A review by ajnel
Saturday Requiem by Nicci French

dark emotional mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

Psychotherapist, Frieda Klein, re-investigates a case where 13 years ago, a young woman named Hannah Docherty was convicted of brutally murdering her entire family. The case seemed clear-cut, but when Frieda is asked to assess Hannah, she's struck by something unsettling. Hannah appears broken and haunted, and Frieda can't shake the feeling that there's more to the story. As Frieda delves deeper, she questions the evidence and confronts those involved in the original investigation. The suspense builds as Frieda races to uncover the truth, all while facing a potential stalker from a previous case.  The husband and wife team known as Nicci French usually delivers an excellent whodunnit.  This time around, the characters were either a bit cold or easily dislikeable, and unfortunately this impacted negatively on the manner in which the novel subjectively played out.  The pace was also rather odd and given the huge and slow build-up, the final act is a humdinger of underdeveloped storylines.