This is a gripping crime thriller that will keep you turning the pages. It grabs hold of you from the very beginning. It's the second installment of the Madison Harper/Nick Monroe series. You don't have to have read the first book to read the second, but with the rich, complex character backstories, I think it would help you be more connected to the special relationship the two share, along with the very special ex-police dog that accompanies them.

A teenage girl who works at the local amusement park is found on the Ferris Wheel with both wrists cut. It looks like a suicide, and the background of the teenager adds to the suicide theory. However, no knife is found at the scene, and the security guard who was the only other one around when the body was found after hours is nowhere to be found. Did he panic and take the knife with him, did he kill her, or did someone else kill her? That is what Madison and Nate need to try to figure out.

Madison is back in her unwelcoming hometown after spending seven years in jail for a crime she did not commit. She had to come back to make funeral arrangements for he ex. Madison and Nate are also investigating their death. Madison knows it's personal and can't help but believe that it's connected with whoever framed her for her work partner's murder.
What she didn't expect to find was a connection between her ex's murder and the murder of the teen girl. What is even more of a shock is who the teen girls' boyfriend turns out to be.

The complexity of layers continues with this second book. Dranfield is good at writing about the dark recesses of human behavior and the emotional depth that goes along with such behaviors. She's also good at writing the flip side of human emotion: redemption, forgiveness, and human connection.

Emotionally driven mystery fans, those who like strong female leads, high-stakes suspense, and psychological crime thrillers

The connection between the cast of characters and the layers of the story

I felt like some of the police procedures weren't accurate

Continue reading the series

Wendy is the author of the Detective Madison Harper series. Her novels and short stories have been shortlisted and longlisted for various writing competitions and awards, including the International Thriller Writer Awards.

Please note; as Wendy writes crime fiction, including police procedurals and psychological thrillers, her books contain plots, characters and actions dealing with a variety of crimes, including physical and psychological.

Follow Wendy on Amazon for new book alerts (click the Follow button next to her profile pic).

Wendy does not use social media, so if you find an account pretending to be her on any platform, it’s 100% fake! Visit her website for the most accurate and up-to-date information about her books: wendydranfield. co. uk

Published Feb. 19, 2021
318 Pages
#585 in Police Procedurals (Books)
#930 in Serial Killer Thrillers
Rated 4.6

481 Words

Interested in buying this? Support Writing.Com by making your purchase of Cry For Help: An addictive and gripping mystery and suspense novel (Detective Madison Harper)   from Amazon.Com!

Created Jun 22, 2025 at 11:03am • Submit your own review...