Australia by Stewart Giles is the fourteenth chapter in DS Jason Smith’s life.
The Australian DS has been working in York in the U.K for as long as we can all remember so when his wife wins a three week holiday in Australia, for him it’s like a nightmare coming true. For his wife and daughter, it is a dream come true! This means they can have the opportunity to see where he grew up so he grudgingly relents, decides this may be an opportunity to put all his stuff to rest… think again! By the time they have arrived at their first hotel in Freemantle Smith begins to hear about the murders and disappearances of young children there. So far six children aged between five and eight have vanished with some already being found dead.
The police, led by Inspector Jackie Peters, are getting nowhere in their investigation. Things got decidedly worse when the family go sightseeing and his wife is stabbed and Laura is taken. Smith is living his worst nightmare now, he has a race against time in which it seems the kidnappers know Smith and refer to it as “a game”. Nothing is going well and Bridge decides to fly over to help in his investigation. So with Bridge by his side and with the aid of a willing volunteer, they embark on attempting to save Laura and the other children before the consequences become too dire to consider.
A Jason Smith that is out of his comfort zone (if he has one at all), without the usual resources that he has at hand makes it harder, he has to think outside the box and fast. A plot that strikes Smith at the heart with his defences down makes for a darker read. I doubt he will be wanting a holiday abroad anytime soon.
Thanks to Stewart Giles for the copy of the book.
sharonbeyondthebooks.uk 