The Girl Remains
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3.8 • 38 Ratings
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- $15.99
Publisher Description
'Australian crime fiction has just found an exciting new voice.' Marie Claire
On the evening of September 22, 1998, three teenage girls venture out for a night of mischief in the coastal town of Blairgowrie. But only two return . . .
For over twenty years the disappearance of fifteen-year-old Cecilia May remains a baffling cold case - until human bones are discovered on an isolated beach.
Now it’s up to Detective Emmett Corban and his team to dig up decades of trauma, and find the missing piece of an investigation that’s as complex as it is tragic.
Does the answer lie with the only suspect, a registered sex offender who confessed, then immediately provided a rock-solid alibi? Or with the two teen survivors – neither of whom can keep their story straight?
But the police aren’t the only ones hunting for the truth: someone else has arrived in the seaside town. And she’s prepared to do whatever it takes to find her own version of justice…
'A strong debut that marks Firkin out as a writer to watch out for.' Canberra Weekly on Sticks and Stones
'A gritty police procedural . . . hopefully this is the start of a great new series.' New Idea on Sticks and Stones
'This twisted and thrilling novel is a must-read for any fan of true crime.' Stellar Magazine on Sticks and Stones
Customer Reviews
Evocative
It certainly harks back to our beach life minus the crimes. Very readable. Great holiday by the beach reading
Ho hum
Author
Australian journalist whose first novel, Sticks and Stones (2020) drew on crime stories she had covered, and introduced Victoria Police cold case detective Emmett Corban. This is the sequel.
In brief
Human bones are discovered on a beach on the Mornington Peninsula: Blairgowrie and Rye rather than upmarket Portsea. Twenty years earlier, three 15-year-old girls went out for a night of teen adventure, but only two came home. The coppers and the rest of the town suspected the town pariah, a former schoolteacher brought down by an inappropriate relationship with a student. He even confessed at one stage (after assisting police with their enquiries for some hours, one suspects) but was exonerated after the much loved local priest provided an alibi. That priest has recently died when our boy and his team rock into town to re-investigate. Meanwhile, his missus is trying to establish herself as a photographer for AAP by coming up with juicy photos, a young female English chick blows into town and starts sticking her nose in, everybody’s lying, yada, yada, the end.
Writing
Crisp, clear prose. I cut Ms F some slack for her clumsy characterisation and plot line crammed to overflowing with popular tropes of the genre in Sticks and Stones, expecting improvement second time round. Unfortunately not. The female narrator of the audiobook did the book no favours either.
Bottom line
Ho hum. An extra star because she’s an Aussie.