Cry of the Children (A Lambert and Hook Mystery)
This new Lambert and Hook procedural is both brutal and upsetting. Seven-year-old Lucy Gibson is thrilled to be going to the local fair with her mother’s new boyfriend, Matt. But by the end of the day, Lucy has disappeared. A search is launched, but when the 24-hour mark passes, Lambert and Hook know the chances of finding the child alive have diminished drastically. There are several suspects: a mentally disabled woman, Lucy’s real father, a fairground worker known for being violent, a local pedophile, Matt, and even Lucy’s mom. Then another child is snatched, and the game changes dramatically. As usual, Gregson gives readers a realistic picture of modern-day policing, including a sense of the frustration cops feel when faced with a particularly horrible, difficult-to-solve case, as well as a glimpse of the impact such cases have on the family and friends of the victims and the police. --Emily Melton