Judith D Collins
- Jan 9, 2015
- 3 min read

From the Cradle

By: Lousie Voss & Mark Edwards

A Detective Lennon Thriller (Book 1)

ISBN: 9781477825273

Publisher: Thomas & Mercer

Publication Date: 11/1/2014

Format: Paperback

My Rating: 4 Stars

The first child was taken from her house. The second from his mother's car. The third from her own bedroom...

When Helen and Sean Philips go out for the evening, leaving their teenage daughter babysitting little Frankie, they have no idea that they are about to face every parent's greatest fear.

Detective Inspector Patrick Lennon is hopeful that the three children who have been abducted in this patch of south-west London will be returned safe and well. But when a body is found in a local park, Lennon realizes that time is running out—and that nothing in this case is as it seems...

Blending police procedural with psychological thriller, From the Cradle will have every parent checking that their children are safe in their beds...then checking again.

My Review

A special thank you to Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley for a complimentary reading copy in exchange for an honest review.

Dynamic duo, Louise Voss and Mark Edwards combine their talent, wit, and style, delivering FROM THE CRADLE, introducing a new psycho-crime, cop thriller series, featuring London’s Detective Inspector Patrick Lennon—a Mystery. A child abduction. A Kidnapping. Juicy secrets.

Interracial couple, Helen and Sean Philips go out for the evening, leaving their 15-year-old teenage daughter, Alice to babysit younger 3-year old sister, Frankie. They have no clue what they will find when they return. Frankie is gone. Alice remains.

DI Patrick is married to Gill, with a five-month-old baby, Bonnie. At the opening of the book, Patrick walks into his home, to find a horrific scene.

We jump to eighteen months earlier, alternating chapters with Helen and Patrick, recounting the days leading up to the abduction, with Detective Inspector Patrick Lennon and his colleague Detective Sergeant Carmella Masiello.

Then more children missing. In London, there are three couples, frantic after their children have been taken from them in very different ways. There are no ransom notes. Motive? Children are vanishing in thin air? Who is taking the children and why? Are they connected?

As Patrick deals with his own demons, inside his family, he is desperate to solve the mystery of the missing children. What do these cases have in common?

A fan of both Voss and Edwards, separately, and combined—a talent for mixing psychological suspense with cop procedural, and some wit, for heart-pounding suspense. Truth or lies? What is missing? Secrets?

Poor Patrick has all sorts of problems, from his wife, his family, his work. Patrick's personal problems adds a bit of spice and intrigue to the overall story- can't wait to see what is next for him!

Complex and multi-layered, readers will be glued to the pages to solve the mystery. A nice twist at the end, leaving you dying for the next installment, The Blissfully Dead.

I listened to the audiobook last year, narrated by James Clamp, delivering a suspenseful performance. As often the case, I listen to audiobooks, while traveling, not always in a place to post a review, straightaway. I failed to return with a review, and when beginning The Blissfully Dead, realized I needed a refresher.

Fans will be delighted with this new exciting series.

Reveiw Links:

About the Authors

Mark Edwards and Louise Voss are the co-authors of psychological thrillers Killing Cupid and Forward Slash and two medical thrillers, Catch Your Death and All Fall Down, as well as From the Cradle, the first in the DI Patrick Lennon series. They met in 1999 after Mark appeared on a BBC documentary about aspiring writers. They were the first British ‘indie’ writers to reach #1 on the Kindle chart and have sold over 650,000 books, including Mark’s solo novel, The Magpies. Louise lives in Surrey with her daughter, and Mark lives in Wolverhampton with his wife and their children. Mark and Louise love hearing from readers. Website Twitter (Mark) Twitter (Louise)