Susie Steiner - Missing, Presumed

Rating: 5/5

Review:
Terrific

Like almost everyone else, I thought Missing, Presumed was terrific. It’s very well written and has quite brilliant characterisation, especially of Manon herself.

The plot isn’t spectacular but is well done, as a young woman goes missing in suspicious circumstances and the Cambridgeshire Police conduct a major investigation – and, joy of joys, the police actually follow procedure in a believable way. It was certainly enough to draw me in and keep me hooked, but the real pleasure of the book is the superb cast of characters and Susie Steiner’s portrayal of the effect of these events on those involved. Manon herself is a wonderful character; normal, human, flawed and wholly believable.

There is wit sometimes and some really good writing, too. I picked out a couple of tiny examples I liked: “The sky is a fragile blue, very far away, and the sunlight harsh and breakable and thin, sending its glassy shards through the windscreen so they both have to pull their visors down.” Or this, in the House Of Commons: “The perpetual dusk of Central Lobby – its octagon reverberating with self-important shoes.” There is also some understated, almost sly, reference to Manon’s love of poetry in places, like the “unruly sun.” I love the intelligence and the human insight of the whole thing.

This series is something special; it is several cuts above the usual police procedural and I can recommend Missing, resumed very warmly indeed.