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A review by tonstantweader
The Girl They All Forgot by Martin Edwards, Martin Edwards
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
4.0
The Girl They All Forgot is a mystery rooted in the past in several ways. A young man kills himself in the same place as his father did twenty years earlier. The father had been accused of raping and murdering a young woman though her body was never found. The suspicion remained despite his acquittal and in despair, he drowned himself. This made me think of Agatha Christie’s excellent “Ordeal by Innocence” which suggested that the innocent suffer most when a murder is not solved.
His murder is witnessed by an encroaching sort of man who thinks far too highly of himself. He fancies himself a suitor to a wealthy woman who recently purchased one of the homes in a development he pretends to sell. He, too, has a secret and perhaps a killer instinct.
DCI Hannah Scarlett of the Cold Case Squad is tasked with looking back at that original murder to solve it and bring an end to this ordeal by innocence.
The Girl They All Forgot is a very fair mystery that managed to surprise me despite giving me all the information I needed to solve it. But imagining the solution, this is the struggle.
Martin Edwards is effective at creating a strong sense of place and interesting characters. This could very easily be a Masterpiece Mystery. In fact, why not a series? In the beautiful Lake District, what more could you ask for?
Martin Edwards
https://tonstantweaderreviews.wordpress.com/2022/06/15/the-girl-they-all-forgot-by-martin-edwards/