Holly Watt’s first novel, To the Lions, won the CWA Ian Fleming Steel Dagger and this, her second outing with investigative journalist Casey Benedict, repeats the fast-paced, action-packed thrill of the debut.

While working at The Post in London, the fashion editor presents Casey with a designer skirt. Enclosed in the folds of the garment is a note with the compelling message, ‘they take the girls’ embroidered on white silk. Determined to learn more, Casey finds a second note in the same high street store, ‘they take the babies for the English women’, and this sets her on a course to hunt down answers. Her search to uncover the truth leads her from Paris to Bangladesh by way of the Greek Islands, as she unravels a trail of corruption and exploitation in the high-stakes world of illegal surrogacy.

One of the most intriguing aspects of the narrative is the lengths to which Casey is prepared to go in order to follow the story. Her single-minded determination borders on obsessions and makes for uncomfortable reading at times, as she uses all the tricks in her considerable arsenal to prise information from her sources.

I’m more familiar with protagonists with police credentials whose actions are bound by law. It took a little getting used to the much more gung-ho attitude of a reporter for who blackmail and deceit are never questioned. And whose single driving factor appeared to be the pursuit of the exclusive. However, this is where the skill of the author shines through and her own experiences as a former journalist inform the nuance of the story. As the situation develops and becomes more complicated, Casey is forced to face the fall-out from her investigation and the ripple effect of the impact of what she discovers on people’s lives.

More than a thriller, this heart-stopping story will grip you, devastate you and ultimately have you cheering for this gritty heroine.

Reviewed by Maryanne Vagg