The Special Girls By Isabelle Grey

[amazon_link id=”1786480956″ target=”_blank” ][/amazon_link]’The Special Girls’ is the third book in the D.I. Grace Fisher series.

A doctor is found beaten to death in woods close to a summer camp for young women with eating disorders. The camp is run by the charismatic Professor Chesham. DI Grace Fisher is called in, but is quickly pulled from the investigation – to head up a cold case inquiry involving Chesham himself. Some years earlier, one of Chesham’s patients made allegations that he sexually assaulted her. As Grace uncovers the lies that led to the doctor’s murder, she discovers the full extent of the damage done to the special girls – and the danger they are still in. D.I. Grace Fisher is back with another thrilling and unique case to investigate where everyone is a suspect and no one can be trusted.

In this gripping tale, Grace has been called in to investigate a murder case when a psychotherapist is found mysteriously dead in the woods whilst out on an expedition with his patients. Whilst investigating this case, Grace ends up delving into an unsolved case of sexual abuse from over twenty years ago where allegations where made but where not followed up.

The story follows from the perspective of DI Grace Fisher, her journalist friend Ivo and a man called Clive, who suspects that is teenage daughter was the victim of sexual assault. As Grace Fisher investigates the murder, she finds out that all the girls who were at expedition, are all sufferers of eating disorders and this adventure is way of helping them deal with it. The adventure is organised by Professor Ned’s Chesham’s, a highly respected academic who has helped many girls with eating disorders and is just about to receive a knighthood for all his hard work, but it seems that Ned isn’t quite the hero that he’s made out to be when allegations of sexual abuse are made against him.

I really enjoyed this story, Isabelle has written a cleverly weaved and gripping tale that really engages the audiences attention and the different perspectives make for insightful reading. There’s the police perspective as Grace looks into the current and old cases piecing together clues and information that were overlooked many years ago, there’s also the human interest angle as she tackles the sensitive nature of child abuse, whilst Ivo is Grace’s useful source of information, helping to uncover stories and find people that may not want to be found. Finally, there’s Clive, a heartbroken father, who’s at his wits end as he fears that his troubled daughter was the victim of sexual abuse and that’s why she is so angry. It’s quite heartbreaking to read Clive’s parts in the story, as he feels that he failed his daughter and was unable to protect her.

A dark and troubled tale that deals with many issues that makes for chilling reading, ‘The Special Girls’ is an uncomfortably realistic and compassionate story that was impossible to put down.

You can buy [amazon_link id=”1786480956″ target=”_blank” ]The Special Girls from Amazon [/amazon_link] and is available to buy from good bookshops.