The Girl’s Last Cry by Alison Belsham is the second book in her gripping Detective Lexi Bennett series. The well-developed mystery within this latest installment will hook readers of thrilling police procedurals.
The girl lies on the dark ground, one arm flung out as if she is still looking for someone to help her. But her wide eyes are staring upwards, and Lexi knows that it is too late… I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. This post contains affiliate links you can use to purchase the book. If you buy the book using that link, I will receive a small commission from the sale.
Title: The Girl’s Last Cry
Author(s): Alison Belsham
Series: Detective Lexi Bennett #2
Also in this series: The Girls on Chalk Hill , The Innocent Angels
Published by Bookouture on July 11, 2023
Pages: 401
Genre(s): Mystery
Source: Publisher
Format: eArc 
Purchase: Amazon|Audible
Rating: 
Series Rating:
Detective Lexi Bennett is walking through the quiet Canterbury streets when she hears screaming. Rushing towards the sound, she finds the body of a teenage girl lying beneath one of the city’s ancient towers. Lexi looks up at the cold grey stone, and vows that she will find answers. Did the girl jump or fall… or was she pushed?
Olivia ’s distraught parents say their daughter was a talented musician with everything to live for. Lexi’s nephew, Sam , who knew Olivia, tearfully insists that she would never have taken her own life. But when a note is found, Lexi reluctantly wraps up the case.
Then another teenager is found dead on a deserted path beneath a cliff. Lexi is certain there’s a link, especially when she learns that the boy was a musician too. His note uses the same phrases as Olivia’s, and when a second person’s footprints are found at the scene, Lexi realises she is on the track of a master manipulator… and ruthless killer.
With her boss still unconvinced that the deaths are murders, Lexi races to find proof to back up her hunch, and to understand what lies behind these evil attacks on vulnerable children.
And then she gets a call that fills her with dread. Her nephew Sam is missing.
Can Lexi outsmart a truly brutal monster, or will her own family pay the price?
Since her return home to head up Canterbury’s Major Investigation Team, Lexi has been inundated with case after case. While her team is tying up loose ends on a current investigation, another bizarre case lands at her feet. One of those rare moments when she got some time to relax, Lexi took a leisurely walk on the Canterbury streets. While enjoying her walk, she heard screams. Following the sound of the screams led her to a gruesome discovery: the body of a female teenager lying on the ground.
The victim’s parents say she had everything to live for and would not have jumped to her death. Lexi’s nephew was friends with her and he refused to believe she would take her own life. But then how do you explain the suicide note? However, the death of another teenager and the accompanying suicide note prompts Lexi to dig deeper.
The story in this installment touches on the dangers of the internet, with emphasis on the dark web. It also touched on mental health. Lexi works hard to solve the mystery behind the apparent suicides. The fact it involved teenagers hit her hard given her past and which made her determined to discover the truth. The case took on a personal nature when her nephew got caught in the middle of the disturbing events.
Lexi’s determination and diligence once again came to light. Although she made a few questionable choices, one would not expect from an experienced investigator. The mystery kept me on my toes. It took most of the story to figure out the identity of the mastermind. However, as the clues came together, both the identity and motive became clear.
The Girl’s Last Cry delivered a clever, suspenseful and engaging tale with some interesting twists. Fans of police procedurals will want to pick up this latest mystery by Belsham.
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About Alison Belsham
In 2016, I entered and won Bloody Scotland’s Pitch Perfect competition. This secured me an agent and a three-book publishing deal with Orion for my police procedural series set in the world of tattoos and tattooing. My first novel, The Tattoo Thief, was translated into 15 languages, was a No 1 bestseller in Italy and is the first instalment of the internationally acclaimed Tattoo Thief trilogy. I also write in collaboration with my brother Nick Higgins – Canelo has published our action thriller series set in Afghanistan, Death In Kabul and Death in Helmand. Now I’m embarking on a fresh crime series with Bookouture. It’s set in Canterbury, featuring DI Lexi Bennett, newly appointed to lead the Major Incident Team after a spell working with the FBI’s specialist serial killer unit. I divide my time between London and Edinburgh, where I am a co-founder of the Edinburgh Writers’ Forum, providing professional development and networking for writers.
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Reading this book contributed to these challenges:
Sounds like a solid mystery and a nice strong personal element. Glad to know about this series, Nadene!
I think I would really like this series. Thanks for sharing.
What a great cover! 😀
That sounds like it would be a really good mystery.