Frankie Elkin had been taking a break from her calling of finding missing people, but the time has come to get back to work. Sabera Ahmadi, an Afghan refugee, has been missing for three weeks. Her experiences in the war are still haunting her, but did she choose to disappear or was she taken – or killed – by someone?

The police don’t see there is a case, and her husband doesn’t seem particularly concerned either, but once Frankie meets Sabera’s daughter, she becomes convinced that Sabera is in trouble. But there are just as many secrets from the past as in the present to uncover…

OK, after saying that I’d be doing shorter reviews to fit all the holiday reading in, I’ve managed to keep them the usual length, so I’ll try and keep this one a bit shorter.

It’s an interesting read, quite different from the last book in the series. It’s a twisty thriller, with one foot firmly in the real world. The Afghan background has a strong sense of reality about it and it helps give the story some real weight.

To counterpoint the darkness, there is a fun cast of characters on Frankie’s side, from the house-sitting that she is doing to get free accommodation. It makes a strong team, particularly the chauffeur and works really well.

All in all, an interesting thriller with a sense of reality. Well worth your time.

Kiss Her Goodbye is out this Thursday in hardback and ebook. Many thanks to Penguin for the review e-copy.