Forgotten Voices

Retired actress Rina Martin can’t understand why someone would kill Ellen Taylor and leave her body for her children to find. She approaches her friend on the force, Mac, for insight, but he can’t provide any answers. There appears to be no real motive and the best suspect, an abusive ex boyfriend, has an alibi. True, Ellen didn’t like her mother-in-law, but who does? People don’t usually kill over it. The investigation is at a stand still until a second murder is committed. Are the two cases linked? The answer to that question will blow the case wide open. A tidy little mystery enlivened by Rina Martin’s character. I’d like to have lunch with her!

Why would anyone want to kill Ellen? She was a widow, had two children, and was washing dishes when someone she knew came up to the window in the back and shot her to death with a shotgun. Who could have hated her that much?

Severn House and Net Galley allowed me to read this book for review (thank you). It will be published October 1st, so make a note on your TBR list.

The core of this story is related to past family history. You have a half mad matriarch, a desire to keep old secrets hidden, and a huge sense of entitlement of the land by family ties. There are enough other strange characters in this small town to muddy up the story. No one is quite what they seem. There's another victim before the story is over. And Rina, a woman with a bed and breakfast no one leaves after they move in, is the one who has to filter through all the facts and lies to find the truth.

I wasn't sure who the killer was which was a nice touch. Most times I have an idea. I couldn't believe how many vindictive old ladies there were in this story. This is set across the pond so I learned some new things about English history. The pace of the story was a bit slow but you almost needed that to put the appropriate facts together. It isn't until the very end the murderers are uncovered and neither of the deaths was necessary. The motives for the deaths was different. All in all, it was a good analytical study of death for greed or secrecy. I'm just glad I don't live in that village.