foray into domestic violence, the perils of online dating, and the dangers that women face. It's also exploring a little bit about a woman with a complicated personal backstory and some things she's trying to work through for herself. Not least of all her not-relationship with her high up cop father, her love for her grandfather and her dislike of what he does, and the way she's pretty much on her own. All of that is balanced against the way that Alcott and her grandfather negotiate their differences, and the respect and connection that she now finds she's garnering with her colleagues. 

An interesting character, and an interesting debut - full of threat and daring doing's, with some topical issue exploration, it will be fascinating to see where the author takes her next.
 

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I borrowed a copy of this book from the library

Woman, Missing

The book cover for Woman, Missing by Sherryl Clark includes the tagline 'Will her first case be her last?' and the quote 'A pacy race against time that keeps you turning the page.' Vikki Petraitis, author of The Unbelieved

The image is of a stairwell with a window to the right tiles, and wooden steps to the left. There's a female figure running up the stairs, she's got blond hair trailing behind her, as is her skirt. She's taking a big step up the stairs and is only partly visible.

She's the one to turn to when you need saving. But first she has to save herself...

Lou Alcott is turning over a new leaf as a private investigator. Formerly police, she was forced to resign when she attacked a domestic violence perpetrator. She's always vowed to be nothing like her grandfather Hamish, Melbourne's biggest crime boss, delivering an eye for an eye, but this guy had it coming.

On her first day she draws two cases helping at-risk women. First there's Diane Paterson, who has apparently left her husband without a word. Who should Lou believe? The charmingly distraught husband, Diane's suspicious parents, or the freezer full of lovingly prepared food left behind?

Then a house security check for an isolated young woman who is convinced her abusive ex is stalking her again turns worrisome when she fails to show up for their meeting. Lou reports Melinda's odd disappearance to the police but with no signs of a struggle she fears they're not able to act quickly enough.

With her protective radar pinging, Lou keeps digging until she unearths chilling evidence that puts her in the hot seat. Suddenly Lou is embroiled in a cat-and-mouse-game where there will only be one survivor... Will Lou's first case be her last?

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Mon, 01/07/2024
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