- Format: Kindle Edition
- File Size: 1018 KB
- Print Length: 416 pages
- Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers (July 5 2016)
-
Sold by: HarperCollins Publishers CA
- Language: English
- ASIN: B018QMZR24
Book Description
For readers of Kate Atkinson and Tana French comes a
page-turning literary mystery that brings to life the complex and wholly
relatable Manon Bradshaw, a strong-willed detective assigned to a
high-risk missing persons case.
Manon Bradshaw is a
devoted and respected member of the Cambridgeshire police force, and
though she loves her job, what she longs for is a personal life. One
night, after yet another disastrous internet date, she turns on her
police radio to help herself fall asleep, but she soon receives an alert
that sends her to a serious crime scene.
Edith Hind—a beautiful
graduate student and daughter of the Royal Family’s surgeon—has been
missing for nearly twenty-four hours. Her home offers few clues: a
smattering of blood in the kitchen, her keys and phone left behind, the
front door ajar but with no signs of forced entry.
The
investigation starts with Edith’s loved ones: her attentive boyfriend,
her reserved best friend, and her patrician parents. As the search
widens and press coverage reaches a frenzied pitch, secrets begin to
emerge about Edith’s tangled love life and her erratic behavior before
her disappearance. With no clear leads, Manon summons every last bit of
her skill and intuition to close the case, and what she discovers will
have shocking consequences not just for Edith’s family but for Manon
herself.
Suspenseful and keenly observed,
Missing, Presumed is a brilliantly twisting novel of how we seek connection, grant forgiveness, reveal the truth about who we are.
******
Mid-December, and
Cambridgeshire is blanketed with snow. Detective Sergeant Manon Bradshaw
tries to sleep after yet another soul-destroying Internet date – the
low murmuring of her police radio her only solace.
Over the
airwaves come reports of a missing woman – door ajar, keys and phone
left behind, a spatter of blood on the kitchen floor. Manon knows the
first 72 hours are critical: you find her, or you look for a body. And
as soon as she sees a picture of Edith Hind, a Cambridge post-graduate
from a well-connected family, she knows this case will be big.
Is
Edith alive or dead? Was her ‘complex love life’ at the heart of her
disappearance, as a senior officer tells the increasingly hungry press?
And when a body is found, is it the end or only the beginning?
*****
Missing, Presumed is fast-paced, twisty and full of realistic
characters and scenarios. With any luck Detective Bradshaw will be back
in future instalments, since she is a quirky, likable character, capable
of carrying a series. (Vancouver Sun)^[Steiner] gets inside
the minds and lives of her book’s socially disparate personalities with
the grace of a novelist of manners, even as she pulls tight the strands
of one of the most ambitious police procedurals of the year. (The Wall Street Journal)^This novel stands out from the pack. . . . A highly charismatic and engaging story. (Kirkus
(starred review))^A vein of dark humor pulses beneath this compelling
whodunit with an appealing, complicated heroine at its center. (Publishers Weekly)^Where
Steiner excels is in the depth and clarity with which she depicts her
characters. Manon is sad and lonely, estranged from her sister and
something of a misanthrope. But she’s also funny and clever, and
interesting. I defy you not to fall for her. (The Observer
(Thriller of the Month))^Steiner’s engrossing, gripping and wry prose,
beautifully detailed storytelling and the wonderfully drawn DS Manon
Bradshaw elevate this missing person novel into something quite
spectacular and deeply satisfying. (Red Online)^This clever, witty novel
is one of those rare books that marries excellent writing and memorable
characters with an absorbing plot and a startling twist. (Sunday Express)^Susie Steiner knows how to capture the reader’s attention, keep her enthralled and sign off neatly. Missing, Presumed is an excellent crime novel. (Literary Review)^Missing, Presumed
is an extraordinarily assured police procedural in the tradition of
Ruth Rendell and Elizabeth George--the surprises continue to the last
page as Steiner blasts expectations and assumptions to dig deep into
questions of trust, betrayal, class, and family bonds. Dazzling. (Joseph
Finder, New York Times-bestselling author of Paranoia and Company Man)^The
mystery behind Edith Hind’s disappearance is filled to the hilt with
provocative breadcrumbs, making for a page-turning literary crime novel
that is nicely balanced by the all-too-relatable human foibles of lonely
Detective Sergeant Manon Bradshaw. A complex, gripping read! (Suzanne
Rindell, author of The Other Typist and Three-Martini Lunch)^An intriguing mix of light and shade. Missing, Presumed is held in place by DS Manon Bradshaw: a messed-up, big-hearted detective in the best tradition. (Harriet Lane, author of Her and Alys, Always)^Detective Manon Bradshaw is appealing, multi-faceted, and unforgettable. She charges through Missing, Presumed
with twin goals--to find the body, and to find durable love. The
resolution of this gripping novel astonishes and leaves a long
afterglow.” (Amity Gaige, author of Schroder)^Within a chapter,
DS Manon Bradshaw announces herself as a detective to follow through
books and books to come. A treat in store for those who love their crime
fiction rich in psychology, beautifully written and laced with dark
humour. Dive in. (Lucie Whitehouse, author of Before We Met and The Bed I Made)
About the Author
http://www.susiesteiner.co.uk/
Susie grew up in north London, studied English at university and trained
as a journalist. She worked in newspapers for 20 years, 11 of them on
staff at
The Guardian. Her first novel, Homecoming, was
published by Faber & Faber to critical acclaim in 2013. Her second,
Missing, Presumed was a Sunday Times bestseller which introduced
detective Manon Bradshaw. It was a Richard & Judy book club pick and
has sold 200,000 copies to date in the UK. Missing, Presumed was
selected as one of the Guardian’s, Wall Street Journal’s and NPR's
standout books of 2016. It was longlisted for the Theakston's Crime
Novel of the Year. Persons Unknown, the sequel to Missing, Presumed, is
her third novel. She has written extensively about losing her eyesight
to Retinitis Pigmentosa (click the 'journalism' tab for these articles).
She lives in London with her husband and two children and is currently
working on a third Manon Bradshaw mystery.
My Review
Missing, Presumed is the first book in the DS Manon series by Susie Steiner. This is the first book of Steiner's that I have read. I heard a lot about this book last year and was thrilled to pick up a Kindle version for $1.99 on Amazon during a sale.
I am a fan of British mysteries and of police procedurals and really enjoyed Missing, Presumed. DS Manon Bradshaw is a single 39 year old woman whose personal life we follow as well as her professional life. The setting is mid-December in Cambridgeshire. A graduate student, who happens to be the daughter of the Royal Family's doctor, is missing and Manon's team is on the case. Missing, Presumed had quite a few twists and I found the story to be enthralling.
I enjoyed Missing, Presumed and am planning on reading Persons Unknown the second book in the series next. Well written and thoroughly enjoyable, I highly recommend Missing, Presumed.
