Baby Love

Birmingham's DS Bev Morriss has just been taken off a serial rape case and assigned a missing baby case.  She is not impressed by the change, especially since DI Mike Powell had been given the rape case.

Morriss is surprised to find out that all of the baby pictures have disappeared along with the baby.  She is also surprised to find out that the teenaged mother was the victim of a rape.  Could the two cases be connected?  Morriss attends the scene of the latest rape late at night and discovers an earring.

The home where the baby was snatched from is torched and huge letters spray painted on the wall calling them baby killers.  Was it a vigilante or someone else trying to do them in?  Morriss wonders why the baby was snatched; the single teenaged mother couldn't afford a ransom.  There had to be another reason.

DI Powell catches the rapist, based on the victim's E-fit.  Morriss wonders if this is the father of the victim's baby.  Later, the victim recants her claim of rape, but it is too late; he has committed suicide.

Shortly after, Morriss comes to the realisation that her house has been entered and her photo albums taken.  She has a stalker.  Could it be the rapist?  Then a second baby is snatched from her home.  Is it a copy cat or something more sinister?

Author Maureen Carter has a few more twists as she builds the tension in this thriller before drawing it to a conclusion.  An excellent read.