Mother Love

December 12, 2011
Birmingham Det. Insp. Sarah Quinn, introduced in 2011’s A Question of Despair, returns to tackle the abductor of teacher Olivia Kent in a muddled case. A taunting note delivered to Det. Chief Supt. Fred Baker suggesting its anonymous author has Kent at his mercy prompts a cursory investigation that determines Kent is indeed missing and has been for five days. The incomplete and contradictory portrait of Kent that emerges—from interviews with her mother, Elizabeth; her best friend, reporter Caroline King; and a fellow teacher, Jill Paige—complicates Quinn’s job. King and Quinn have a history that makes conflict inevitable, but circumstances force the two to cooperate. The interplay between Quinn and Baker and with her subordinates is well done, but Carter introduces too many unexpected variables and leaves too much unexplained to make for a satisfying whole.

January 1, 2012
A missing woman reignites the fires of animosity between an icy detective and a scheming reporter. Elizabeth Kent senses something isn't right when her usually doting daughter Olivia is out of touch. Following up with the school where Olivia teaches, she's told that Olivia has taken an unanticipated break--something Olivia never mentioned to her. Once DI Sarah Quinn shows up at Elizabeth's door and starts asking questions, Elizabeth knows for certain that something must be wrong. The DI's department has received a letter implying that Olivia's been involved in some sort of kidnapping, and the tough detective is determined to find her before she comes to a bad end, assuming that she's even still alive. Unfortunately for Sarah, Olivia's disappearance has also drawn the attention of reporter Caroline King. While the muckraker, who was once close to Sarah, has been at odds with her for a long time, now Caroline is involved at a personal level because Olivia is one of her oldest friends. If the two antagonists can only put aside their differences, they may well solve the mystery before it's too late, but with these two powerful women, it's unclear that either will give in. Carter (A Question of Despair, 2011, etc.) delivers another well-turned procedural, with the Quinn/King relationship better developed than in her last installment.

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February 1, 2012

Olivia, a young teacher from Birmingham, England, has been abducted, and the police are trying to figure out why. Working the case, DI Sarah Quinn (A Question of Despair) is horrified to learn that her sneaky nemesis, reporter Caroline King, is a close friend of Olivia. King has the inside track to Olivia's mother, and Quinn feels sure the reporter will mess up the case. Olivia is rescued in dramatic fashion, but the psychologically creepy part of the case is just beginning as Olivia remains mum about her abductor. The suspense ratchets up when Olivia's deepest secrets reveal a more complicated and troubled individual than anyone expected. VERDICT The two divas ooze attitude almost to the point of being unlikable. But Carter, who also writes the Bev Morriss crime novels, continues to deepen their stories while excelling at twisty, psychological suspense. Sophie Hannah readers will appreciate. [See Prepub Alert, 8/2/11.]

Copyright 2012 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

December 15, 2011
Another outing for DI Sarah Quinn finds the intrepid cop squaring off against her old adversary, journalist Caroline King. When Caroline's oldest friend, schoolteacher Olivia Kent, goes missing, Caroline is naturally concerned about her friend's safety, but first and foremost, she's a journalist eager to get a story, and if Olivia has been kidnapped, tortured, raped, or murdered, the headlines Caroline can write will be her top priority. Not only does DI Quinn have to cope with Caroline's ambitions and the challenge of the caseIs Olivia really missing, or did she willingly disappear?she also has to deal with Olivia's battle-ax of a mother, who will stop at nothing to make sure her daughter is found. A series of bizarre notes leads Quinn, with Caroline hot on her heels, to a potential suspect. But then the case stalls, and Quinn's only alternative is to team up with Caroline to find Olivia. Humorous banter, plenty of red herrings, a twisty-turny plot, and a surprise ending teamed with a likable, all-too-human heroine make this an entertaining read.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2011, American Library Association.)