Missing Boy

MEET DETECTIVE NICKI HARDCASTLE IN THIS BRILLIANT NEW CRIME SERIES

A missing child. A killer on the loose. A past that refuses to die.

Six-year-old Lucas Jackson is so excited to be at the funfair that evening — it's the perfect birthday treat. He races up the steps of the inflatable slide, waving happily to his mother and sister . . . and vanishes into thin air.

The case is too close to home for Detective Nicki Hardcastle.

Her little brother Dean disappeared in uncannily similar circumstances when she was just ten. Nicki had only taken her eyes off him for a moment, to pay for a stick of candyfloss. She's lived with the guilt ever since.

Now Nicki and her team are in a race against time to find the missing boy. Where is Lucas?

Nicki questions those closest to him, but it's clear the Jackson family are keeping secrets. There's something Lucas's mother and sister aren't telling her.

Then Nicki makes a startling discovery. Could there be a connection to her own brother's disappearance all those years ago? The past that Nicki thought buried forever is about to catch up with her.

THE DETECTIVE

Detective Nicki Hardcastle is in her early thirties. She's an independent, determined woman who is good at her job and treats her team with the respect they deserve. She is estranged from her family after a traumatic childhood incident and finds it difficult to let people get close to her. Contentedly single, Nicki's perfect evening consists of a long run followed by a hot bath. Her closest companion is her cat, Luna.

THE SETTING

Bury St Edmunds is a picturesque market town in the heart of Suffolk, on the east coast of England. Founded in the 11th century, the town is notable for its rich and colourful history. Tourists flock to see the ruins of the medieval abbey and maybe catch a glimpse of the infamous ghostly 'Grey Lady'. It's also home to the Angel Hotel, once frequented by Charles Dickens, and the Nutshell, famous for being Britain's smallest pub. It's an unlikely setting for murder. But its tranquil surrounds and stunning architecture hide a darker side.