Taken

Kate Miles has returned to work in the police force after recovering from a gunshot wound and the birth of her second child. Her husband is not convinced about her returning to work full-time so soon after their daughter's birth, however he is out of work and they need her salary. Then reports appear of the corrupt business dealings of a former parliamentarian with links to her father. Kate therefore has to cope with family pressures as well as the pressures of returning to work where she has the feeling that some of her colleagues are just waiting for her to fail.

Added to these pressures Kate's first case is investigating the disappearance of a baby from her home. The baby's father was away at a conference but when it becomes obvious that there are contradictions in his story he becomes a prime suspect as does the mother's former partner who is renowned for his acts of violence, particularly against women. As the investigation proceeds more is revealed about the lives and relationships of the main characters.

This is a character driven crime novel which focuses on family relationships and family violence as well as attitudes in Kate's work environment regarding the ability of women to lead, particularly women who are not white. Police corruption also features in the book. In Taken, Dinuka McKenzie has written another novel enabling the reader to become immersed in the story and its characters and just want to keep reading. The third book in this series has recently been published.