Gardner and Freeman

When Abby Henshaw is brutally attacked by two strangers who dump her at the side of a remote road, her first thought is for the safety of her baby, Beth. But what follows is a mother’s worst nightmare: Beth is gone and Abby’s world collapses around her. As the world-weary DI Michael Gardner investigates, he discovers lives built on secrets and betrayal. Gardner finds himself struggling to stay emotionally removed from the case, and from Abby herself.

A twisty story of murder, guilt and unintended consequences, perfect for fans of Kerry Wilkinson and Mel Sherratt. Two hundred and fifty thousand people go missing in the UK every year. Ninety-one percent of those reported to police are found within 48 hours. Ninety-nine percent of cases are solved within a year. And one percent stay gone. Troubled teenager Emma Thorley vanished without a trace 11 years ago. But now a body has been found....

What would you do to protect your family? Tell a lie? Break the law? Or solve the problem...for good? The body in Lauren James' back garden belongs to her ex-boyfriend, Ritchie. DI Gardner thinks it's an open-and-shut case. But he reckoned without the interference of Lauren's father, local businessman and aspiring politician Walter James. And he couldn't know about the secrets that everyone involved wants to hide.