Print Length: 293 pages
Publisher: Harper Collins UK, One More Chapter (January 30, 2024)
From Goodreads.com: A missing girl. An angry mother. A true crime documentary. Ten years ago, Katy, a promising young journalist, left her desk and was never seen again. Someone knows what happened to her… The controlling boyfriend? The inappropriate professor? The clingy colleague? When Katy went missing, it wasn’t just her devastated mother, Grace, whose life was ruined. Now, a new documentary delving into the missing person case threatens to open old wounds. As Grace gets closer to the truth, she discovers just how far people are willing to go to keep the past hidden.
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My Rating: 3 stars out of 5
This was an interesting concept that kept me glued to the pages, although it wasn't without it's flaws, but I am going to dissect it into the three points of view it was told from (starting with what I found the least engaging). With each, I'll explain what I liked about it and (when applicable) what I didn't like about it.
Let's start with the documentary portion first. The idea of everyone who had some sort of involvement in Katy's life (including the three people who had been suspects in her disappearance, and a man claiming to be her father even though Grace was adamant that he was not) being interviewed about that time was interesting. What was more interesting is the way certain individuals seemed to point the finger at everyone else, even framing Katy in a negative light. This angered her mom, which was understandable, but the way she lashed out at people was a bit concerning. In fact, there was a brief moment when I even started to suspect her of having something to do with it. This section was great for throwing plausible explanations as to who might have been involved, and also red herrings of people you otherwise wouldn't have considered up until then (such as Grace, and Katy's former best friend Jo or her husband Tom). It also made you wonder if what they were saying about Katy was true, was it down to some big secret she was keeping?
Another point of view that is peppered into this story is that of Katy herself, talking about the day she went missing. At times, this point of view seemed to be used more as a filler than anything useful, but there were times when certain clues were revealed that would make the reader stop and consider what they think they know from the other chapters. I also found it to be interesting just how everything came to a head that night, and just how clever Katy turned out to be.
The final point of view we get to see (and my personal favorite) was that of Grace's mother. This was the point of view happening in real time, alongside the documentary so we got to see her reactions to that as well as the all consuming grief that still gripped her ten years later. And while I will admit that she sometimes seemed to fly off the handle, directing her anger at people who didn't deserve it, it was also understandable why she acted the way that she did. Sadly, I believe she went about certain things in entirely the wrong way. For example when she found the USB drive, she should have immediately contacted the Detective in charge of her daughters case and turned it over. When she decided to meet a potential source well after midnight, she should have told someone where she was going just in case. But she didn't. In that aspect, her and her daughter were entirely too much alike.
Now let's talk about the ending. I have seen a few people say that it seemed rushed, and I can definitely see where those complaints are coming from, but I think it fit. I was surprised at some of the things that were revealed, a bit sad at others as it did seem like we were robbed of a more satisfying ending where it came to Grace and Katy. However, my biggest complaint is the way the Gold Key thing was brought up, and then left unfinished. Yes, men were being brought to justice, but I feel like we deserved more to tie it all-together. A longer story on how they came to be and what was found out, perhaps at least one or two characters from the story should have been named instead of it all being just "high ranking, powerful people and politicians". Something more than the brief ending that we got. In fact, I would have enjoyed a FOURTH point of view, one of the members of the Golden Key discussing what Katy knew and what Grace (with the help of one of Katy's friends), might uncover.
All in all, this was a satisfying read for me that I think others will enjoy. I would read more from this author.
DISCLAIMER: I received a complimentary copy of this novel from the publisher. This has not affected my review in any way. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this that review are 100% my own.
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