First Act
I spend a decent chunk of time every day looking for books I think people might like if they could only know they exist. It works like this: I see a book that I think readers might like. I research a little deeper than the brief promos found on the publisher's websites. I then try to construct a short promo to help you decide if the books is for you.
This is one of those books. If you’re into that gritty British police procedural vibe, this one’s actually got a solid hook.
It’s set in London, 2008. The Olympic Park is being built, everything’s shiny and new, right? But beneath the construction, they find human remains. And here’s the thing that got me: the body is linked to children's toys. Like, specific, creepy toys. It’s not just “a body was found.” It’s “a killer is playing a game with our childhood memories.”
The protagonist is Kelly Porter. She’s 28, she’s new to the Major Investigation Team (the murder squad), and she’s basically thrown into the deep end on day one. She’s smart, she’s driven, but she’s also figuring it out as she goes. I like that she’s not this superhuman detective who solves everything in five minutes. She’s struggling, which makes it way more interesting.
She gets help from a curator at the Museum of Childhood, which is a cool angle you don’t see every day. It’s not just forensics; it’s psychology. It’s about why a killer would leave these specific items. It feels like a puzzle box.
If you’re a fan of authors like Angela Marsons or L. J. Ross, you’ll probably vibe with this. It’s got that same atmospheric, slow-burn dread but with a faster pace. It’s the prequel to the DI Kelly Porter series, which has sold over a million copies. So if you’ve read the other books and wondered how it all started, this fills in the blanks. If you haven’t, it’s a great entry point because you get to see her before she becomes this hardened, legendary DI.
The writing is tight. No filler. It’s just straight into the mystery. The setting of 2008 London is really well done—the contrast between the excitement of the Olympics and the dark stuff happening underneath is a nice touch.
Anyway, just thought I’d share. It sounds like a solid read if you’re looking for something to sink your teeth into this weekend. Highly recommend checking it out.