Police Constable Lacey Flint is still reeling from the disastrous undercover assignment that very nearly got her killed when the murders of young boys begin in London. She is currently on sick leave and is not doing very well with her recovery. That's why the last thing that she needs is to become involved with the hunt for a serial killer. In addition, she still is fighting her feelings for the very attractive Detective Mark Joesbury who is practically stalking her these days because she is avoiding him.
Her next door neighbor is an 11 year old boy named Barney who has some pretty complex issues of his own. Very bright and focused, he sees things that normal people miss. He and his friends know about the murders but feel that there is safety in numbers so they all continue to hang out even after dark at the local community center. In fact, they undertake an investigation of their own into finding out who could be killing these poor boys. Eventually, Barney comes up with a hunch of his own but finds it to be too terrifying to seriously contemplate.
Lacey worries about young Barney and tries to keep an eye out for him. It is inevitable that they begin discussing the murders. Lacey doesn't feel ready to return to her police duties yet cannot help but be pulled along into the investigation as more bodies are discovered and more boys are disappearing. She has some pretty solid ideas about the murderer as she is well acquainted with serial killers, but even she is shocked by the true identity of this one. The question is whether or not she will be able to save herself in time to unmask this killer.
Set on and around the rainy and gritty banks of the Thames River in London, LOST is a book that will stay with you long after you finish the final page. I promise you that the ending is one that you will never see coming. Sharon Bolton has presented her readers with several viable outcomes, but you only get to know the true one during the last few pages. It is unique; it is horrifying, and you will never look at certain things the same way again.
Like everyone reading the newspapers these days, 10-year-old Barney Roberts knows the killer will strike again soon. The victim will be another boy, just like him. The body will be drained of blood, and left somewhere on a Thames beach. There will be no clues for London detectives Dana Tulloch and Mark Joesbury to find. There will be no warning about who will be next. There will be no real reason for Barney's friend and neighbor, Lacey Flint, on leave from her job as a London police detective, to become involved¦and no chance that she can stay away. With the clock ticking, the violence escalating, and young lives at stake, Lacey and Barney both know they can't afford a single wrong step if they hope to make it through alive. S.J. Bolton, an award-winning author of five novels, delivers her most compelling novel to date, in which a fragile police detective and a courageous, lonely eleven-year-old boy must work together to unmask a killer. Lost provides all of the pulse-pounding suspense, beautifully drawn characters, and intricate plotting thriller fans could hope for-and more. Please note, this title is published in the UK as Like This For Ever.