The Bad Place
📘 About This Book
A Times Crime Book of the Month Six children were taken. Only five came home... The newspapers called it The Bad Place. A remote farm out on the Thames estuary, where six children were held captive for two weeks. Five of them got out alive. That was twenty years ago. Now adults, they meet up annually to hold a vigil for their friend who died. The only rule is that no-one can talk about what happened the night they escaped. But at this year's event, one of them witnesses a kidnapping. A young girl, Sammi, is bundled into a van in front of their eyes. DI Sasha Dawson, of Essex Police, is certain that the key to finding Sammi lies in finding out the truth about The Bad Place. But she also knows that with every second she spends trying to unlock the past, the clock ticks down for the missing girl... Is history repeating itself? Is one of the five responsible? Or is someone sending them a twisted message? Don't miss ZERO KILL, the latest edge-of-your-seat thriller from author MK Hill. Bursting with tension, twists and humour, it is perfect for fans of Killing Eve, Lee Child and people who loved watching Nobody and Hunted. Available to order now. Praise for The Bad Place: 'Everything a police procedural should be: sharp, funny, moving and tremendously exciting' The Times 'Absorbing and twisty' Mark Edwards 'Dark, gripping and fast paced, The Bad Place grabs a hold and won't let you go... Addictive summer reading' Katerina Diamond 'Superb, smart, seat-edge stuff. DI Sasha Dawson is a brilliant creation' William Shaw 'Utterly compelling and brilliantly realistic, The Bad Place is Mark's best book yet. One that will appeal to crime fans everywhere' Lisa Hall
📖 Summary
M.K. Hill's gripping 2019 crime fiction novel, The Bad Place, plunges readers into a dark world of buried trauma, long-held secrets, and urgent modern-day danger. The story centers around a chilling historical event that occurred two decades prior. Six children were abducted and held captive for two weeks at a remote, ominous farm situated out on the Thames estuary, a location the media quickly dubbed The Bad Place. While five of the children miraculously managed to escape and survive, one tragic friend did not make it out alive. Now grown into adults, the five survivors maintain a somber tradition of meeting up annually to hold a quiet vigil in memory of the friend they lost. Their gathering is governed by one strict, unbreakable rule: absolutely no one is allowed to talk about what actually happened on the terrifying night of their escape. For twenty years, this pact of silence has kept their painful memories locked away from the world. However, the fragile peace of their annual reunion is violently shattered when one of the survivors witnesses a new crime taking place right before their eyes. A young girl named Sammi is forcefully abducted and bundled into a van in broad daylight. This shocking event shatters the group's carefully constructed silence and drags their deeply repressed past crashing into the present. Enter Detective Inspector Sasha Dawson of the Essex Police, a sharp and determined investigator tasked with unraveling the kidnapping. DI Dawson quickly realizes that the key to tracking down the missing young girl, Sammi, does not lie in modern forensic clues alone, but rather in uncovering the deeply buried truth about what really happened all those years ago at The Bad Place. As Sasha digs deeper, she faces a agonizing race against time. She knows all too well that with every single second she spends trying to unlock the dark history of the survivors, the clock ticks down dangerously for the missing girl, making the stakes higher than ever. The Bad Place masterfully explores the lingering psychological aftermath of childhood trauma, the heavy burdens of secrets, and how the past can violently bleed into the present when least expected. Spanning 370 pages of tension-filled pacing, this Times Crime Book of the Month keeps readers guessing as it navigates the twisting paths of memory, guilt, and a relentless police investigation.
🎯 Key Lessons
⚖️ Pros & Cons
✅ Pros
Engaging and fast-paced plot with high stakes
Deeply explores the psychological impact of long-term trauma
Compelling central mystery connecting past and present crimes
Strong detective character driving the narrative forward
⚠️ Cons
Dark subject matter may not suit sensitive readers
Pacing can feel intense and stressful due to the ticking-clock element
❓ FAQ
Who is the author of The Bad Place? +
The book was written by M.K. Hill and published in 2019.
How many children were originally taken to The Bad Place? +
Six children were taken and held captive for two weeks at a remote farm on the Thames estuary.
What is the main rule among the surviving group of children? +
The only rule is that none of them can ever talk about what happened on the night they escaped.
Who leads the police investigation into the new kidnapping? +
DI Sasha Dawson of the Essex Police leads the investigation to find the kidnapped girl named Sammi.
How many pages long is the novel? +
The book spans 370 pages of gripping fiction.
