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The Finder Mysteries #3
The Woman Who Laughed
In the first months of 2020 there was a spate of murders of Black sex workers in northern cities. One of them was Ella Bailey, last seen talking to a punter in an alley in Sheffield city centre, and although no trace of her was ever found, the punter, Michael Godley, soon confessed to all three murders.
Five years later, as another sex worker is murdered in the same district, the bag Ella had been carrying with her reappears, hanging on the door handles of a café, and a local vagrant claims to have seen Ella sitting on a bench in a churchyard near the site of the murder. South Yorkshire Police call in the Finder.
So begins a search that takes him back to the strange days of the pandemic, to talk to those who knew Ella best, such as her wayward girlfriend 'Loz', abusive boyfriend Caine Poynton-Smith and respectable foster-parents still struggling to come to terms with Ella's life. How did their intelligent, strong-willed daughter - bright student and national schoolgirl athletics champion - end up in that alley?
Is Ella really still alive? If so, why has she reappeared now? And does she realise the danger she is in?
Five years later, as another sex worker is murdered in the same district, the bag Ella had been carrying with her reappears, hanging on the door handles of a café, and a local vagrant claims to have seen Ella sitting on a bench in a churchyard near the site of the murder. South Yorkshire Police call in the Finder.
So begins a search that takes him back to the strange days of the pandemic, to talk to those who knew Ella best, such as her wayward girlfriend 'Loz', abusive boyfriend Caine Poynton-Smith and respectable foster-parents still struggling to come to terms with Ella's life. How did their intelligent, strong-willed daughter - bright student and national schoolgirl athletics champion - end up in that alley?
Is Ella really still alive? If so, why has she reappeared now? And does she realise the danger she is in?
205 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 5, 2025
42 people are currently reading
101 people want to read
About the author
Simon Mason
57 books242 followersSimon Mason was born in Sheffield, Yorkshire, on 5 February 1962. He was educated at local schools and studied English at Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford. He splits his time between writing at home and a part-time editorial position with David Fickling Books, an imprint of Random House and publisher of his 2011 children's novel, Moon Pie.
He is the author of the Quigleys series for young readers: The Quigleys (Highly Commended in the UK's Branford Boase Award), The Quigleys at Large, The Quigleys Not for Sale, and The Quigleys in a Spin. He has also written three adult novels.
Simon lives in Oxford with his wife and two children.
He is the author of the Quigleys series for young readers: The Quigleys (Highly Commended in the UK's Branford Boase Award), The Quigleys at Large, The Quigleys Not for Sale, and The Quigleys in a Spin. He has also written three adult novels.
Simon lives in Oxford with his wife and two children.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews
May 3, 2025
Simon Mason has become my new go to mystery and crime writer. All his books are well crafted and put together whether it be the Wilkins Oxford series or the Finder Mysteries. He certainly knows how to write captivate his readers.
In this book the Finder is brought in by the Yorkshire police when a current case and a 5 year old possible murder or disappearance come together.
Ella was presumed murdered in 2020 although her body was never found but when her handbag reappears and there is a possible sighting the Finder is asked to investigate. This coincides with the present day murder of a prostitute and as the Finder gradually pieces together the clues it becomes clear there is a connection.
The Finder is a real loner and this instalment of his story explains why and the sad reason that he has no family or commitments is explored.
I also like the way the author introduces a classic novel in each book in this series-in this instance Jane Austen’s Persuasion, and ties it in with developments in characters and plot.
The Woman Who Laughed is told completely from the point of view of Talib as he gradually reasons out what he should do to solve the mystery and find the missing person.
It is a a gripping and compelling story with several twists before the denouement and end revelations..
I’m definitely looking forward to reading more about the Finder in the future. His factual way of describing what is happening makes for a very interesting style and helps to build up the tension.
Recommended as a five star read and suggest you read some of Simon Mason’s other books as well as thy are all equally as gripping.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for my advance copy.
In this book the Finder is brought in by the Yorkshire police when a current case and a 5 year old possible murder or disappearance come together.
Ella was presumed murdered in 2020 although her body was never found but when her handbag reappears and there is a possible sighting the Finder is asked to investigate. This coincides with the present day murder of a prostitute and as the Finder gradually pieces together the clues it becomes clear there is a connection.
The Finder is a real loner and this instalment of his story explains why and the sad reason that he has no family or commitments is explored.
I also like the way the author introduces a classic novel in each book in this series-in this instance Jane Austen’s Persuasion, and ties it in with developments in characters and plot.
The Woman Who Laughed is told completely from the point of view of Talib as he gradually reasons out what he should do to solve the mystery and find the missing person.
It is a a gripping and compelling story with several twists before the denouement and end revelations..
I’m definitely looking forward to reading more about the Finder in the future. His factual way of describing what is happening makes for a very interesting style and helps to build up the tension.
Recommended as a five star read and suggest you read some of Simon Mason’s other books as well as thy are all equally as gripping.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for my advance copy.
August 30, 2025
Really enjoying this series written in the 1st person. The finder is contracted by the police to find a missing person. Always packs an Austen book - for this case 'Persuasion'. Hand sized 200 pages, dispassionate, a palate cleanser between other reads.
August 1, 2025
Haunting
August 9, 2025
Easy read mystery.
April 29, 2025
The Finder, a former police detective called Talib, is hired by the British police authorities when they have difficult missing person cases that they want reviewed. In the process he has become a respected specialist in finding missing people.
In The Woman Who Laughed, the South Yorkshire Police bring in the Finder when an old missing person case and a more recent murder collide.
In the first months of 2020 there was a spate of murders of black sex workers in northern cities. One of them was Ella Bailey, last seen talking to a man in an alley in Sheffield’s city centre, and although no trace of her was ever found, the punter, Michael Godley, soon confessed to all three murders.
Five years later, as another sex worker is murdered in the same district, the bag Ella had been carrying with her when she went missing reappears, hanging on the door handles of a café. A local vagrant also claims to have seen Ella sitting on a bench in a churchyard near the site of the murder. The Finder is given the difficult task of finding out if there is any link. His search takes him back to the strange days of the pandemic, to talk to those who knew Ella best, such as her wayward girlfriend ‘Loz’, abusive boyfriend Caine Poynton-Smith and her respectable foster-parents still struggling to come to terms with Ella’s life choices and death.
Bit by bit, the Finder pieces together what happened to Ella by carefully interviewing those originally involved in her supposed murder. The plot unfolds at a smooth pace and although there is not much action it always holds interest. Mason carefully brings a diverse cast of characters vividly to life through their words and the backdrop of the more unsavoury parts of Sheffield is nicely evoked. We are also given brief glimpses into the Finder’s background and what happened to him
As with all good crime stories, there are the requisite twists and turns, and the ending produces some well-crafted surprises. The narration is in the form of a report by the Finder on what happened and initially seems a little flat, but as the book progresses it becomes more engaging, and the final pages fly along.
I really enjoyed this low key mystery and thoroughly recommend it.
See the full review at: https://murdermayhemandlongdogs.com/s...
In The Woman Who Laughed, the South Yorkshire Police bring in the Finder when an old missing person case and a more recent murder collide.
In the first months of 2020 there was a spate of murders of black sex workers in northern cities. One of them was Ella Bailey, last seen talking to a man in an alley in Sheffield’s city centre, and although no trace of her was ever found, the punter, Michael Godley, soon confessed to all three murders.
Five years later, as another sex worker is murdered in the same district, the bag Ella had been carrying with her when she went missing reappears, hanging on the door handles of a café. A local vagrant also claims to have seen Ella sitting on a bench in a churchyard near the site of the murder. The Finder is given the difficult task of finding out if there is any link. His search takes him back to the strange days of the pandemic, to talk to those who knew Ella best, such as her wayward girlfriend ‘Loz’, abusive boyfriend Caine Poynton-Smith and her respectable foster-parents still struggling to come to terms with Ella’s life choices and death.
Bit by bit, the Finder pieces together what happened to Ella by carefully interviewing those originally involved in her supposed murder. The plot unfolds at a smooth pace and although there is not much action it always holds interest. Mason carefully brings a diverse cast of characters vividly to life through their words and the backdrop of the more unsavoury parts of Sheffield is nicely evoked. We are also given brief glimpses into the Finder’s background and what happened to him
As with all good crime stories, there are the requisite twists and turns, and the ending produces some well-crafted surprises. The narration is in the form of a report by the Finder on what happened and initially seems a little flat, but as the book progresses it becomes more engaging, and the final pages fly along.
I really enjoyed this low key mystery and thoroughly recommend it.
See the full review at: https://murdermayhemandlongdogs.com/s...
March 19, 2025
Simon Mason is onto a winner in his Finder series of which this is the third and best.
The format remains the same - The Finder is employed by a local police force to discover the whereabouts of a missing g person and he ranges far and wide to attempt to do so whilst finding parallels between the situation he’s investigating and some of the classic novels.
He is thorough, dedicated and relentless. He has the gift to make witnesses open up and really talk to him as well as giving the analytical powers of deduction to sift the clues and evidence.
This case is set in Sheffield which comes alive in the hands of Ann excellent writer and Mason paints a bleak but accurate picture of the Demi monde and the dangers of life as a sex worker.
There are no winners in this book but it’s a captivating read.
The format remains the same - The Finder is employed by a local police force to discover the whereabouts of a missing g person and he ranges far and wide to attempt to do so whilst finding parallels between the situation he’s investigating and some of the classic novels.
He is thorough, dedicated and relentless. He has the gift to make witnesses open up and really talk to him as well as giving the analytical powers of deduction to sift the clues and evidence.
This case is set in Sheffield which comes alive in the hands of Ann excellent writer and Mason paints a bleak but accurate picture of the Demi monde and the dangers of life as a sex worker.
There are no winners in this book but it’s a captivating read.
June 7, 2025
3.5* rounded up.
I love these books for the character and narrative voice of the Finder. The reported speech and 'telling not showing' style is also distinctive.
Here the plot started off intriguingly: sex worker Ella was thought 5 years ago to have been the third victim of a serial killer who has since died in prison. Now however her bag is found outside a cafe and a homeless man claims he has seen her sitting on a bench. The Finder is asked to look into this, and at the same time the police are investigating the murder of another sex worker. This is well-plotted and logical, but there was a lot to keep on top of: what happened 5 years ago, what is happening now, the fact that everyone connected to Ella lies to the police and the Finder. I thought for a while the ending was going to be a bit underwhelming, but then it wasn't.
I love these books for the character and narrative voice of the Finder. The reported speech and 'telling not showing' style is also distinctive.
Here the plot started off intriguingly: sex worker Ella was thought 5 years ago to have been the third victim of a serial killer who has since died in prison. Now however her bag is found outside a cafe and a homeless man claims he has seen her sitting on a bench. The Finder is asked to look into this, and at the same time the police are investigating the murder of another sex worker. This is well-plotted and logical, but there was a lot to keep on top of: what happened 5 years ago, what is happening now, the fact that everyone connected to Ella lies to the police and the Finder. I thought for a while the ending was going to be a bit underwhelming, but then it wasn't.
June 15, 2025
Five years ago a killer stalked prostitutes in South Yorkshire and a man was convicted. However now one of the victims' bags has been found and, as a body was never found, the case reopened. For Talib, the Finder, this is another case taking him to a city he does not know. As The Finder explores the dirty heart of the sex trade he looks for the women, the real victims.
I really love the Finder series of short novels which offer such a contrast to Mason's other series of books set in Oxford. These shorter novellas are dark and written in a very dispassionate tone which really suits the subject matter. Here the story is one of a woman who rights wrongs despite her own troubles and it is incredibly sad. The links to the novel that Talib is reading seem odd but then make complete sense as the plot unfolds. A wonderfully gentle read despite the subject material
I really love the Finder series of short novels which offer such a contrast to Mason's other series of books set in Oxford. These shorter novellas are dark and written in a very dispassionate tone which really suits the subject matter. Here the story is one of a woman who rights wrongs despite her own troubles and it is incredibly sad. The links to the novel that Talib is reading seem odd but then make complete sense as the plot unfolds. A wonderfully gentle read despite the subject material
May 17, 2025
Coming to the Finder series, after enjoying Simon Mason’s Oxford detective series, was a little bit of a let down for me. I didn’t find his characters had enough substance to lift them off the page. I would have liked to have had a bit more character development. This story is told without the usual array of drama and thrills common to many crime writers and so may not appeal to readers looking for a bit of adrenaline in their crime fiction. That being said, there is a good, well plotted crime story here, and Finder’s intelligence, determination and perseverance are to be admired. I'd give it 3 1/2 stars.
My thanks to Quercus and Netgalley for an advance review copy.
My thanks to Quercus and Netgalley for an advance review copy.
July 9, 2025
The Woman Who Laughed follows the 'Finder', an Iraqi man named Talib, who works with the police to try and locate missing people. It's the third in the series but I haven't read the previous two (I want to now, though!) and it doesn't matter as each case is a self-contained story.
The Finder is called to Sheffield to investigate why now, five years after her disappearance and presumed murder, the bag belonging to sex worker, Ella Bailey, has suddenly turned up, hanging on the doorway of a café. The journey to the truth takes the Finder on a twisting and turning search of the streets of Sheffield and Chesterfield.
Sense of place is incredibly strong in this book. Being from Sheffield, that really appealed to me and made it all the more interesting as I could imagine the neighbourhoods that the Finder was visiting. The book itself is not a long one at 224 pages but it kept me engrossed and threw quite a few red herrings into the mix.
I thought The Woman Who Laughed was a really great read. It's suspenseful, dark and mysterious and the determination of the Finder to learn the truth comes through in his every word, as the whole story is told in his own narrative alongside his reading of a classic novel, in this case Jane Austen's Persuasion. A highly enjoyable, pared back read with an enigmatic protagonist.
The Finder is called to Sheffield to investigate why now, five years after her disappearance and presumed murder, the bag belonging to sex worker, Ella Bailey, has suddenly turned up, hanging on the doorway of a café. The journey to the truth takes the Finder on a twisting and turning search of the streets of Sheffield and Chesterfield.
Sense of place is incredibly strong in this book. Being from Sheffield, that really appealed to me and made it all the more interesting as I could imagine the neighbourhoods that the Finder was visiting. The book itself is not a long one at 224 pages but it kept me engrossed and threw quite a few red herrings into the mix.
I thought The Woman Who Laughed was a really great read. It's suspenseful, dark and mysterious and the determination of the Finder to learn the truth comes through in his every word, as the whole story is told in his own narrative alongside his reading of a classic novel, in this case Jane Austen's Persuasion. A highly enjoyable, pared back read with an enigmatic protagonist.
August 12, 2025
The Woman Who Laughed is a compact but gripping mystery that hooks you from the first page. Simon Mason’s storytelling is lean yet layered, with an investigator who’s as compelling as the case itself. The pacing is tight, the atmosphere rich, and the characters feel fully real without slowing down the plot.
I loved how the story kept me curious without giving too much away every chapter adds just enough intrigue to keep you turning the pages. At just around 200 pages, it’s the kind of book you can read in a weekend, but it lingers in your mind long after.
Perfect for fans of intelligent, well-crafted mysteries that balance plot, character, and mood.
I loved how the story kept me curious without giving too much away every chapter adds just enough intrigue to keep you turning the pages. At just around 200 pages, it’s the kind of book you can read in a weekend, but it lingers in your mind long after.
Perfect for fans of intelligent, well-crafted mysteries that balance plot, character, and mood.
March 26, 2025
The Finder mysteries are a sort of "no I inhale them" as they're page turner I can't put down.
This is the best in this series, the most emotionally charged and with a sorrowful undertones as the Finder face his past and the life of street sex-worker
I felt for him and the girls, was eager to know how thinks were, moved by the grief.
A book I loved and I had to end as fast as I could as I wanted to know
A great story I thoroughly enjoyed
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine
This is the best in this series, the most emotionally charged and with a sorrowful undertones as the Finder face his past and the life of street sex-worker
I felt for him and the girls, was eager to know how thinks were, moved by the grief.
A book I loved and I had to end as fast as I could as I wanted to know
A great story I thoroughly enjoyed
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine
May 7, 2025
A slow paced but excellently written novel, The Woman Who Laughed is another gripping instalment in the Finder mysteries.
I loved the unreliable characters/witnesses and The Finder - Talib - is as relentless and dedicated as always in getting answers.
I also enjoy how The Finder always carries a book which he somehow weaves into the ongoing narrative. This adds depth and nuance to the story.
Highly recommended.
Thanks to Quercus Books | riverrun and NetGalley for the ARC.
I loved the unreliable characters/witnesses and The Finder - Talib - is as relentless and dedicated as always in getting answers.
I also enjoy how The Finder always carries a book which he somehow weaves into the ongoing narrative. This adds depth and nuance to the story.
Highly recommended.
Thanks to Quercus Books | riverrun and NetGalley for the ARC.
June 5, 2025
Talib known as the Finder is called into help the local police in Sheffield to investigate the disappearance of Ella Bailey in March 2020 after a few women have been killed in the city. Five years later, after a woman is found dead, Ella's bag is discovered hanging nearby. The finder goes on a journey through the red light areas and talks with people as he tries to discover the mystery of Ella! All the sub plots come together to an unforgettable conclusion.
June 9, 2025
Smart, Smarter, Smartest Book
I think this is something that would make an outstanding, smart series. Talib’s Iraqi background, his choices of interviews, his actual interviews, the meetings with the police liaisons, and his focus on a detail or two that no one else really values. These stories are so unique yet perfectly believable. Best character development I’ve read in years and I’ve read a ton!!!
I think this is something that would make an outstanding, smart series. Talib’s Iraqi background, his choices of interviews, his actual interviews, the meetings with the police liaisons, and his focus on a detail or two that no one else really values. These stories are so unique yet perfectly believable. Best character development I’ve read in years and I’ve read a ton!!!
June 10, 2025
Men are afraid that women will laugh at them. Women are afraid that men will kill them.
Margaret Atwood
This ended up being really good! At first I thought it was kind of slow, but I kept reading/listening to it and it was good!! I’ve read all three of them. I love his other books about the two detectives with the same last name. The Wilkins! Those are TERRIFIC!! Simon Mason is a great writer!
Margaret Atwood
This ended up being really good! At first I thought it was kind of slow, but I kept reading/listening to it and it was good!! I’ve read all three of them. I love his other books about the two detectives with the same last name. The Wilkins! Those are TERRIFIC!! Simon Mason is a great writer!
June 10, 2025
Men are afraid that women will laugh at them. Women are afraid that men will kill them.
Margaret Atwood
This ended up being really good! At first I thought it was kind of slow, but I kept reading/listening to it and it was good!! I’ve read all three of them. I love his other books about the two detectives with the same last name. The Wilkins! Those are TERRIFIC!! Simon Mason is a great writer!
Margaret Atwood
This ended up being really good! At first I thought it was kind of slow, but I kept reading/listening to it and it was good!! I’ve read all three of them. I love his other books about the two detectives with the same last name. The Wilkins! Those are TERRIFIC!! Simon Mason is a great writer!
December 13, 2025
“Sometimes, I added, in the process it’s possible to find something you weren’t looking for.”
A ‘finder’ is called in to find a missing person, presumed dead 5 years before but who may be alive.
Whilst the Argentinian novel I read recently had full scale unmarked dialogue, so this novel has no speech marks either. Not that it doesn’t work - it’s a stylistic choice I guess- but sometimes it just needs breaking up and something different offered.
That said, intriguing story.
A ‘finder’ is called in to find a missing person, presumed dead 5 years before but who may be alive.
Whilst the Argentinian novel I read recently had full scale unmarked dialogue, so this novel has no speech marks either. Not that it doesn’t work - it’s a stylistic choice I guess- but sometimes it just needs breaking up and something different offered.
That said, intriguing story.
July 4, 2025
Fantastic murder mystery
A book that keeps you guessing by playing on your own expectations. I knew what was going on several times throughout the book and, at the end, I was completely wrong.
A book that keeps you guessing by playing on your own expectations. I knew what was going on several times throughout the book and, at the end, I was completely wrong.
July 18, 2025
With this Finder series, Mason may well have invented a new sub-genre of mystery. The central problem is not the identity of the villain but the reason for the disappearance of the victim, and their ultimate fate. In all three cases (so far) the missing person, though assumed to be dead, is alive and well. The mystery is why they permitted or even encouraged the assumption; the denouement is brought about by their unmasking.
The way Mason resolves the mystery is both persuasive and fascinating. He provides a significant hint in the form of a book the Finder is reading as he unravels the case. In this installment it is Jane Austen's Persuasion. The idea is that a central theme of the fictional work is mirrored in the case.
As in the previous books, Mason's writing is literary: spare, imaginative and evocative. The Finder narrates the story, and I suspect that one of Mason's reasons for making him an educated Iranian who first lived in France before finally moving to England is to make his voice more formal and elevated.
Perhaps Mason will eventually rival the achievement of Georges Simenon, whose Maigret stories seem to be the model of this Finder series. In any case, I look forward to future installments.
The way Mason resolves the mystery is both persuasive and fascinating. He provides a significant hint in the form of a book the Finder is reading as he unravels the case. In this installment it is Jane Austen's Persuasion. The idea is that a central theme of the fictional work is mirrored in the case.
As in the previous books, Mason's writing is literary: spare, imaginative and evocative. The Finder narrates the story, and I suspect that one of Mason's reasons for making him an educated Iranian who first lived in France before finally moving to England is to make his voice more formal and elevated.
Perhaps Mason will eventually rival the achievement of Georges Simenon, whose Maigret stories seem to be the model of this Finder series. In any case, I look forward to future installments.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 23, 2025
Another excellent storyline from Simon Mason with enough detail to bring the characters to life. There are plenty of completely plausible twists and turns to lead you to the wrong conclusions all the way through. l very much look forward to the next book.
May 14, 2025
Really enjoyable mystery with a couple of neat twists.
June 7, 2025
Simon Mason is so reliably good. I'm gonna re-read the first two Finders this weekend.
June 9, 2025
Not as compelling as the first two in the series; the missing person case is pretty perfunctory and solved by accident (cctv footage).
June 29, 2025
Simon Mason's books just get better, an excellent read
July 17, 2025
I enjoyed the tone of this book and the narrative voice of the main character.
December 6, 2025
Fast-paced fun. Liked economy of language.
December 18, 2025
Decent, easy read mystery novel. I don't love that the author's use of punctuation, like speech marks to indicate dialogue, is inconsistent. This made it slightly less easy to follow.
November 16, 2025
This was more intricately plotted than the previous entries and I enjoyed it a tiny bit less but it’s still one of the best series of the moment. Love the unusual reported speech style.
December 12, 2025
I am loving these books. Intricate plot, deliberately lowkey narrator, contemporary Britain. So good.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews