I’ve long been a fan of Gytha Lodge’s crime series featuring DCI Jonah Sheens so awaited the latest instalment with enthusiasm.
Thanks to Michael Joseph/NetGalley for my copy in exchange for an honest review.
The story opens with Jonah having a quiet drink in a pub garden when his peace is interrupted by the arrival of a teenage girl, Keely, covered in blood. She tells a story about her sister, Nina, who is missing. Jonah and his team scramble to find Nina, but Keely isn’t in any hurry to give up any clues. Instead, she relates the sisters’ story very much in her own time – and it is up to Jonah and the police team to work out whether Keely is a killer or a victim.
This is a well-written and complex story. Lodge is a master of the slow reveal, even though this means that the pacing is a little reserved at times (although picks up towards the end of the novel). The fact that a lot of the story is narrated by Keely – who is deliberately witholding information – means that there is a lot of backstory and not so much actual action until the story strands start to come together.
Keely’s is a dark story and one that is hard to read at times – I don’t want to give spoilers but it is worth mentioning that it focuses on abuse and the vagaries of the systems supporting looked after children. The girls’ experiences (as related by Keely) are sad and their path through life strewn with abusive men – although a big part of the police team’s work is to find out how much of it is true given the seeming unreliability of the narrator.
Part of the story is told from DCI Jonah Sheens’ point of view, although I think he remains a bit of a mysterious figure at the centre of the novel. There is a lot about his personal situation and thoughts, but he still doesn’t come alive as a character for me as much as his Detective Constable, Juliette Hanson, or other members of the team. In particular, Hanson’s rapport with DS Ben Lightman is warmly conveyed and appealing to the reader; I hope there’s more to this story in the next book.
Although this is the fourth novel in the series, I think it could be read as a standalone. The only real backstory needed to understand this is that DCI Jonah Sheens has a complex love life – the current situation is explained in the book but doesn’t have much impact on the central crime plot at all.
Overall, I’d recommend this as a good instalment in a great series. I don’t think it is the strongest of the four novels so far, but I certainly found it compelling and engaging.
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Great review, Kate! This sounds like a thrilling read. The fact that Keely arrived covered in blood alone makes me wonder about what happened.