A gang drugs war leads to a shooting and the police are expected to put all their eforts into resolving the case. However DI Helen Grace diverts her team to the case of a missing teenager who she believes has been abducted…
Forget Me Not is the 12th book in the DI Helen Grace series. I read (and LOVED!) the 11th Book Cat and Mouse.
We meet troubled teen Naomi at the start of the book. She has been dumped by her no-good boyfriend and, now homeless, tries to settle down in a underpass for the night. A kind stranger rescues her but she finds herself in a dreadful situation, held against her will with another girl who has been abused.
Helen has a battle to face with her team and her superiors who all believe that she has her priorities wrong. Luckily she sticks to her convictions even though it puts her career at risk. We know of the danger and horror that Naomi is facing so Helen’s passionate leadership is reassuring that there are people who care.
We see the police investigation, the suspects’ suspicious behaviour as well as Naomi’s terrible situation. The race against time to save the girls is hampered by the police’s attitiude which ramps up the tension. Thankfully, the nature of the abuse Naomi and MIa face is not described in detail. In some ways though, this is worse as it leaves it to your own vivid imagination to fill in the gaps.
The chapters are short and the plot speeds along. There are some great action scenes alongside the relentless pursuit of clues and suspects. The writing style is easy to read and the characters are vivdly imagined. I love Helen and Charlie’s characters as they fight for the vulnerable and challenge stereotypes. I am also familiar with the setting of Southampton and felt that the geography also contributes effectively to the plot.
Forget Me Not is a tense and gripping police thriller.
ABOUT THE BOOK:
A city on the brink.
A mother on the edge.
A nightmare that only DI Helen Grace can end.
Sometimes, the darkest secrets hide in plain sight…
GONE BUT NOT FORGOTTEN
A gang war grips the city, and the police force is under fire from all sides. But Detective Inspector Helen Grace defies direct orders as she becomes drawn to the case of a missing teenager.
LOST BUT NOT ALONE
Naomi’s mother is desperate for help – and Helen is her only hope. Keeping the investigation secret, she finds a disturbing trail of questions – and more who have vanished off the streets…
WILL THEY FIND HER IN TIME?
Sometimes, the truth hides in plain sight. But proving it is another matter entirely. The clock is ticking – and the only person looking for Naomi is about to meet her match.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
MJ. Arlidge has worked in television for the last twenty years, specialising in high-end drama production, including prime-time crime serials Silent Witness, Torn, The Little House and, most recently, the hit ITV show Innocent. In 2015 his audiobook exclusive Six Degrees of Assassination was a number-one bestseller. His debut thriller, Eeny Meeny, was the UK’s bestselling crime debut of 2014 and has been followed by ten more DI Helen Grace thrillers – all Sunday Times bestsellers.
