Thanks’ to Bookouture, Wendy Drainfield and Netgalley for the ARC
for an honest opinion.
“The Birthday Party” is my first book by Wendy Dranfield, and may I say it was a great start to her books. Kathy Hamilton drops off her daughter (Charlotte) to her cousin’s birthday party. She has arranged for the nanny to collect her later in the day, but when Kathy arrives home, she finds the house empty, thinking they are still at the party she rings her brother-in-law, but Kathy isn’t there she left hours ago and the nanny doesn’t pick up the phone.
It's a parent nightmare’s when their child is missing, the longer they’re missing the chances of finding them alive is slim. That’s why Kathy’s parents are desperate to find her as soon as possible. The police are quickly informed, the case is handled by Detective Chase Cooper (which has a history with Kathy back in high school).
The more Chase investigates, the more he finds out the lies, deception and secrets of the Hamilton’s harbour. The story builds gradually with every passing chapter, what I loved was the way the story is structured, for example, when Kathy meets Chase, the author takes you to the time when they were back in high school and explains their relationship at the time which I find adds to the story.
There is a character which I detested, he/she (I’m not telling) is antagonistic and narcissistic, a very toxic person.
Overall, a great read, highly recommended
Wendy is a former coroner's assistant turned crime writer who lives with her husband and 3 rescue cats.
Her first novel (The Girl Who Died, 2015) was longlisted for the Mslexia Novel Competition. Since then, she has written two crime series – the latest follows Detective Madison Harper as she tries to reclaim her life after spending six years in prison for a murder she didn’t commit. Books 4 and 5 in this series will be published in 2022.
Wendy is active on social media, with updates about her books, her characters and her cats! You'll find her here:
Website: https://wendydranfield.co.uk/
Twitter: @WendyDranfield
Facebook: Wendy Dranfield Author
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If you would like to buy it, go to the link on your left at no additional cost to you & I receive a percentage.
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