Title: The Next Girl 
Author: Carla Kovac
Series: Detective Gina Harte (#1)
Publisher: Bookouture

[Synopsis]

She thought he’d come to save her. She was wrong.

Deborah Jenkins pulls her coat around her as she sets out on her short walk home in the pouring rain. But she never makes it home that night. And she is never seen again …

Four years later, an abandoned baby girl is found wrapped in dirty rags on a doorstep. An anonymous phone call urges the police to run a DNA test on the baby. But nobody is prepared for the results.

The newborn belongs to Deborah. She’s still alive.

[My Review]

What a gripping, tense start to a new detective series which looks set to be a new favourite! Although it focuses on Detective Gina Harte, the book didn’t feel like your average crime novel – though a lot of it fits the ‘police procedural’ format (which, I should point out, I am a big fan of, so nothing to complain about there), a good portion of the story also takes place from the victim’s point of view and from that of missing person Deborah Jenkins’ husband, and this adds a fresh take on the story and, to me, makes it more of a crime thriller – and a really engaging one at that!

Gina herself is a great character – she has her faults and quirks but she adds a lot of interest to the story. The Next Girl is also a stark reminder of how hard the police have to fight to run certain tests; it really highlights the pressure they’re under due to cuts in funding which I found very interesting (though worrying too, of course, as I am aware this element is sadly not complete fiction).

I loved the way the story cuts between different people; it keeps you guessing and reading on, and add that extra element of who exactly is telling the truth. It has just the right balance between action, threat, and fast-paced detective work – all wrapped up into a great start to an exciting and promising new crime series!

[Rating: 4/5]

Many thanks to Bookouture for providing a copy of this novel on which I chose to write an honest and unbiased review.