Where is Stef Campbell? And who can be trusted to bring her home? Paramedic Andy Campbell has a secret he can’t tell anyone, not least the police. But when his missing wife’s image is found at the home of a suspected killer, detectives start asking questions, and they’re not the only ones. The race for truth leads them far from their Edinburgh home – but who will find her first, and will they save her life or take it?
I bought Find Her First from the Amazon Kindle store when it was on special offer for just 99p, thinking it would be one of those books I’d eventually get around to reading in a few months. However, as I kept seeing it discussed in various online book clubs, with people praising its suspense, I decided to start reading it just before a mini break. I ended up finishing it right before landing in Europe, so it didn’t take long to read—which usually means the book was good, right? Well, sort of.
Christie’s writing style is solid, and most of the characters were decent. I really liked Steph, and Andy was written in such a way that I was convinced he was the bad guy. I even thought Alyson might be involved. The twist surrounding what was happening was definitely the highlight of the book—honestly, it was the best part! Helen, on the other hand, was a bit odd. She was interesting, but also kind of a loner. The twist involving her connections to a major suspect made me wonder if they even needed to be linked at all. But, I suppose, if they weren’t, the story might have felt incomplete.
As for a TV adaptation, I can’t say I’d be watching it. The reason I finished the book quickly was because I just wanted to get to the end. It dragged a little at times and didn’t hold my interest consistently, though the final chapters definitely picked up the pace. I think it would have worked better if those pivotal chapters were brought forward earlier in the story—maybe with a colleague discovering why Stef had been reported as drunk on shift?
That said, based on the glowing reviews on Goodreads, Waterstones, and Amazon, it seems like many readers are absolutely loving Christie’s second novel. It just didn’t quite grab me the way I’d hoped.
Author Biography.
Christie was born and raised in Scotland, where she initially pursued a law degree before switching to literature and medieval history. After graduating, she spent five years working as a reporter for two well-known newspapers. Her debut novel, The Silent Daughter, was awarded the McIlvanney Prize for Scottish Crime Book of the Year 2021, shortlisted for the Scottish Crime Debut of the Year 2021, and longlisted for the Crime Writers Association John Creasey (New Blood) Dagger Award 2021. Both The Silent Daughter and Find Her First are set in Portobello, Edinburgh’s charming seaside area.
As if writing novels wasn’t enough, Christie also founded the Diary of a Debut Novelist festival, an online series of events designed to promote and inspire new UK authors. She also established the Caledonia Crime Collective, a group of seven Scottish writers aiming to support fresh voices in the tartan noir genre and beyond. Christie is a proud member of the Crime Writers Association.
Now living in beautiful Barcelona with her partner, Maria Jose, and their campervan, Jarry, Christie enjoys spending her time hiking up mountains, swimming in the sea, or sipping vermouth in a dusty bodega when she’s not writing.
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