Damaged by Daniel Scottow

A Bloodhound Book

About the Book:  

Do you believe everything you’re told? 

Journalist Emily Blake is sent back to her hometown to investigate the disappearance of a young girl called Becky Clarke. Emily takes the assignment willingly as the case echoes the disappearance of her childhood friend, Alice Abbott, twenty-five years earlier.

Returning to the village, Emily renews old acquaintances and rivalries. She reconnects with her estranged brother Adam, who has never quite recovered from tragic events from their past.

While she looks into the disappearance of Becky Clarke, Emily revisits Alice’s case but not everyone welcomes her investigation. 

As lies that have been told for twenty-five years surrounding Alice’s disappearance begin to unravel, Emily is drawn deeper into the mystery. 

What happened to Alice? 

Will Becky ever be found? 

And do the answers lie closer to home than anyone ever imagined?

My Review:

This story opens with a woman in a horrible situation. Just a few pages in I'm already rooting for her to survive this. How did she get where she is, and how can she resolve this life threatening situation? As the story pulls me in deeper, it's easy to get hooked. 

Back before the world went crazier, in a time when you could leave your doors unlocked and the kids sleeping while you went and did a few close by things, this is when the unthinkable happened in Pear Tree Close.  

Written in first person, with strong descriptions as seen through Emily's eyes, I joined the search that she'd been on for the last 25 years regarding Alice's disappearance. Why? For starters Alice was Emily's BFF. She became a famous unsolved cold case, and now, another girl has vanished. As a journalist with personal connections to the story, Emily has to have answers, no matter the cost. 

This book is gripping and fascinating. I liked the famous case set up from the start. It's well written and easy to read. For a debut, it's a very sound one. You have to read it and find out if the ending is one that you expected, or if you're stunned by it. Either way, it's a case worth risking Emily's life to finally have answers. 

5 Stars 

About the Author: 

Dan grew up in Hertfordshire before moving to London in his early twenties.  After more than ten years living there, he decided enough was enough, and packed his bags for Scotland in search of a more peaceful life. 

Dan works as a graphic designer, but dreams of the day he can give it up and write full time. 

Besides writing, he enjoys painting, watching a good scary film, travelling the world, good food, long walks on the beach with his dogs, and of course, reading.