Maggie Riley is haunted by the disappearance of her little brother 5 years ago. Now another little boy has vanished and her emotions are in turmoil as she relives the past whilst trying to investigate…
One Little Sigh is the fourth book in the Detective Maggie Riley series.
A four year old boy disappears from his home and his mother is frantic whilst his father is disinterested. Maggie fears the worst and is proved right when a little body is found in the lake (we know this from the prologue). She wants to find the killer to offset her guilt that she couldn’t save her own brother 5 years earlier.
The majority of the book is written from Maggie’s first person perspective so we see her emotions and the progress of her investigation. Other chapters are from 5 years in the past as we witness her frustration at being unable to solve her brother’s case. There are also chapters in the present day from Maggie’s fiance Steve as he is struggling to keep a massive secret.
Any book that involves child death is bound to be heart wrenching and upsetting. This is balanced by Maggie’s fierce determination to catch the killer and fight the shadow that has blighted her life and destroyed her family. Her strength brings reassurance that there are good people in this cruel world.
One Little Sigh is an emotionally charged and engaging detective thriller.
The small child floats so gently in the water, he could be peacefully but the cold blue of his skin reveals his fate. One mother’s little boy is never coming home again.
When Chief Maggie Riley sees the body of the small boy still dressed in pyjamas in Beaverhead Lake, her heart breaks. Little Patrick Warner went missing last night. Despite immediately calling the entire town of Coyote Cove into action, Maggie’s desperate search failed. Even worse, it’s clear it was Patrick took his last breath long before he entered the water.
Maggie is devastated—Patrick reminds her so much of her beautiful younger brother, gone for so long. Visiting the tiny, rumpled bed where Patrick’s teddy bear still lies, and where Patrick was last seen by his mother Jenny, Maggie’s grief turns to rage. She is determined to bring whoever hurt Patrick to justice.
In this isolated community, someone must know something. But no one will talk. And if his family had nothing to do with it, why are they so secretive? As Maggie’s investigation gathers pace, her emotions threaten to overwhelm her. She still doesn’t know her brother’s fate—she won’t let that happen for little Patrick.
But when Jenny suddenly disappears, suspicions whirl around her role in Patrick’s death. Could she have been lying all this time? Or is Jenny herself in terrible danger too? To uncover the truth before more innocent lives are lost, and lay her demons to rest, Maggie will have to risk not only those closest to her but her own life too…
An utterly addictive crime thriller perfect for fans of Lisa Regan, Mary Stone and Melinda Leigh.
About the author
With degrees in Crime Scene Technology & Physical Anthropology, Florida author Shannon Hollinger hasn’t just seen the dark side of humanity – she’s been elbow deep inside of it! She finds writing to be a much cleaner way to spend her time than the autopsy suite. Most days it smells better, too.
Her debut novel, the psychological thriller Best Friends Forever, is the first of a five-book deal with publisher Bookouture.
Her short fiction has appeared in Suspense Magazine, Mystery Weekly, and The Saturday Evening Post, among a number of other magazines and anthologies, and her story Lady Killer was a finalist for the 2021 Al Blanchard Award sponsored by the New England Crime Bake.
About the author