Castle Freeman – Children Of The Valley

‘Children Of The Valley’ by Castle Freeman is the third book in the Sheriff Lucian Wing series, set in rural Vermont.

Having been called to the scene of a disturbance where a man named Rhumba is holed up keeping his wife and four kids inside and apparently brandishing a gun, Lucian decides to attempt to talk him down and it works.

He gets back to his office to be greeted by Carl Armentrout, a Special Assistant a.k.a “lawyer on retainer”, at Lord Enterprises in New York. He has been sent to visit Lucian by Rex Lord, his employer, whose 17-year-old stepdaughter, Pamela, has been missing for four days. Having been attending St Bartholomew’s boarding school near Boston, Massachusetts, she was to spend her summer vacation with him, but when his driver had gone to collect her she was nowhere to be found and has not been seen since. She is believed to be in the Vermont area, due to a fraught relationship with Rex and with a football player called Duncan Marsh. Lucian discovers that Rex Lord is a ruthless criminal and has so much wealth and power he can do as he likes and when he likes. Is Lucian able to find Pamela before Rex brings the full weight of his power crashing down on him?

A thriller that is an addictive read from the start. The intensity of the drama hooks you in immediately with enough dry humour to give you a little snigger now and again. Mainly the characters aren’t ones you take too, but they are entertaining. Lucian and his team are the down to earth and say it as they see it type in comparison to the other characters. A refreshing plot and storyline which has been expertly crafted to be an unassuming story, until you sit and read it. The amount of tension just from the pressure of Lucian knowing there could be any outcome from his failure to find Pamela alone, is edge of your seat stuff!

A story you will not put down unless you really have to! Another author I now need to add to my ever-growing book list!

Thank you to Random Things Tours and the publisher for my copy of the book to write this review.