Behind Closed Doors by Carol Wyer
Two kidnappings, thirty years apart. Can Stacey face her own dark past in order to save her stepdaughter?
When Stacey’s ex-husband turns up on her doorstep begging her to help save his kidnapped thirteen-year-old daughter, Lyra, the terror is all too familiar. Stacey’s own violent kidnapping thirty years ago was never solved, and while a severe case of amnesia spares her from recalling the specific horrors, she remembers enough…
Stacey knows her father never paid the ransom—she has the missing pinkie finger to prove it. She knows she was only saved because of an anonymous tip-off to the police. And she knows her captor was never apprehended.
Lyra’s kidnappers have made it clear the police must not get involved. But Stacey can’t shake the eerie similarities between the two cases, and she’ll use whatever she can, from her journalistic powers to her shady contacts, to save Lyra from the same nightmare. Desperate to find any link between Lyra’s abduction and her own, Stacey forces herself to revisit her forgotten, traumatic past for clues.
But can she make sense of the terrible secrets she unearths in time to save Lyra? And if she does, is she ready to face her own tormentor?
About the author
USA Today bestselling author and winner of The People's Book Prize Award, Carol Wyer's crime novels have sold over one million copies and been translated into nine languages.
A move from humour to the 'dark side' in 2017, saw the introduction of popular DI Robyn Carter in Little Girl Lost and proved that Carol had found her true niche.
February 2021 saw the release of the first in the much-anticipated new series, featuring DI Kate Young. An Eye For An Eye was chosen as a Kindle First Reads and became the #1 bestselling book on Amazon UK and Amazon Australia.
Carol has had articles published in national magazines 'Woman's Weekly', featured in 'Take A Break', 'Choice', 'Yours' and 'Woman's Own' magazines and the Huffington Post. She's also been interviewed on numerous radio shows discussing ''Irritable Male Syndrome' and 'Ageing Disgracefully' and on BBC Breakfast television.
She currently lives on a windy hill in rural Staffordshire with her husband Mr. Grumpy... who is very, very grumpy. When she is not plotting devious murders, she can be found performing her comedy routine, Smile While You Still Have Teeth.
To learn more, go to www.carolwyer.co.uk, subscribe to her YouTube channel, or follow her on Twitter: @carolewyer
Follow her at:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Carol-E-Wyer/221149241263847
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/carolwyer/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/carolewyer
Website : https://www.carolwyer.co.uk
Goodreads - https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/60588361-behind-closed-doors
Review
‘Behind Closed Doors’ is a compulsive page turner that I devoured in one sitting! This is a stand-alone thriller from Carol and looks at two occasions of kidnapping 30 years apart. Stacey was kidnapped as a child, was maimed during it and was luckily found by the police as her father refused to pay the ransom amount. 30 years later Stacey’s ex-husband gets in touch saying that his daughter has been kidnapped and he desperately needs her help! Stacey feels compelled to help as Jack is determined that the police should not be involved as they have threatened Lyra’s life. But the thing is that Stacey isn't sure that her ‘memories’ from her ordeal are real so isn't sure how much that will help them.
I enjoyed the back-and-forth between the two kidnappings and the investigation into whether Stacey’s memories were real etc. It helped to entwine the two events and allowed Stacey to look further into her own experiences. There are plenty of twists and turns and although I guessed the more modern events I did not see that coming with her kidnapping!
Stacey as a character was brilliant and I would easily read more about her! Maybe she could put those investigative skills to use in further books… I liked her independence despite all the crap that has been thrown at her and her love for Lyra shone bright and true! I could picture the scenes easily as I have a friend who lives in Lancaster and had also considered it as a university option and has visited Morecambe a few times. Although, I want to visit that cafe for ice cream so a wee visit might be again on the cards.
This was a great read - let me know if you pick it up!
