Today’s team review is from Terry.
Terry blogs here https://terrytylerbookreviews.blogspot.com/
Terry has been reading Cold In The Earth by Thorne Moore.
4.5 stars
I’m not a fan of crime fiction, but I AM a fan of Thorne Moore’s writing, so I chose this from the review team list without hesitation. It’s not a police procedural, as the main person doing the detective work is Rosanna Quillan, an ex-DC who is persuaded by a friend to do some digging.
Six young girls went missing in the early – mid 1990s, but the perpetrator was only ever charged with two of the murders; the other cases remained open but went cold. The grieving families must wait another twenty-five years for truths and physical remains to be revealed.
The most interesting character in this book was, for me, Margaret Gittings, mother of the murderer; I’d have loved to have read her whole story from her own point of view! Then there is 11-year-old Lolly, with whom the story opens. Clever, clever, Thorne Moore – Lolly’s first chapter is brief and without resolution, which meant, of course, that I eagerly read the whole book within two days so I could find out what happened to her! I also liked Malcolm, the retired officer who dealt with the case initially, after it was bungled by a less than diligent colleague.
The story zips along so convincingly, perfectly paced, and I very much liked that, although a fledgling romantic interest for Rosanna was present, Ms Moore did not feel the need to wrap it all up with hearts and flowers. It’s good. And there’s a lovely little twist at the end, even after the remainder of Lolly’s story (which was worth waiting for) is revealed.
Book Description:
How long can the truth stay buried?
When a murderer is convicted, the survivors of the victim can bury their loved one and move on. But what if they are denied even that?
A disturbed young man has been killing girls, but where has he hidden them? Twenty-five years on, their families are still waiting for the chance to bring them home. Ex-detective constable Rosanna Quillan is determined to bring it about, but time is running out and she discovers there are more lost souls than she had realised.
