Atria
Published March 17, 2026
Reviewed by Barbara Fister
During the hot and humid summer of 1990, Detective Inspector Martha Allen of the Met catches a high-profile case. Someone has taken the baby of a couple visiting London from their hotel room. Martha sets the wheels in motion, desperate to find the infant quickly, though there are few clues and no ransom note. Her team is working flat out when the unexpected happens: A young woman brings baby Bella to the police station, claiming to have found her lying on a park bench. Something about the story doesn’t fit, but the powers that be are happy to close a case that was getting so much attention.
Years later, Martha hasn’t stopped wondering about the case even though she’s moved up in the hierarchy and now spends her time managing others rather than working cases of her own. Her interest is triggered when she learns the woman who brought the baby to the police station has been murdered. Against the advice of her superiors, who find her curiosity obsessive, she sets out to find out, finally, what really happened in 1990.
In many ways the plot of this novel is that of a high-concept thriller, but the execution fits more into the procedural subgenre, with careful and thorough attention to the steps it takes to get to the truth. There is also a layer of psychological depth, with Martha’s own struggles with fertility and the effect of repeated attempts at pregnancy has had on her life and marriage. The basic core of the story is quite dramatic, and somewhat implausible. Those wanting a thriller may find the pace and focus frustrating, but for those who enjoy a good British procedural, the author’s choice to avoid leaning into the more sensational aspects of the plot to ground the story in police work will be a plus.