Edith Hind is gone, leaving just her coat, a smear of blood and a half-open door. Each of her friends and relatives has a version of the truth. But none quite adds up. The press grows hungrier by the day. Can DS Manon Bradshaw fend them off, before a missing persons case becomes a murder investigation?
What a brilliantly satisfying read this book is. A tense police procedural and psychological novel rolled into one. This was one of those books that I couldn’t wait to return to as I needed to know, not just what was happening with the investigation, but in the chaotic lives of DS Manon Bradshaw and her colleagues. The characters were flawed yet likable for the most part. Those that you didn’t like, you had a good understanding of. The strength of Ms Steiner’s writing is its honesty. People are flawed. They are a mess. They are battered and bruised by their past. Manon Bradshaw tries hard not to be depressed by her singleness, pissed off with her family and irritated by her colleagues. She tries internet dating without any success and manages to get through her days with wry humour and the support of good friends. But just how unstable she is, is highlighted when she does find someone to love. Or at least she thinks it’s love. Frankly it’s far more of an obsession. The reader can see this, but not Manon.
The team has no leads, no body and no idea what’s going on. But the ripples from Edith’s disappearance spread inexorably outward, devastating her family and close friends; with disastrous consequences. Missing Presumed, is easily the best book I’ve read since Daisy in Chains. Absolutely brilliant!
I received a copy of this novel from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Click the book cover to go to the Amazon UK book page.
Wendy Cartmell 