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THE DISAPPEARED
by M R Hall
Macmillan, January 2010
450 pages
12.99 GBP
ISBN: 0230709850


Buy in the UK | Buy in Canada

M R Hall's first book, THE CORONER, somehow dodged under my radar. I shall be seeking to remedy that rapidly after being very taken with THE DISAPPEARED.

Two young British students, Nazim Jamal and Rafi Hassan, disappeared seven years ago. The police insist that the boys were under surveillance and that they left the country with an Islamist group. Nazim's mother, though, won't let the matter drop. And it seems as if Jenny Cooper is her last hope.

Jenny is coroner for the Severn Vale. It's taken a while for her to settle into the job, but it looks as though she's starting to put her personal problems behind her. And those have clearly been considerable, coupled with secrets from her past, the behaviour of her truculent teenage son and the fact she has serious mental health issues.

This delicate equilibrium is threatened, though, once the inquest into Nazim's disappearance starts. Jenny is put under considerable pressure from both police and government sources to shelve her investigations. And when she refuses, things get decidedly dangerous…

THE DISAPPEARED is dark and intense, as if seen through a slightly fogged mirror which seems to represent Jenny's medication. She's certainly an unusual character, and sometimes it's difficult to decide whether she's the book's strength or its weakness. Her behaviour is erratic, to put it mildly, and there are times where the reader is asked to suspend disbelief.

There's a lot happening in this book, and there's often a feeling of melodrama to proceedings. And a good chunk of what happens is really rather predictable. But Hall, who's been a screenwriter on top TV dramas such as Dalziel and Pascoe, Judge John Deed and Kavanagh KC, certainly knows how to pace the action well. He also surrounds Jenny with a strong supporting cast, including her on-off boyfriend Steve, a bible-thumping coroner's officer and an enigmatic disgraced lawyer.

THE DISAPPEARED deals with some pretty topical and familiar themes. But the writing is sharp and it's done with a twist that makes you want to keep on reading.

Reviewed by Sharon Wheeler, January 2001

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Contact: Yvonne Klein (ymk@reviewingtheevidence.com)


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