Memorial Park by Louisa Scarr - Book Review

Series: PC Lucy Halliday #2 

Publication Date: 06th Feb 2025

Genre: Police Procedural

4 Stars 

One Liner: Dark and gripping 

It took just one second for a three-year-old Rosie Logan to vanish when her mother, Maria, turned the other side. 

PC Lucy Halliday (with police dogs Moss and Iggy) and DCI Jack Ellis are on the case. Jack is determined to save Rose as this reminds him of his childhood best friend who disappeared one day without a trace. 

However, the Logan family is unwilling to share its secrets, hampering the investigation at every point. Can Lucy and Jack little Rose before it’s too late? 

The story comes in Maria, Lucy, and Jack’s third-person POVs in the present tense. 

My Thoughts: 

This is the second book in the series that has a standalone mystery but it will be much better if you read the previous book (if I say this, then you know you can’t ignore it). 

The story is dark like the first book and has more than one case in parallel. Despite the fear and heavy atmosphere, the content is not graphic. It seems like the author took great care to mention only what is necessary for the plot. I appreciate this since the plotline is around a missing child. 

The mystery is layered with many reveals and twists. These happen periodically to keep the reader hooked and the plot moving. It makes the narration steady if not fast-paced. Also, there’s enough internal dialogue to continue with character development for Lucy and Jack. 

Given that the FMC is a dog handler, the police dogs play a vital role in the book. Moss and Iggy take turns doing their jobs and are such adorable cuties. Iggy takes the spotlight this time though Moss is not far behind. 

So far, I like the development between the main characters. They are friends now but still annoy each other often. I am curious to see how things will change as the series continues but no complaints for now. 

Most questions are answered well. The themes are as dark as the plot but handled with care. Revealing them could be spoilers but know that there might be a few triggers. 

There’s a short author’s note about the places mentioned in the book. I understand what she means when she says it is easier to make up new places than to use real ones. That’s how I prefer to write too. 

To summarize, Memorial Park is a fairly intense read but doesn’t get overwhelming. It tackles important themes and makes the reader think. The writing style is really good. Looking forward to the next book in the series. 

Thank you, NetGalley and Canelo Crime, for eARC.

#NetGalley #MemorialPark