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You can buy "Love You Gone"...Here
You can find out more about Louise Mullins...Here
Louise Mullins is heavily involved with indie publisher "Dark Edge Press"
which you can find...Here
252 pages
NB "Love You Gone" has previously been published as "The Woman In The Woods"
Reporter, Rachel Harper, begins to investigate the disappearance of a local student. In the hope of redeeming her career, she is determined to find out what happened to Gemma. But beneath the surface of her professional life lies a secret she is too ashamed to confront.
When Gemma's body is discovered in Leigh Woods, Rachel becomes obsessed with finding her killer. But as the list of suspects mount it is clear that someone is following her every lead.
Can Rachel discover what happened on that cold winter night before her own demons catch up with her?
After reading this novel it's seems that Louise Mullins title as the Queen of Domestic Noir is well earned. This is a twisty tale of marital infidelity, middle-class alcoholism and retail addiction and last but not least murder. All this could be be happening in your street. Strong but flawed female characters abound throughout this book
The tale is told from three viewpoints and two timelines, which if you're not careful, can lead to confusion. So make sure you check the headings at the start of each chapter which give the characters' name and date.
The three main character's are Gemma a young student who has recently lost her mother, Lee a teacher who is an ex- alcoholic but has now traded his old addiction for a new one and Rachel who is a barely functioning journalist and heavy drinker. There is a murder early on and we subsequently bounce around different viewpoints trying to ascertain the killer. As we head to the denouement the pace quickens and the last few chapters were a blur of rapid page turning, which is always a good sign.
There were some interesting points in the narrative. There is a serial womaniser/cheater yet he isn't a horrible character. As if society (or the author) isn't passing judgement on him. I don't think I have seen this very often. I suppose in most novels it is frowned upon even if infidelity is technically legal.
Interspersed throughout are press reports written by Rachel (a clever embellishment by the author.) The last one in the book ties up all the loose ends (again a clever idea.) However it didn't quite ring true as a newspaper report, it seemed more akin to an epilogue. I couldn't work out for a while, why that was. Eventually after reading a paper it cam to me. The author uses first names in the report, while the paper I read used last names or full names. Such a small thing, but slightly alters the feel.
Everybody's life in this book is cocked up, it's just some can wing it a bit more than others. These are all broken people, to a more or lesser degree and as such are true to life. Everyone in this book is using some sort of crutch to get by day to day, whether its alcohol, sex, shopping, drugs or just being close to another person. I suppose at the end of the day we are all dependant on someone or something.
Enjoyable read. Does what it says. Twisty domestic noir.
"306,000 people, including children, were reported missing in the UK, which is an average of 838 per day. Thirty- six percent of those are adults and eighty- nine percent of missing people are found or return home within forty- eight hours."
"she will always have work and money. And she needs money. Her drinking career depends on it."
"Little snippets of their conversation the night before beg to be set free from her still murky brain."
"His parents willing participants in the ultimate crime: denial."
"When her mum had grown weaker and her face took on the pale sickness that she remembered her nan wore before she passed away, Gemma tried to pretend she could not see death rearing its ugly head and coaxing her mum towards its grip."
- If You Liked This, You May Like...
Crimson Snow by Jason R Vowles (Click Here for our review)The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides
Snow by John Banville
Dubbed the Queen of Domestic Noir, Louise Mullins' titles often delve into the darker aspects of the human psyche where more often than not somebody a little close to home knows more than they're willing to admit. All her novels aim to bring light to social issues, and so far she's covered the following subjects: addiction, suicide, grief, psychopathology, child abuse, serial killers, missing persons, rape, kidnapping, murder, domestic violence, cults, drug smuggling, human trafficking, and arms dealing.
Louise Mullins writes full-time using the experience she gained in a prior life working in the field of forensic mental health, working with offenders and survivors of serious crimes.
She lives in Bristol, England, with her husband and three children.
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