A young girl, Kate, ten years old, lives with her grandmother; her goal is to be a detective, and run her own detective agency. She has few friends, hates school, and entertains herself with investigating cases that she has made up. She spends a lot of time at a huge mall nearby watching others and pretending she is a detective. One day she disappears and most of the story focuses on how this event affects other people in her neighborhood, over the following years.
The first section focuses on Kate, up to the point where she goes to take an exam for placement in a school that her grandmother plans for her to attend. The remaining portions of the book take place in 2004 and 2005, 20 years later, and focus on Kurt, a security guard in the Green Oaks Mall, and Lisa, an employee at a large record store in the mall.
Lisa's connection to Kate is clear; her older brother was Kate's friend and was the last person seen with her before she disappeared. He was blamed for her disappearance. Kurt's connection is not revealed until much later in the book.
Most of the book takes place in a very large mall in Birmingham, England. Although the focus is mostly on the three main characters, other topics are covered in interesting ways: consumerism, how the development of malls affected other businesses in the area, and relationships in families and dysfunctional families.
My thoughts...
This book has elements of crime fiction but is far from a traditional mystery novel. I liked it a lot, even though I wondered where it was going at times. The story held my interest throughout. I liked the focus on a few characters and the characterization was excellent.
I loved the ending. I would not call it a twist ending, but it was not what I expected. Open issues from the first third of the book are tied up satisfactorily.
I first learned of this book many years ago at Margot Kinberg's blog.
Other good reviews are at 746books and Clothes in Books.
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Publisher: Henry Holt and Co., 2008. Orig. pub. 2007.
Length: 240 pages
Format: Trade Paperback
Setting: UK
Genre: Mystery
Source: I purchased my copy.
24 comments:
Sounds good although I have trouble with missing children books. Still if the writing is good...
Patti, I put off reading the story for the same reason but I would say it is not a typical missing child story. And the writing is very good.
I've never heard of this one but it sounds absorbing! I will see if my library has it, although I agree that missing children books can be upsetting to read. I think that is why authors sometimes have the event happen before the reader knows enough to have grown fond of the child, if that makes sense.
I like when authors find a unique way to tell a story like it sounds like O'Flynn has done in this one...as long as the ending is satisfying. Adding this one to my list. :D
Hi Tracy, This novel sounds really interesting and a little sad because Kate a 10 year old who isn't having an easy time of it but has plans for her own Detective agency is a character I would have liked to have followed throughout the book. But it sounds like she comes to a bad end early in the novel. Still, what happened to Kate and the fast forward twenty years has me hooked and so another for my TBR list!
Constance, I hesitated to review this book because it is easy to tell too much about it and ruin the story. But it is such a good book, and I was sorry I had put it off for so long.
Thank you so much for the mention, Tracy! I really appreciate it. This is, in my opinion, an excellent, excellent read, and I'm glad you enjoyed it. I always really liked Kate's character, and I thought the setting was depicted really well, both the town and the mall itself. Now you're making me want to re-read it...
Sounds a bit like it falls in appeal somewhere between HARRIET THE SPY the novel and THE KID DETECTIVE (and perhaps even a bit of MEN WHO HATE WOMEN), and that's not the worst territory to claim...you both certainly have my attention!
Lark, you are right, the story is told in a unique way and that is what made it so appealing to me. I kept wondering "what is going to happen next?" and where the author was going with the story, which kept me interested. A story about a missing child cannot be upbeat but the ending is somewhat optimistic.
Kathy, The story is a little sad at many points but not at all depressing overall, and it all comes together well in the end. Not an unbelievable happy ever after type of ending, but it ties up more loose ends than I would have expected. And yes, the fast forward to 20 years later was the best part of it for me, but I did not expect it.
Margot, I can't believe it took me so long to read this book, but I am glad I finally did. I will hold onto it for a possible reread someday.
I don't believe I have ever been in a mall of that size, but I do remember when malls were the place to go, especially after holidays, for the sales.
Todd, I did not think of either of the children's books, probably because I haven't read them. Men Who Hate Women I was not even familiar with. All I can say is that it is a very different book that explores a lot of different ideas. The story moves forward 20 years but then both Kurt, the security guard, and Lisa, the record store employee, look back on their childhoods, and their family relationships.
THE KID DETECTIVE, a film for adult audiences, is actually more About a situation in which a once-famous silly-season/"news sensation" precocious detective becomes a relatively feckless adult in search of redemption (HARRIET the novel is a serious and deservedly Newbery-winning YA novel, with a not-bad and earnest--even "controversial"--but disappointing sequel--I read both when in the target demo--and a very unworthy film adaptation).
The similar resonances seem like they might continue.
Oh, and MEN WHO HATE WOMEN is the translation of the actual title of what was marketed in English as THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO, in a less-than-double-bottomed embrace of the kind of condescension that the novel critiques, and with a tail-snag of would-be not-quite-sufficiently-justified commercial-property exploitation of "spunky 'Girl' (sic)" titles about women in crises.
Todd, when I looked up The Kid Detective, I found both the film you are talking about and a childrens book by Andrew Pozza about a ten-year-old boy (looks to have been self-published). I had forgotten that the original title for The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo translated to Men Who Hate Women. It has been a while since I read that book. But there is also a book by that title by Laura Bates.
Well, it certainly wasn't being used as a title in English, and perhaps Bates (if she wasn't in the market earlier) saw the opportunity. And, frankly, remains a better title (particularly as Salander was not the "girl" in that novel, though presumably was meant to be understood as the "girl" in each sequel). Thanks for the tip on the probably utterly unrelated Pozza book...also, after all, a good and commercial title.
Seems a bit spooky. Did the guy have anything to do with her disappearance? Malls in some areas have really gone by the wayside. The mall in my Calif hometown is closed up and empty ... and it reminds me of the 1980s. Though the malls near me in Canada seem to be doing well.
Susan, it was a bit spooky, but just a bit. The answer to your question about the guy having anything to do with the disappearance is yes and no. It is so hard to describe this book because it can be called a mystery but mostly it wasn't about the mystery. And mostly the characters were strange, weird. It was compelling reading, especially the last 2/3.
We used to go to the malls in Riverside, California when we visited Glen's mother and sister and I wonder if they are still there now. The malls (open air) in Santa Barbara don't seem to be doing as well as they used to. But I just read an article in the New York Times that malls are getting more popular in some areas.
Thanks for the shoutout Tracy - Oh I loved this book.
I was saying to Margot recently that I must look up and see what else she has written - I think I read one more by her, which I liked but not as much, but would certainly read more.
Such an unusual book, and it lingers in the memory
This was wonderful to read. I thought to myself that I had read it. I looked back in my blog and my "book report" was there. August 2007. Back when I wrote and wrote and wrote. I really did like the book. It's here if you want to read it.
https://lettersfromahillfarm.blogspot.com/2007/08/book-reportwhat-was-lost.html
I have forgotten the ending, and I think I'd like to read it again. I'm so happy to have read your post about it.
Nan, thanks for including a link to your review in the comments. Your review is excellent and gets across the focus on consumerism in the book. I think you would like reading the book again.
Moira, I wish I had read What Was Lost years ago; it was a wonderful and surprisingly different read. I have another one of Catherine O'Flynn's books and I will definitely read it, even though I have heard that it was not as good.
I went to amazon and there was ONE copy left. I ordered it - about $8. So psyched. I must have given my copy away years ago.
Nan, I am so glad you found a copy. Enjoy reading it again.
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