Dawn's Bloody Beginning

Sonia Smalling's peaceful drive to work is shattered when she's lured into a trap by a young couple faking a motorcycle accident. Her attempt to help is met with violence, and she's executed on a quiet country road. The killers, calm and methodical, steal her car and vanish, leaving behind a scene that baffles the police. This shocking act sets the tone for a day of escalating violence, as the city of Southampton awakens to a new, unpredictable threat. The randomness and brutality of the murder send ripples of fear through the community, and the police scramble to understand the motive behind such a senseless killing.

Helen's Haunted Return

Helen Grace, recently released from prison after being wrongfully accused, struggles with trauma and isolation. Her only solace is the speed and freedom of her motorcycle. As she's drawn into the investigation of Sonia's murder, Helen's leadership is tested by lingering distrust within her team, especially from DS Sanderson, who once helped put her behind bars. Helen's internal battles mirror the chaos outside, and her determination to restore order is shadowed by guilt, nightmares, and the sense that she's still an outsider in her own life and department.

The Trap on Barton Lane

The investigation at the crime scene uncovers that Sonia was not a random victim. The killers staged the accident, waited for her, and executed her with a sawn-off shotgun. Forensics find no evidence of robbery, suggesting a personal or symbolic motive. Helen and her team are left with more questions than answers: Why Sonia? Why such public brutality? The city's sense of safety is shattered, and the police realize they are dealing with perpetrators who are both organized and fearless, willing to kill in broad daylight.

A City on Edge

As news of the murder spreads, the city's mood shifts from shock to fear. Emilia Garanita, a disgraced journalist desperate for redemption, senses a major story and begins her own investigation, using police radio feeds and old contacts. The police, meanwhile, struggle to track the stolen Audi and identify the killers. Tensions within the force rise, as Helen's authority is questioned and old wounds resurface. The city's ordinary routines are disrupted, and everyone becomes a potential witness—or a potential victim.

The Killers' Game Begins

The killers, Jason Swift and his young partner Daisy, revel in their notoriety. They abandon Sonia's car, arm themselves with drugs and weapons, and rob a pharmacy, killing the owner, Alan Sansom, in cold blood. Their actions are both thrill-seeking and purposeful, leaving behind clues—graffiti of a serpent devouring its own tail—at each scene. The randomness of their targets and the speed of their attacks make them nearly impossible to predict. The city is paralyzed by fear, and the police are always one step behind.

Fractured Trust, Fractured Team

Helen's team is plagued by mistrust and unresolved grievances. DS Sanderson, feeling excluded and undervalued, considers transferring out. Charlie Brooks, Helen's closest ally, tries to mediate, but the wounds from Helen's wrongful imprisonment run deep. The team's dysfunction hampers their ability to respond to the escalating crisis. As the killers continue their rampage, the police struggle to maintain unity and focus, knowing that any misstep could cost more lives.

The Pharmacy Siege

The killers take over a pharmacy, holding staff and customers hostage. The situation escalates when a young mother, Melissa Hill, and her baby are discovered hiding. Daisy's coldness is contrasted by a moment of mercy—she spares Melissa and her child, but not before terrorizing them. The police storm the pharmacy, but the killers escape, leaving behind another body and a traumatized survivor. The brutality and unpredictability of the attacks deepen the city's terror and the police's desperation.

Hostages and Escapes

Melissa's account provides the first real descriptions of the killers: a tall, tattooed man and a younger, blonde woman. The police begin to piece together their identities, focusing on probationers connected to Sonia and Alan. Emilia, ever resourceful, uses her contacts to gather exclusive details, hoping to reclaim her status as a top reporter. The killers, meanwhile, continue to evade capture, changing vehicles and appearances, always staying just out of reach.

The Hunt Intensifies

With the help of CCTV, witness statements, and forensic evidence, the police identify Jason Swift as a prime suspect. His history of violence, racism, and hatred comes to light, but the true mastermind remains elusive. Daisy, the younger partner, is revealed to be the more dangerous of the two. As the police set traps and roadblocks, the killers respond with cunning and violence, killing again to cover their tracks. The city is locked down, and the sense of dread grows.

Daisy's Dark Past

The investigation uncovers Daisy's troubled history: abandoned by her mother, neglected by her alcoholic father, and failed by every institution meant to help her. Her diary reveals a mind consumed by rage, paranoia, and a desire for retaliation against those who rejected or humiliated her. The serpent graffiti is her signature, a symbol of self-destruction and endless revenge. The police realize that her killing spree is not random, but a calculated settling of scores against those she blames for her misery.

The School Shooting

Daisy's rampage culminates in a school shooting at Meadow Hall, targeting her former teacher, Sarah Grant, who expelled her. The attack is both personal and symbolic—a final act of vengeance against the institution that cast her out. The police arrive too late to prevent another death, and Daisy escapes once more, taking a journalist hostage to facilitate her getaway. The city is traumatized, and the police are left reeling from their inability to protect the innocent.

The Final Pursuit

With her partner dead and her identity exposed, Daisy goes on the run alone. The police, now understanding her motives and patterns, predict her next move: a final confrontation with her estranged mother, Karen. Helen races against time to prevent another murder, while Daisy, wounded and exhausted, prepares for her last act. The pursuit is relentless, with roadblocks, helicopters, and every available officer mobilized to stop her before she can complete her cycle of revenge.

Mother and Daughter

Daisy confronts her mother in a tense, emotionally charged scene. Years of abandonment, resentment, and pain boil over as Daisy demands answers and retribution. Karen, wracked with guilt, tries to explain and apologize, but Daisy is unmoved. Helen arrives, inserting herself between mother and daughter, risking her own life to prevent another tragedy. The confrontation is a battle of wills, with Helen offering herself as a sacrifice to save Karen.

The Last Stand

Cornered and out of options, Daisy faces the ultimate decision: kill her mother, kill Helen, or end her own life. In a moment of clarity—or despair—she turns the gun on herself, choosing self-destruction over surrender or further violence. The police storm the house, but it is too late. Daisy's death is both an end and a beginning—a final, tragic punctuation to a day of chaos and pain.

Aftermath and Reckoning

In the wake of the violence, the city grieves its dead. Helen and her team are left to pick up the pieces, haunted by the losses and failures of the day. DS Sanderson, killed in the line of duty, is honored and mourned. Survivors struggle with trauma, guilt, and the question of whether anything could have been done differently. The media frenzy fades, but the scars remain, both for the city and for those who tried to save it.

Grief and Reflection

Helen attends the funerals of her colleague and the killers, reflecting on the nature of evil, the failures of the system, and her own role in the tragedy. The community comes together to honor the fallen, but also to reckon with the deeper issues that allowed such violence to erupt. Helen, changed by the ordeal, resolves to rebuild trust within her team and to continue fighting for justice, even in the face of overwhelming darkness.

Lessons in the Ashes

In the end, the story is one of loss, but also of resilience. The survivors—police, victims' families, and even the city itself—struggle to find meaning in the chaos. Helen, scarred but unbroken, recommits herself to her duty, vowing to learn from the past and to protect the vulnerable. The cycle of violence is broken, but the lessons remain: about the consequences of neglect, the dangers of alienation, and the enduring power of compassion in the face of hate.

Characters

Helen Grace

Helen Grace is a detective inspector marked by trauma, resilience, and a fierce sense of justice. Wrongly imprisoned and betrayed by her own team, she returns to duty with deep psychological scars—nightmares, anxiety, and a profound sense of isolation. Her leadership is both her strength and her burden; she inspires loyalty in some, suspicion in others. Helen's empathy for victims is matched by her willingness to risk everything, even her own life, to protect others. Throughout the story, she confronts her own darkness, grappling with guilt and the fear that she brings harm to those around her. Her journey is one of painful self-examination, culminating in a renewed commitment to her role as protector and leader.

Daisy Anderson

Daisy is the true architect of the killing spree—a young woman shaped by abandonment, neglect, and institutional failure. Her mother's desertion and her father's alcoholism leave her emotionally stunted, angry, and desperate for belonging. Daisy's intelligence and cunning are matched by her capacity for violence; she is both victim and perpetrator, seeking retribution against those she perceives as betrayers. Her diary reveals a mind obsessed with retaliation and self-destruction, symbolized by the serpent graffiti. Daisy's final acts are driven by a need to be seen, to make the world pay for her pain, and ultimately, to escape through self-annihilation.

Jason Swift

Jason is Daisy's partner in crime—a tall, tattooed young man with a history of violence, racism, and alienation. He is drawn to Daisy's intensity and shares her hatred for authority and outsiders. While he appears to be the dominant force, it is Daisy who manipulates and ultimately discards him. Jason's need for recognition and belonging makes him both dangerous and vulnerable. His death at Daisy's hands underscores his role as a tool in her larger plan, a casualty of her relentless drive for vengeance.

DS Joanne Sanderson

Sanderson is a detective sergeant whose relationship with Helen is fraught with guilt and longing for redemption. Having once helped convict Helen, she is now desperate to prove her worth and regain her trust. Sanderson's sense of exclusion and her drive to impress lead her to take risks, ultimately resulting in her death. Her story is one of professional ambition, personal regret, and the high cost of fractured trust within a team. Her loss is deeply felt, serving as a catalyst for Helen's own reckoning.

Charlie Brooks

Charlie is Helen's closest friend and most reliable team member. Compassionate, pragmatic, and fiercely loyal, she serves as a bridge between Helen and the rest of the team. Charlie's own experiences with trauma and loss give her insight into both victims and colleagues. She is the voice of reason and empathy, urging Helen to forgive, trust, and lead. Charlie's presence is a stabilizing force, and her support is crucial in helping Helen navigate the aftermath of tragedy.

Emilia Garanita

Emilia is a once-prominent crime reporter, now fallen from grace and desperate to reclaim her status. Resourceful, ambitious, and sometimes unscrupulous, she pursues the story of the killings with relentless determination. Her encounter with Daisy—first as a witness, then as a hostage—forces her to confront her own vulnerability and the ethical limits of her profession. Emilia's journey is one of survival, self-discovery, and a renewed sense of responsibility to truth and family.

Sonia Smalling

Sonia is a probation officer, wife, and mother whose murder sets the story in motion. Her life represents the ordinary goodness and vulnerability of those who serve the community. Sonia's death is both random and symbolic, a catalyst for the city's descent into fear and chaos. Her memory haunts the investigation, reminding the police—and the reader—of what is at stake.

Alan Sansom

Alan is the owner of the pharmacy targeted by the killers. A fixture in his community, he is diligent, compassionate, and unprepared for the violence that claims his life. Alan's murder deepens the sense of randomness and terror, and his connection to Daisy's past is revealed only later. His death underscores the theme of ordinary lives shattered by extraordinary evil.

Karen Anderson

Karen is Daisy's mother, whose abandonment of her daughter is the original wound driving the narrative. Now remarried with new children, Karen is forced to confront the consequences of her choices when Daisy comes for her. Her guilt, fear, and attempts at reconciliation form the emotional climax of the story. Karen's survival is both a reprieve and a sentence, as she must live with the knowledge of what her absence wrought.

Michael Anderson

Michael is Daisy's father, an alcoholic whose inability to care for his daughter contributes to her downward spiral. His murder at Daisy's hands is both an act of rage and a symbolic severing of her last familial tie. Michael's love for Daisy is genuine but insufficient, and his death marks the point of no return in her transformation from victim to killer.

Plot Devices

Spree Killing as Social Commentary

The novel uses the device of a single day's killing spree to explore the breakdown of social safety nets, the consequences of neglect, and the ripple effects of trauma. The rapid escalation of violence, the randomness of the targets, and the killers' ability to evade capture all serve to heighten tension and underscore the fragility of order. The spree is not just a backdrop for action, but a lens through which the failures of family, school, and justice are examined.

Dual Protagonists and Shifting Perspectives

The narrative alternates between Helen's investigation, the killers' actions, and the experiences of victims and witnesses. This structure allows for a nuanced exploration of motive, guilt, and empathy. The reader is drawn into the minds of both hunter and hunted, blurring the lines between good and evil, and highlighting the complexity of human behavior under stress.

Symbolism of the Serpent

The recurring image of the serpent devouring its own tail (ouroboros) is both a literal clue and a metaphor for Daisy's self-destructive rage. It marks each crime scene, signaling both ownership and the cyclical nature of violence. The symbol ties together the personal and the universal, suggesting that unchecked pain inevitably turns inward, consuming both victim and perpetrator.

Foreshadowing and Red Herrings

The investigation is marked by false leads, misidentified suspects, and shifting theories. The police's initial focus on Jason Swift as the mastermind is upended by the revelation of Daisy's true role. The use of foreshadowing—through diary entries, graffiti, and character backstories—builds tension and rewards attentive reading, while red herrings keep both characters and readers off balance.

Psychological Realism and Trauma

The story's emotional power derives from its attention to the psychological wounds of its characters. Helen's PTSD, Daisy's abandonment, Sanderson's guilt, and Emilia's desperation are not just character traits, but engines of plot. The narrative structure mirrors the fragmentation and confusion of trauma, with short, intense chapters and rapid shifts in perspective.

Analysis

Love Me Not is more than a procedural thriller; it is a meditation on the consequences of neglect, the corrosive effects of alienation, and the desperate human need for connection. Through the lens of a single day's violence, M.J. Arlidge exposes the cracks in families, institutions, and society itself. The killers are not monsters, but products of their environment—wounded, angry, and ultimately doomed by the absence of love and belonging. The police, too, are flawed, struggling with their own traumas and failures, yet striving to protect and serve. The novel's structure—relentless, fragmented, and immersive—mirrors the chaos it depicts, while its resolution offers no easy answers. Instead, it challenges readers to confront the roots of violence and to recognize the power of compassion, trust, and responsibility. In the ashes of tragedy, the possibility of healing and redemption remains, but only if we are willing to see—and save—each other.

Last updated: January 21, 2026