When the Dead Cry Out

by Hilary Bonner

One stormy February afternoon, Clara Marshall collected her daughters, six-year old Lorraine and five-year-old Janine, from school. They were never seen again. Richard Marshall, Clara's heartbroken husband, had discovered his wife was having an affair with an Australian backpacker and believed her to have run away with him, taking the children with her, destroying the family for ever. That was twenty seven years ago. John Kelly, veteran journalist, covered the case when he was a trainee reporter and he suspected something far more sinister. His own enquiries could discover no trace of an Australian backpacker, or a journey abroad by Clara and her children. Detective Chief Inspector, Karen Meadows has been familiar with case since childhood and she is only too aware that many suspect Marshall of murdering his wife and children. But where are the bodies? And what is the motive? Then extraordinary events reawaken the case and Kelly and Karen become determined to discover what happened to Clara and her children so long ago, and to seek justice for them...

Genres: Fiction, Thriller

392 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 2004

About the author

Hilary Bonner is an English crime novelist, best known for her psychological thrillers.

Almost all Bonner’s novels are inspired by real life events, often drawing on her journalistic past with The Sun, The Mail on Sunday, and Daily Mirror. The Times described her as ‘keeping on the public agenda the stories our masters would prefer buried.’

She shares her life with her partner, the actress Amanda Barrie, and, with their dog Coco. She divides her time between her house in rural Somerset and her flat at the heart of Covent Garden.

Reviews

[Maggie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the eight fiction book from Hilary Bonner.
The story begins in 1975 with Clara Marshall and Lorraine and Janine her daughters vanishing. The Devon and Cornwall Police suspect Richard the father of killing his family. Richard is as cool as a cucumber saying nothing except that Clara and the children ran away with an Australian backpacker.
Clara's father Sean MacDonald who was estranged from his daughter particularly pushes this theory having no time or patience for Richard.
John Kelly is the journalist covering the case initially as a trainee and longtime friend of Karen Meadows. He long suspected Richard. Despite digging he found no trace of any backpacker or Clara and her children anywhere at home or abroad.
Karen Meadows a child when the disappearance happened lived in the same street and was aware of the mystery.
Failing to secure evidence to charge the case went into the Cold Case basement.
Fast forward over two decades later divers exploring a sunken Nazi boat find part of a skeleton with a Rolex watch that leads back to Clara.
Karen Matthews is now Detective Superintendent leading the inquiry. She wonders what happened to the children.
Richard is found basically unchanged and 'keeping schtum' living with a much younger woman.
There is a love interest for Karen with a younger married detective.
This is my first read by Hilary Bonner and I so enjoyed it There were so many twists and turns none I saw coming I kept thinking 'Whats next' and so looking forward to it. I would highly recommend this and have just purchased some others in the series to read.

[Tcake2 · Rating 2 out of 5]

Detective Superintendent Karen Meadows is called in when a body is discovered at the bottom of the sea - she suspects that it's Clara Marshall, who with her two young children, mysteriously disappeared 27 years ago. Did her husband do her in? Many people apparently thought so, he was certainly a womaniser, though why anyone would fancy such a smug smarmy git defeats me. As it happens Karen Meadows used to live next door to the victim so she already feels involved and the story has 2 strands - one is the current investigation and one is a flashback to 27 yrs ago when she was a young girl.
As plots go there are a few twists and turns and the general idea was good. For me the writing let it down with too many long winded explanations and wordy descriptions. I didn't particularly like the heroine. The romantic thread was unconvincing to say the least and the ending was depressing. Can't call it police procedural as they didn't seem to follow any.
This isn't a book I would pass on to a friend.It's going to the charity shop and if I see any more by this author I think I'll be leaving them on the shelf.

[Daisy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really wanted to like this book as the plotline was pretty good, however there's a few sections that could really have benefitted from editing. The romantic sections were pretty OTT and not overly necessary for the whole story. However I was sufficiently interested in the story of Karen and Phil to reserve the sequel from the library - it's just so frustrating when you have all the ingredients for something really good but the result is disappointingly average. I felt I couldn't pass it on to my mother, for example, as it was too 'sexy' - we don't all want these types of scenes in a book. It was jarring and daft, really.

[Sheila (Ann) · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn't enjoy this as much as I thought I was going to. The plot didn't develop much at all, and the ending was fairly predictable and depressing. It felt as though the romantic interest had been shoehorned in as an afterthought to pad out the book, and it just didn't seem likely.

I'd read another by the same author, though, so it wasn't all bad.

[Heidi A · Rating 3 out of 5]

The first 1/3 of the book was a five star story making me want to know how they’d get the killer and what was going to happen. Then it was still good but kinda puttered out for me as we went down different roads with other characters and back story. Good read wish it could have ended as strongly as it started out.

[Melissa ✨ · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book wasn't one of my favourites, the storyline was well set out but it was a bit too long winded and didn't really seem to keep me on the edge of my seat.

[Gavin L · Rating 2 out of 5]

Poorly crafted, stilted prose and a weak storyline. Very disappointing ☹️

[Sarah · Rating 2 out of 5]

This has the same ISBN no. as the edition I have but cannot be the same a my first published date is 2003 (as opposed to 2005) ...Oh well, i will get over it i suppose! the thing is I loves the cover of this dition so much I actually got it twice without realising so THE GRAPHICS ARE VITAL....and appeal to my artistic sensibilities. The copy I have is a William Heinemann Publication...Random House. The cover image of tree and sky is by Nicholas Payloff/photonica.

Note to self...double -jeopardy...
Also written: The Cruelty of Morning/A Fancy to Kill For? A Passion so Deadly/For Death Comes Softly? A Deep Deceit/ A Kind of Wild Justice/ A Moment of Madness

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

When the Dead Cry Out is an interesting suspense novel. I enjoyed the story. I especially liked the "flash back" into the main character's, Karen Meadow, childhood.

In order to fully enjoy, you have to take the police procedures with a grain of salt. Overall, a thoroughly enjoyable thriller, with a non-traditional romantic twist.

[scherzo♫ · Rating 2 out of 5]

Show, don't tell ... but this is all telling, belabored and repetitive telling with a weird reverse double standard where it's understandable for women to bed married men but despicable for men to be womanizers.

[Jennifer · Rating 2 out of 5]

Sigh. I just didn't think this was very good. The story is a police procedural -- dead body found, seems to be related to a case of a missing woman, is the husband to blame? But the police work is so shoddy and unbelievable here that it didn't work as the fun distraction I wanted.

[Chiny · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was a great book. And a true story at that. I kinda guessed the ending though, but other than that, the story itself was good.

[Armi · Rating 4 out of 5]

quite sad ending...

[Peter Hunter · Rating 2 out of 5]

I left it on a plane as it wasn't worth reading more than once

[Lisa · Rating 2 out of 5]

I will let you know when I have finished it,

[Michelle Burkhart]

good read

[Dawn Dawson]

This was my second Hilary Bonner Book,and i wasent dissapointed,very good plot and story

[Catsalive · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars - Just OK. Didn't feel much for the characters.

[JenniferB · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well written, but involves a "hard nosed" detective.

[Lisa Hoekje · Rating 2 out of 5]

meh