Runaway by Claire MacLeary (@ClaireMacLeary) @SarabandBooks #LoveBooksGroupTours

Today it’s a great honour to be able to share my review as part of the blog tour for Runaway by Claire MacLeary, book three in the Harcus and Laird series.

Thanks as always go to the publishers and Kelly of Love Books Group Tours for the gifted copy.

About the book

The third book in the awards-listed Harcus & Laird series

When Aberdeen housewife Debbie Milne abruptly vanishes without trace, leaving behind her two young children, husband Scott is too distraught to sit out the police’s 72-hour window and await developments. He turns to local detective agency Harcus & Laird.

Put off by previous “domestic” cases, Maggie Laird isn’t keen, but is cajoled by partner Wilma Harcus into a covert operation. Together they comb through meagre scraps of information, eventually trawling the city’s women’s refuges and homeless squats, in spite of the deadly danger.

Then a woman’s body is discovered in a Dundee builder’s skip. With the clock ticking and the police struggling to make identification, the race is on. Claire MacLeary fashions a surprising, gritty, fast-paced tale with the warmth and wisdom of ‘women of a certain age’.

Runaway is available to purchase from – Amazon

My thoughts

Aw it’s absolutely wonderful to be back with the fabulous Maggie and Wilma in the third book Runaway and as we join this dynamic duo the pair have hit a stumbling block in their working relationship. Maggie has given Wilma an ultimatum, they make the agency work with a six month deadline or they call it a day. Wilma isn’t the sort of person to give up easily though and it’s a given she will put her heart and soul into making things work and convincing Maggie to continue with the business.

Scott Milne’s wife Debbie has disappeared and he feels the police aren’t doing much to help so he turns to Maggie and Wilma for help, Maggie has her doubts about the case but Wilma persuades Maggie to give it a go hoping this will be the case that sees the agency put on the map and getting one over on the police is also a bonus.

I just love Maggie and Wilma, you’d never put this pair together as they’re so different but they work so well together and are very believable characters. They’re both hard working and juggling family life with work isn’t easy, it’s taking it’s toll on Maggie which leaves her wondering if maybe she’s over stretching herself. Wilma’s also never stopped, working three jobs and her husband Ian isn’t best pleased but she’s a feisty character and one that doesn’t take much heed to being told off.

One of the things I loved about this book are the short chapters, they alternate between Maggie and Wilma and the police who are working the case of missing housewife Debbie. Each chapter is sharp and edgy and has you gripped so it’s easy to completely lose yourself in the story. It’s definitely a ‘one more chapter’ kind of book and it was good to see how the police were progressing (or not) with the case while also seeing how Maggie and Wilma’s investigations were coming on. I was obviously rooting for the dynamic duo.

Set in Aberdeen you get a real sense of the city, Claire MacLeary describes it so you feel like you are there with the characters whether it be the back streets of Aberdeen or the more affluent areas it’s easy to picture in your mind as you read along.

Runaway is another fantastic instalment in the Harcus and Laird series. Although it could easily be read as a stand-alone I would highly recommend reading Cross Purpose and Burnout as well, they’re brilliant books too.

So I think it’s safe to say I will definitely be recommending Runaway. Filled with tension, it’s totally gripping and easy to get lost in. With added humour it had me laughing out loud at some points and trying to solve the case along side Maggie and Wilma certainly got the brain cells working (well the ones I have left).

A fantastic story and I hope there’s many, many more to come in the series. I love Maggie and Wilma.

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