Little Face by Sophie Hannah

 

Motherhood is all Alice thought it would be.  She had her daughter two weeks ago and fell in love immediately.  Other things she thought would be wonderful are now questionable.  Like living with her husband's mother on her large estate.  Like having her mother-in-law control her husband, Alice and now expecting to make all the decisions for the baby.  She has already put her down for the school she expects Alice and David to send their daughter to.

Alice goes out for a short visit with a friend, leaving the baby at home sleeping with David watching.  She comes home to an open front door and David asleep.  Alice runs to the baby and there is a baby in the crib.  But Alice insists it's not HER baby but that someone has swapped this child for hers.  David is adamant that Alice is wrong but she insists on calling the police.

The case is given to Charlie Zailer and her DC Simon Waterhouse.  Simon is sympathetic to Alice's obvious belief and upset while Charlie believes it is some sort of delusion brought on by postpartum distress.  This differing belief causes tension between the two police, increasing what was already there as Charlie has a crush on Simon and he rejected her.  When the police are informed that David's first wife was murdered at the estate several years ago, the tension is racheted even higher.  Charlie had worked on that case and now there are suspicions that she got it wrong and an innocent man has been imprisoned.  

This is the first book in what is currently a nine novel series featuring the two detectives.  I read one of the others a few weeks ago and immediately decided to go back and read them in order.  Charlie is an interesting female lead, great at her job but failing at romance.  Simon seems introverted yet confident that he is the best detective in the force.  The mystery is appealing and the change in David as Alice continues to insist her baby is missing is astounding.  This book is recommended for mystery readers.