Backlash

Chief Superintendent Kershaw has just been in a serious road accident.  Apparently he has been desperately searching for his wife.  DI Colin Beresford meets his boss at the house of Kershaw and is surprised when DCI Monika Paniatowski introduces DS Katherine Meadows as her new bagman.

For some reason, Kershaw is convinced that his wife has been kidnapped.  It is DC Jack Crane that brings it to the attention of Monika that there appears to have been a forced entry into Kershaw's house. Bad Monika starts her investigation she comes to the realisation that she really doesn't know her superintendent.

Later that second morning, Monika is approached by two prostitutes who inform her that one of their friends has disappeared.  After hearing their story, Monika is convinced that the two cases could be tied together.  She gets reluctant support from her superior to carry on investigating both, and despite the support from her DI, Beresford is wary because of the damage it could do to her career.

The badly mutilated body of a young woman is found in the toilet of a pub on the nearby moors.  A third prostitute is able to provide a possible culprit when she looks at mug shots.  The team hustles to capture the perp.  Unfortunately they only find him and not Kershaw's wife.  The interview with him doesn't give any aid to the investigation either.  Are they too late?

Author Sally Spencer provides a couple of surprising turns of events as the reader progresses to the climax of this murder mystery.  A very good read; one of Spencer's best.