Without a Trace by Lesley Pearse

Without a Trace by Lesley Pearse
Buy Without a Trace by Lesley Pearse at Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com
Category: General Fiction
Reviewer: Louise Jones
Summary: A young woman decides to investigate the dissapearance of a young girl: an ideal holiday read.
Buy? yes	Borrow? yes
Pages: 416	Date: August 2015
Publisher: Penguin
External links: [www.lesleypearse.com Author's website]
ISBN: 9780241961537
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Cassie's arrival was bound to cause a stir in the sleepy Somerset village of Sawbridge. She had flaming red hair, a voluptuous figure accentuated by very tight clothing, towering heels, heavy make-up and no wedding ring. But the thing that really shocked the locals was the fact that she had a little mixed-race girl in tow. Petal, as she was called, soon melted the hearts of the residents, but no such courtesy was extended to Cassie, who was dubbed that red-headed whore by some. Her only friend was the kind shopkeeper Molly Heywood, who would often visit Cassie and Petal at their isolated stone cottage on the outskirts of the village.

On Coronation day, 1953, Molly's world is turned upside down. When Cassie and Petal are late for the village party, Molly goes to investigate and is horrified to discover Cassie's dead body and no trace of little Petal. The police and locals seem to have little interest in the case, so Molly takes it upon herself to investigate the murder and little girl's disappearance. Her search takes her to London, but Molly soon discovers that she is in too deep and her investigations may have put her own life at risk...

Without a Trace is an intriguing mystery story with a strong female protagonist at its heart. Molly is sweet and caring, but also incredibly resourceful and capable. Frustrated by the indifference of the police and locals, she follows a paper trail, uncovering clues about Cassie's life before she came to the village. There are plenty of shocks and twists in store for Molly and she soon discovers that nothing is as it seems.

I loved the contrast between the sweet and innocent Molly and her worldly-wise friend Cassie. Although Cassie is dead, we are drip-fed aspects of her life in order to create a complete picture and she becomes an important character in her own right. Molly also has her fair share of suitors during the course of the story, but has to kiss quite a few toads before she finds her prince! The 1950s setting was well researched, with the little details making all the difference. It really was a different world, with hanging considered an appropriate punishment for murder and homosexuality a crime punishable by a jail term.

The storyline is a little slow in the middle, but picks up pace toward the end, culminating in an exciting and action-packed conclusion as the revelations come thick and fast. Sometimes the story felt a little far-fetched, but there was one particularly superb twist in the plot near the end that I never saw coming and packed a real emotional punch.

Without a Trace is an ideal holiday read, with a great cast of characters and evocative locations. Many thanks to the publishers for my review copy.

New to Lesley Pearse? Why not try Forgive Me, a heart-warming read that is very hard to put down.

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You can read more book reviews or buy Without a Trace by Lesley Pearse at Amazon.co.uk Amazon currently charges £2.99 for standard delivery for orders under £20, over which delivery is free.
You can read more book reviews or buy Without a Trace by Lesley Pearse at Amazon.com.

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