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The Hunting Ground by Will Shindler

Published by Hodder & Stoughton

Publication Date: 3rd February 2022

DI Alex Finn book #3

Book Description:

Sadie Nicholls has been found dead, brutally and strangely murdered, in her South East London flat. Her little boy is missing.

DI Alex Finn and DC Mattie Paulsen know that, in the case of a missing child, it's the first 24 hours that count. They don't have many left to find out where Sadie's son might be and the identity of her killer. Why would anyone want a struggling single mother, loved by many, dead?

But when they realise a similar crime was committed at the same house nearly 20 years ago, a question is on everyone's lips: is this more than just a coincidence?

This is third in Will Shindler's Finn and Paulsen series - a British detective series that ranks with Mark Billingham, M.J. Arlidge and Stuart MacBride.

My Thoughts:

This series just keeps improving with every book which, had you asked me if it were possible after the first book I would have doubted.  Admittedly it does have the age-old vein of a troubled detective fighting his demons running through it but in the case of DI Alex Finn you really are rooting for him to come to terms with those demons and live his life to the full rather than hide from them by immersing himself in his work.

In this third instalment Alex isn't the only person fighting to keep afloat every day although in Sadie Nicholls' case it is mainly financial pressures which are the cause of her struggles. A single mum, she puts the needs of her young son front and centre. She'd do anything to keep him safe and well cared for. That said, she has her principles and even the promise of much-needed cash won't make her compromise her morals. Would it be this self-respect which would lead to her untimely death? That's the question Finn and his team need to answer in their search for her killer.

All the regular faces in Finn's team feature in the book and I felt like an invisible member of the team as they work together to piece together what could have gone so horribly wrong in Sadie's life for it to reach such an awful conclusion. Neighbours, friends and family members are all interviewed but on face value nothing appears to be stand out, until someone mentions the uncomfortable coincidence of another young woman and her young son having come to the same end in the same house some 30 odd years previously. This opens up a whole new line of enquiry and focus shifts to the older generation on the street - those who were resident in the area when the first murder happened. But a man is still locked away for committing that crime so that puts paid to that train of thought...right??

I like crime novels where detectives use their "copper's nose" - a gut instinct which tells them when a piece of the puzzle isn't a good fit. Bringing this together with hard factual evidence is Finn's way. His colleagues Paulsen and Ojo trust his judgment but aren't afraid to question his reasoning - throw in his superior Skegman and Finn really does need to justify his hunches rather than being allowed to go totally free rein with them which makes the books far more realistic. There are small crumbs of evidence all through the book and I genuinely felt that I was collating this evidence alongside the team to put the whole picture together. Mental health issues are tackled in a sensitive manner by the author with clear research having been done into conditions and their management. The conditions are described from the subject's point of view and the knock-on effect to those around them is presented sympathetically yet in real terms. My respect to the author for including this side of the book as it seems to be such a big part of many families' lives these days and often it can be a very lonely experience due to the limited amount of support available. This side of the book becomes significant however at no point did I find it overwhelming.

My sincere thanks to the publisher for allowing me to follow this series of books via a pre-publication copy through NetGalley - I have heard a whisper that book 4 will be available next year. I will definitely be adding it to my wish list!

About the Author:

Will Shindler has been a broadcast journalist for the BBC for over twenty-five years, spending a decade working in television drama as a scriptwriter on Born and Bred, The Bill and Doctors. His time on these leading prime time dramas has given him a rich grounding in authentic police procedure, powerful character development and gripping narratives. He currently combines reading the news on BBC Radio London with writing crime novels and has previously worked as a television presenter for HTV, a sports reporter for BBC Radio Five Live, and one of the stadium presenters at the London Olympics. He is the writer of The Burning Men, The Killing Choice and The Hunting Ground. The fourth book in the DI Alex Finn series – The Blood Line – will publish in 2023.