Title: Missing Pieces
Author: Tim Weaver
Publisher: Michael Joseph
Synopsis:
Rebekah Murphy knows too much . . .
She knows she’s alone on an abandoned island with a killer on her trail.
She knows that to get home, she must live to understand why this is happening.
She knows someone tried to kill her for a secret.What she doesn’t know is what that secret is . . .
Detective Frank Travis doesn’t know enough . . .
He doesn’t know where to find Louise Mason.
He doesn’t know how and why she vanished into thin air three months ago.
He doesn’t know the identity of the man last seen talking to her.What he does know is that he retires in one week – and if he doesn’t find out where Louise went, no one will . . .
What neither Rebekah nor Detective Travis realize is that each holds a missing piece from the same puzzle – and it will cost them everything to finally solve it…
My review:
Missing Pieces is a tightly plotted read with lots of twists, and is perfectly paced, which makes for addictive reading. Although not part of his well-known David Raker series (which I have actually only read a few books from and really want to read more as they were brilliant), this novel is just as addictive – it’s a standalone novel that has plenty of atmosphere.
The characters in this novel are likeable and interesting – I was rooting for Rebekah and her brother Johnny, and I wanted to know why Rebekah was in the situation she was in when we find her at the start of the novel.
The plot switches between ‘before’ and the present-day storyline. In the ‘before’ scenes we see Rebekah’s life before she ends up on the abandoned island, and we find out a lot about her family life in the lead-up. However, what exactly got her into the situation she’s in remains a mystery for a lot of the book, though as the reader we slowly start to find out more. As always, Tim Weaver drip-feeds us nuggets of information slowly, keeping me intrigued and completely absorbed in the story. We also see some developments from the perspective of about-to-retire Detective Frank Travis, who is investigating the disappearance of a different woman. This adds an extra sense of mystery to the story, as we wonder who this woman is and exactly how she is (or isn’t?) connected to Rebekah.
Although Missing Pieces is quite slowly paced overall, there are plenty of action-packed parts that move along quickly, and it always feels like we’re finding out more as the novel goes on. David Raker also makes a little cameo, which is nicely satisfying!
Definitely recommended for crime/ mystery lovers, whether you’re a big Tim Weaver fan or have never before picked up any of his novels!
Rating: 4/5
Many thanks to the publisher, Michael Joseph, for providing a copy of this novel on which I chose to write an honest review.