Molly is missing and Connell wants to know where she is. The opening chapter of this novel is enough to tell us this is no ordinary case and Connell is no ordinary investigator. The parents are out of town and a pot-smoking teen is left holding the fort. As Connell investigates a child’s room, he finds an abundance of books, dirty bed linen and no light bulb. For a child afraid of the dark, something just doesn’t add up.
Molly Brown is not your average kid. She’s a bookworm, living in a fantasy world. Her appearance only alienates her from her peers, dollar store spectacles and ears that stick out like handles. There is a sense of dread and urgency in these opening scenes and I can’t help wondering why the cops aren’t out there sniffing the streets with cadaver dogs and a few compassionate neighbors.
The prose is crisp, transporting a reader through half the book in no time! But don’t go too fast. There are a myriad of details, clues and senses to enjoy, and characters to become attached to. Already we ‘feel’ for Connell, a persistent bulldog who knows instinctively when something’s wrong. And we feel for Molly who may have seen more than Lydia is letting on. Morton has a great way of making us see her characters through their eyes, a skill not many authors can boast.
I gave this book five stars for the suspense and the clever twists. I will definitely be looking out for more books by this author.