December 2020 Value Read - Never Came Home, by Gretta Mulrooney

[Bill]

Quite enjoying this story.

[Bill]

‘He had an obstinate verruca.’

Thought this might be a South American beast.

[Bill]

I am sorry for nominating this one. One of my rules is that the author must not withhold essential information from the readers. Here we are told: "A car behind him slowed and he heard the purr of a window opening and a voice. ‘Is that you, Tim?’ He turned, alert and ready to bolt, and peered through the dusk. He’d had enough run-ins with people over the years to get nervous when approached. He made out a smiling, familiar face, and he relaxed." We are not told the name of the driver, although obviously Tim (who later suffers GBH) obviously recognises this character, who of course turns out to be the villain. Early in the book the villain has an alibi, but at the end we finally discover the character who was supposed to supply the alibi was suffering dementia. As this is a cold case, surely even a cursory investigation would have blown up the alibi long ago. Hope my next recommendation is better.