#BookReview Missing, Presumed by Susie Steiner @SusieSteiner1 Title: Missing, Presumed

Author: Susie Steiner

Series: DS Manon #1

Published by: Random House on Jun. 28, 2016

Genres: Mystery/Thriller, Police Procedural

Pages: 350

Format: Paperback

Source: Purchased

Book Rating: 8/10

For readers of Kate Atkinson and Tana French comes a page-turning literary mystery that brings to life the complex and wholly relatable Manon Bradshaw, a strong-willed detective assigned to a high-risk missing persons case.

At thirty-nine, Manon Bradshaw is a devoted and respected member of the Cambridgeshire police force, and though she loves her job, what she longs for is a personal life. Single and distant from her family, she wants a husband and children of her own. One night, after yet another disastrous Internet date, she turns on her police radio to help herself fall asleep—and receives an alert that sends her to a puzzling crime scene.

Edith Hind—a beautiful graduate student at Cambridge University and daughter of the surgeon to the Royal Family—has been reported missing for nearly twenty-four hours. Her home offers few clues: a smattering of blood in the kitchen, her keys and phone left behind, the front door ajar but showing no signs of forced entry. Manon instantly knows this case will be big—and that every second is crucial to finding Edith alive.

The investigation starts with Edith’s loved ones: her attentive boyfriend, her reserved best friend, and her patrician parents. As the search widens and press coverage reaches a frenzied pitch, secrets begin to emerge about Edith’s tangled love life and her erratic behavior leading up to her disappearance. With no clear leads, Manon summons every last bit of her skill and intuition to close the case, and what she discovers will have shocking consequences not just for Edith’s family, but for Manon herself.

Suspenseful and keenly observed, Missing, Presumed is a brilliantly twisting novel of how we seek connection, grant forgiveness, and reveal the truth about who we are.


Review:

This is an intriguing, highly suspenseful story with rich characterization.

The story is set in Cambridgeshire, England and is told from multiple perspectives, including the heroine Manon, a jaded, lonely detective who is relentless and tenacious, and Miriam, the missing girl’s mother who is strong and courageously optimistic.

This is, ultimately, a story about familial secrets, loneliness, deception, infidelity and murder.

The writing is precise and clear.  The characters are complex, varied, and fascinating. And the plot builds nicely, has drama, tension, and multiple twists and turns.

Overall, this novel is a well written, interesting whodunit that raises the question, “how well do you really know anyone?”

 

This novel is available now.

Pick up a copy of this story from your favourite retailer or from the following Amazon links.

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For more information on Susie Steiner, visit her website at: http://www.susiesteiner.co.uk

or follow her on Twitter at: @SusieSteiner1