Are you a fan of Halloween? Eight-year-old Kelly Doherty
loved trick or treating with her friends, but twenty-five years ago she went on
her annual Halloween adventure and never returned. Three days later, her body
is found in the reservoir by two of her classmates, twin brothers, Declan and
Niall. The shocking crime rocks Derry and life for the young children in the
area is never quite the same again.
A quarter of a century later, local girl and journalist Ingrid
Devlin is tasked with covering the anniversary of the tragedy and returns to
her hometown to gather information. It soon becomes clear that all is not what
it seems and somebody is trying to frighten Ingrid off to stop her discovering
the real truth behind her young friend’s premature death.
Are the upstanding Doherty family not perhaps what they seem
or are they still being persecuted all these years later? And what about the brothers? Declan and Niall
have gone in completely different directions – one seemingly dealing with
events and becoming an upstanding member of the community whilst the other drifts
aimlessly through life and is perhaps a danger to those around him.
And then there is Jamesy Harte - a bit of an oddball who
liked to make friends with the local children as they walked home from school.
He was found guilty of killing Kelly and served his time. Now back in civilian
life, a free man, he is protesting his innocence. He swears he did not kill
Kelly but is he telling the truth?
This is quite a dark book with lots of twists and turns to
keep you guessing. As Ingrid battles to find the truth, it seems she is putting
her own life in danger because someone is working very hard behind the scenes
to make sure she does not succeed. But who is it? Who can Ingrid trust? Is
anyone what they seem?
I have to say I was guessing right to the end and kept
changing my mind so when the truth was finally revealed, I did have a shock
moment! Suffice to say, I didn’t guess correctly.
I’ve always been a bit unsure of Halloween and trick or
treating, never being a fan of allowing children to knock on doors
unaccompanied in the hopes of being given a treat. It conjures up images of dark frosty nights,
creepy noises and strangers lurking in the shadows – a feeling this book
recreates very well. I found it dark and spooky and although I was willing
Ingrid to discover the truth, I also wanted to warn her to stay well away to
ensure her own safety.
Ingrid is an interesting character – determined to seek out
the truth whatever the cost, putting her life, her job and her relationships at
risk. Whether she is a determined character or a foolish one is left to the
reader to decide. The book also makes you think about potential miscarriages of
justice – people who are blamed for events because they are just that little
bit different: people who don’t quite fit into the community around them and
could potentially become scapegoats for everything bad that happens. We’ve seen
it happen in real life on more than one occasion.
This book raised many questions as I read which got me
thinking on a wide range of topics. Do
we seize the first opportunity to blame someone for a horrific crime just
because they happen to be different? Should we ask more questions than we
actually do? Why does such a horrendous crime affect people in such different
ways? Does the mind blank out useful clues in order to protect us or are we
just imagining things after the event? And was Ingrid right to pursue this
despite opposition to ensure that justice for Kelly prevailed? I suggest you read the book for yourself
and make up your own mind.
A twisty psychological thriller, well-paced, believable but
not always likeable characters and a quest for justice so that a little girl
could be laid to rest in peace and provide closure for her family.
Snuggle down in a safe environment and enjoy.
