#Spooktober ‘Trick Or Treat’ by Katerina Diamond

About the book…

A stranger. A child. A liar who will stop at nothing…

When six-year-old Marcus is taken from outside his house on Halloween, there is only one witness: a frightened teen determined to keep himself hidden.

After an anonymous tip off, Detective Imogen Grey is called out to an expensive Exeter street, caught up in the buzz of the holiday. But when the police visit Marcus’s house, his parents claim everything is fine. Imogen is sure there is more to the family than meets the eye. But just how much more, she could never have imagined…

What has happened to little Marcus? And will he ever come home?

Smart, shocking and twisty – perfect for fans of Cara Hunter, TM Logan and Karin Slaughter.

Due to be published on October 14th, I sneaked this into my #Spooktober reads, because a) it is a cracking read, b) it is set at Halloween and c) I make the rules round these here parts, capiche?

The seventh Imogen Grey thriller, ‘Trick Or Treat’ is a police procedural/thriller which plays on the worst fears of any parent-the kidnap of their child.

Although this is ostensibly the incident which kicks off the story, it has many layers and facets to it, which illustrate that the best laid plans can go completely awry due to the fickle nature of human behaviour.

Dealing with the aftermath of the kidnapping, is a boy who is -rightly or wrongly-in a position to identify the kidnappers. But he, Jason, has problems of his own, as his brother is about to be let out of jail, his no good father is back on the scene, and Jason has unwittingly shared information with him that could jeopardise ever getting Marcus back.

Added to all of this, under the tension, the nail-biting and the worry for Marcus, who appears and the beginning of the novel merely to be snatched off the page, is the relationship between Imogen and her boyfriend, Adrian, ex-police officer and now security personnel. Following the conclusion of a case he was involved in, a year ago, the fallout has been emotionally and physically damaging.

But how do you ask for help when you can admit what has happened?

Dovetailing neatly between the increasingly complex nature of the kidnap, and ensuing ransom demand, is the discussion around male sexual assault. It is dealt with in such a sensitive way, from the victim, to their partner and work colleagues, it just makes you feel the twin flames of rage against the perpetrator, and a society which continues to make this a taboo topic to talk about, rise up in your blood.

Rather than using this as a catalyst for the plot, it is shows in clear detail, how a victim of such an attack can take so long to reveal themselves, and, when they do, the overwhelming support for this person, from work and outside work, is just everything. The focus is on the victim, how he is feeling, where to get him support and also respecting his wishes.

I don’t believe that I have read a more engaging storyline which deals with the raised issues so succinctly, at least in recent memory.

This is the first Katerina Diamond novel which I have read, and you can be sure that I will be going back to the start of the series and working my way through the rest of them. I am now a confirmed fan of the multifaceted, relatable Imogen Grey!

About the author…

Writer of crime thrillers. Katerina Diamond now lives on the East Coast of Kent in the UK after living in various places.

‘The Teacher’ Katerina Diamond’s Debut novel was a Sunday Times best seller, a number 1 kindle best seller in the UK and was Longlisted for both a CWA New Blood award, and Hotel Chocolat ‘Darkest moment’ award.

‘The Secret’, her second novel was a kindle #1 Best seller in the UK, followed by the third in the series, ‘The Angel’ in 2017.

‘The Promise’ followed in 2018, and was a Sunday Times best seller

The fifth in the series ,‘Truth Or Die’, was labelled as ‘not for the faint hearted’

The sixth and most hard hitting in the series , ‘Woman In The Water’, came out in Jan 2020

Katerina’s first Standalone Thriller, ‘The Heatwave’ is a suspense thriller set in a small town in England,all about the disappearance of two young girls, 16 years apart in a seaside town.

Links-https://www.katerinadiamond.com/about

Twitter @AvonBooks @TheVenomousPen