by Marie Tierney
SYNOPSIS
Thirteen-year-old Ava Bonney possesses an unusual intellect far beyond her years. While her friends play, Ava's fascination lies in the intricate process of animal decomposition, studying roadkill found in the streets around her home.
But, one night, Ava's secret nocturnal routine takes a chilling turn when she stumbles upon the lifeless body of fellow schoolmate, Mickey Grant.
As Detective Seth Delahaye takes charge of the perplexing case, Ava refuses to sit idle. Determined and resourceful, she embarks on a daring quest to unveil the truth behind the string of chilling deaths plaguing her community.
Armed with her unique skills and unrivalled local knowledge, Ava becomes an unlikely force in the race to apprehend the elusive killer before more lives are claimed.
REVIEW
Ava sees the world differently and reading about the world through her eyes gives us a totally unique experience. She is very intelligent and is obsessed with death and bones and decomposition. She collects roadkill to study it, draw the various stages of decay and then respectfully bury her subjects. In a way, it put me in mind of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time but in a darker, more adult setting.
When local teenager Mickey is found murdered, it’s Ava who brings the most useful evidence forward to the Police. Her unusual mind and thought processes actually make her a very successful detective and the lead investigator on the case - Detective Seth Delahaye - seems to recognise this skill in Ava, deciding to utilise her in his hunt to find the killer.
I was so impressed with this debut. While the story and style felt completely fresh and modern, the 1980's setting gave it a nostalgic feel at the same time. The writing is beautiful and bizarre, it has such a distinctive quality to it and, when combined with Ava's character, it really resonates emotionally with you as you read. As a mother, I can tell you that there were parts of this story that were just horrifying and one particular scene even gave me chills. It's been a long time since a book gave me quite this much of a physical response, it truly is a stand-out piece of writing.
Thanks to Compulsive Readers - @Tr4cyF3nton, Marie Tierney and Zaffre Books - @ZaffreBooks for the opportunity to read and review.
Publisher: Zaffre Genre: Psychological Thriller / Crime Thriller
ISBN: 978-1804181874
Pages: 400pp