THE MISSING ONES by Anita Waller

 3* Refreshing that it's set in good old UK, and not London at that, but there's lots of bad policing and an overemphasis on a certain character that gives the book away.

I liked that this tale was set in the north of England and that characters seemed on the whole, real. I didn't like the mantalk at times from the DCI, who it didn't sound like had had any DEI training, which isn't believable in 2025. Getting to know your team members' names is paramount, not associating females with their hair colour to remember them, or at least if that's your M.O., you don't say it out loud. 

It felt like the person doing the real detecting was Maria, a bit of a side character. The others participated in briefings but didn't seem particularly effective. No door-to-door when another female is taken, immediately after a missing female is discovered, doesn't ring true. Realising there's a common theme and not going there 'cos you like a certain character and can't imagine them being a baddie, is a mix of wearing blinkers, making assumptions and just plain poor policing. Sheesh.

The ending wasn't at all believable because motives weren't explained for the actual killer, though it was for the accomplice, sort of. But the mates thing and partnership thing right at the very end? Where on earth did that come from?? 

Readable but it could've done with stronger input from an experienced editor in the murder-mystery genre.

ARC courtesy of NetGalley and Boldwood books for my reading pleasure. 

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