"...the law has nothing to do with the truth."
In 1997, two young girls -- 10-year-old Laurel and 6-year-old Primrose (Rosie) -- are accused of abducting and killing a toddler in a gully near a canal by their back garden. Because of her young age, Rosie is not subject to trial but Laurel (referred to during the proceedings as "Child X") is convicted and sent to a detention center. After the court case, her identity was revealed to the public and Laural and Primrose were labeled with the Flower Girls name. While Laurel languished at the youth center until age 18, the rest of the family were given new identities, moved away, and never visited her. When Laurel turned 18, she was moved to a women's prison and her only regular visitor was her uncle, and solicitor. Meanwhile, Rosie grew up out of the spotlight with her Mum and Dad and their notoriety hidden.
Flash forward 20 years to Rosie's (now her name is Hazel Archer) 25th birthday. She and her partner Jonny are at a Balcombe Court in Devon on New Year's Eve to celebrate with his teenaged daughter, Evie. A cry goes up early in the evening -- a 5-year-old girl, Georgie Greenstreet, has gone missing. A massive search begins even as a horrible winter storm comes in and blankets the hotel and beach with ice and bitter cold. When DC Lorna Hillier arrives on scene, she's in high gear and initiates an intense investigation. It's during this drama that Hazel meets the author, Max Saunders, and reveals her hidden identity as she shares with him her worry that she will be outed as a "Flower Girl" and somehow accused of this crime. Seeing an opportunity in this fortuitous encounter, Max has visions of a book deal based on Hazel's life and the long ago murder of Kirstie Swann. NO SPOILERS. Now, just pick up the book and read it!
I'm still reeling after finishing this book in the last couple of hours. Definitely it's a one-sit read as I think most will find it impossible to put down. Told in alternating points of view and going back and forth in time, it is an incredible story that asks more questions than it provides answers. This extremely well-written mystery demands that the reader think about evil and the concept of punishment. If you think about what you've read in the news, you'll be staggered by the notion of child murderers and again, wonder how and why they walk among us. Despite the clues and revelations, the conclusion leaves many dangling uncertainties and I would have liked to have seen more explanation and a more spelled-out ending -- I couldn't believe it when I read the last paragraph -- what??? No, please tell me more!
There were many characters in this book and they each play a role but were not fleshed out as much as I wanted -- give me more details and information. That said, I felt that I could identify at times with several of them and also want to shake others until the truth fell out. I really enjoyed this gripping story and definitely will look for other books written by this author. Very compelling and unsettling.
Thank you to NetGalley and Raven Books for the e-book ARC to read and review.
This is a standalone and is not part of any series.
Genre -- mystery, legal and justice, police investigation, child abduction, murder
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