Missing, Presumed

I had not previously read Susie Steiner but was reasonably impressed by her writing skills, character development and plotting. Set in the town of Huntingdon, a young woman, Edith Hind, is reported missing by her live-in boyfriend. The Major Investigations Team of the Cambridgeshire police, having previously been criticized for failing to elevate a missing persons case to high risk status until late in the investigation, responds quickly to the limited evidence--broken glassware, some blood, her coat left behind. Their haste is fueled by the fact that Edith's father is the surgeon to the Royal Family and friends with the current Labor Secretary. But nothing is as it appears and the twisty plot will keep you guessing until the end.  Library Journal says "Manon Bradshaw, the complicated, complex, and wholly human British detective at the heart of Steiner's ...new mystery, raises this story from a classic police procedural to something far more engaging." The Guardian concurs: "Susie Steiner has a real knack, sometimes missing in police procedurals, for shading in the throwaway details about a character that turn them from two-dimensional into three."his is the first in a series about DS Bradshaw. Booklist recommends with "This combination of police procedural and an unfolding family drama that continuously twists and turns will work well for fans of Kate Atkinson and Tana French." 

Kirkus concludes their review: "Though it follows all the typical twists and turns of a modern police procedural, this novel stands out from the pack in two significant ways: first of all, in the solution, which reflects a sophisticated commentary on today’s news stories about how prejudices about race and privilege play out in our justice system; and second, in the wounded, compassionate, human character of Manon. Her struggles to define love and family at a time when both are open to interpretation make for a highly charismatic and engaging story. Hopefully, this is just the first adventure of many Steiner will write for DS Bradshaw and her team."