The Dare (Detective Natalie Ward, #3)

by Carol Wyer

[zooloo1983]

I spent the last 5 chapters of the book with tears in my eyes and the last pages crying. The story has made me feel sick to the stomach and made me want to wrap my mini-me up and never let go. I am already fearing what our relationship will be like when she is a teenager and with these crazy “dares” floating around I am worried. I am worried before it has even happened but as a parent, you can’t help it.

I am beginning to work out how Carol’s dark mind is working and it is always to expect the unexpected. I had kind of figured out who had done it and eventually why, but crazy as it sounds I wanted it all to be make-believe. I did not want to read the story in front of me. I am terrified!

Natalie’s life is just spiralling out of control with David, he is keeping his secrets and when this case hits home for Natalie you do wonder how much more she can take. The home life is pivotal in one respect for events that occur and I think it could be the catalyst for something big to come. (Spoiler, I, unfortunately, know what is coming but I won’t spoil it here) There is not so much on the home life as in the previous books, we have a lot more on the case and well…Mike. Mike is prominent for Natalie, she knows it’s wrong but he gets her and he gets this case, so it’s just a safety measure, right?

I don’t want to talk about the plot too much because it is one you need to discover for yourself but it is not one to take lightly. The scary world of internet and social media is large and I mean who the hell creates a website called Disappear! I mean who creates something that would parents and friends through hell, well apart from Carol’s mind! Terrifying.

I do love that we see more of Lucy and Bethany but we hear more about Murray and Ian, but I would still love to know more about them. I know it’s the Natalie show but the team are her life support outside of her family unit. I do worry about her.

A new dimension has been added to the series, we not only have Natalie’s team, we have Mike’s team but also Missing Persons have been added to the story. It creates a fluidity to the story as we see how everyone works together to solve the crimes and that the different units are not working singularly.

I did have to chuckle when I saw a Zoe, Shane and an Alicia (spelt Alisha) in the book because it was like my family were immortalised in a few sentences! But this is not about me!

I can not even lie, this book is intense. The subject matter is one that will hit home, Carol knows how to twist the knife when she needs to. Everything ramps up way too quickly and takes your breath away and it most definitely shocks you. Not only does the book ramp up but so does Carol’s writing, she has ramped up the darkness and she has no qualms with writing this darkness down. It is like she is peering into your mind and taking the dark thoughts out of them, the things you keep deep in your mind, your worst fears and she creates a case for Natalie to take on instead.

I would love to say, Natalie, her family and the team have it easier in the next book but I read the blurb and I can’t lie to you! I now need to go to bed and give my mini-me a huge squeeze!