Synopses & Reviews
Synopsis
An intricate crime novel featuring an utterly compelling detective whose own family is rocked by an explosive murder case from the acclaimed author ofMissing, Presumed"
Synopsis
In this brilliant crime novel from the author of Missing, Presumed, a complicated detective investigates her most personal case yet: a high-profile murder in which those she loves most become suspects.
Detective Manon Bradshaw is five months pregnant and has officially given up on finding romantic love. Instead, she is in hot pursuit of work-life balance and parked in a cold case corridor--the price she's had to pay for a transfer back to Cambridgeshire. This is fine, she tells herself. She can devote herself to bringing up her two children: her adopted twelve-year-old son, Fly Dent, and the new baby. Fly needed a fresh start--he was always being stopped and searched in London by officers who couldn't see past the color of his skin. Manon feared that Fly, increasingly sullen and adolescent, was getting in with the wrong crowd at school, or that possibly he was the wrong crowd. Being home by five, for the sake of her children, is what Manon tells herself she needs.
Yet when a wealthy businessman is found stabbed close to police headquarters, Manon can't help but sidle in on the briefing: The victim is a banker from London, worth millions. More dramatically, he was once in a relationship with Manon's sister, Ellie, and is the father of Ellie's toddler son.
The case begins to circle in on Manon's home and her family. She finds herself pitted against the colleagues she once held dear: Davy Walker and Harriet Harper.
Can Manon separate what she knows about the people she loves from the suspicion hanging over them? Can she investigate the evidence, just as she would with any other case? With every fiber of her being, Manon must fight to find the truth.
From the acclaimed author of Missing, Presumed, Persons Unknown turns on the secrets between loved ones--how little we know them, and how much they can hurt us.
Praise for Susie Steiner's Missing, Presumed
Named one of the ten best mysteries of the year by The Wall Street Journal
"Smart, stylish . . . Manon Bradshaw] is portrayed with an irresistible blend of sympathy and snark."--The New York Times Book Review
"Surprise-filled . . . one of the most ambitious police procedurals of the year. Detective Bradshaw's biting wit is a bonus."--The Wall Street Journal
"Dazzling . . . 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."--Joseph Finder, author of The Fixer
"You might come to Missing, Presumed for the police procedural; you'll stay for the layered, authentic characters that Steiner brings to life."--NPR
"Nuanced suspense that's perfect for Kate Atkinson fans."--People
"Missing, Presumed has future BBC miniseries written all over it."--Redbook
Synopsis
In this brilliant crime novel from the author of Missing, Presumed, a detective investigates her most personal case yet: a high-profile murder in which her own family falls under suspicion. As dusk falls, a young man staggers through a park, far from home, bleeding from a stab wound. He dies where he falls, cradled by a stranger, a woman's name on his lips in his last seconds of life.
Detective Manon Bradshaw handles only cold cases. Five months pregnant, in pursuit of a work-life balance rather than romantic love, she's focused on being a good mother to her two children: her adopted twelve-year-old son, Fly Dent, and the new baby.
But the man died just yards from the police station where she works, so Manon can't help taking an interest. And as she sidles in on the briefing she learns that the victim, a banker from London worth millions, is more closely linked to her than she could have imagined. When the case begins to circle in on Manon's home and her family, she finds herself pitted against the colleagues she once held dear: Davy Walker and Harriet Harper.
Can Manon separate what she knows about the people she loves from the suspicion hanging over them? Can she investigate the evidence just as she would with any other case? Persons Unknown shows acclaimed author Susie Steiner writing her most intricate, suspenseful novel yet.
Advance praise for Persons Unknown
" Steiner] has created a masterful mystery within an engaging narrative perfect for Kate Atkinson fans. Readers will be astonished by the unexpected turns at the conclusion, which will leave fans eagerly awaiting the next book. This series needs to be snapped up by the BBC or PBS."--Booklist (starred review)
"Steiner grapples with serious social justice issues in a darkly humorous crime novel not to be missed."--Publishers Weekly (starred review)
"Strikes all the right notes--layered mystery, incisive cultural context, and a delightful protagonist who deserves a place alongside other beloved literary detectives."--Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
"Susie Steiner goes from strength to strength: Persons Unknown is by turns tense and tender, gripping and moving, and always beautifully written. I didn't read this book so much as live it: DI Manon Bradshaw is so convincingly human that I often wonder what she's up to now."--Erin Kelly, author of He Said/She Said
"Missing, Presumed was one of the best crime novels I've read in years--Persons Unknown is even better. Susie Steiner writes so brilliantly, creating characters who take possession of your mind and your heart. This is a compelling, gripping novel, a superb continuation of a series that is taking crime fiction into new and exciting territory."--Jane Casey, author of Let the Dead Speak
"The best new crime series in years"--Sarah Perry, author of The Essex Serpent
"Superb storytelling--a joy to read. I am hooked on Manon Bradshaw."--Renee Knight, author of Disclaimer
"Stylish, literary fiction at its very best."--Peter James, author of the international bestselling Roy Grace crime series