Little Boy Lost

Little Boy Lost is the third tense installment in the Detective Mackenzie Price series. There will be spoilers below for the first two books. If you’re just getting into the series, read my review of the first book, Our Daughter’s Bones here.

I happily returned to Mack’s bleak world, and the ever-depressing and crime ridden town of Lakemore. One thing I appreciate about Choudhary’s writing is her commitment to character development, and there’s a lot on show here from the first pages. There’s also the perfect balance of reintroduction to the story and the weaving of new threads.

As I mentioned in my review of book two, I’m fully on board the Mack/Nick ship, and there are tantalising hints of their deepening relationship. Choudhary’s depiction of a deep friendship forged under pressure is spot on, and feels very true to life. Mack is also coming to terms with divorcing her husband, and the insight into her mix of relief, victory, loneliness, and acceptance is impactful. I appreciated the stark contrast between Mack’s full working life and literally empty home.

There were a few points throughout where I felt Mack acted out of character, and it was hard to parse whether this was ‘out of character is serious business’ or for plot convenience, but I give Choudary the benefit of the doubt. Less believable was the portrayal of a pastor, who at one point has a maniacal religious outburst. There are scenarios in which this kind of writing is entirely appropriate (see Midsomer Murders), but a gritty crime thriller is not one of them.

The plot was as dark and intriguing as I expect from the series, this time centering on a past case of Nick’s. This allows for a greater exploration of his character, as well as upping the stakes. I found the resolution of the major mystery a little underwhelming due to too many plot strands. The plot points kept getting jumbled in my brain, which probably says as much about my brain as it does the cohesion of the novel.

The progression of the Mack, Nick and Lakemore plots were satisfying and well delivered. This was gratifying, as for me these are the storylines that bring me back to the series for each installment.

I rated Little Boy Lost 4 stars and would recommend it to fans of procedural crime thrillers, especially if you like an excellent female lead. Content warnings for: (Graphic) Child death, Death, Grief, and Murder, (Moderate) Blood. Suitable for 16+. I’m grateful to the author, Bookouture and NetGalley for providing me with a free copy in exchange for a review.