Review: Cemetery Girl by David Bell

Cemetery Girl by David Bell

Cemetery Girl by David Bell is a psychological drama that really penetrates the psyche of the main character Tom Stuart.  This book will make you question and analyse every motive and action. Bell writes so convincingly that you will face a whirlwind of emotions; heartbreak, distrust, frustration, hatred, fear, hope, guilt and many more.

 

 

This is a fantastic read and I wholeheartedly recommend you buy it ASAP

 

Initially I was drawn to Cemetery Girl for two reasons.  First, unusually, this story of a missing 12 year old girl is told from the fathers point of view and secondly rather than a police procedural about finding the abductor, this is actually a deep and penetrating expose of not only the father's emotions but also how past events have impacted on the type of father he is.

Caitlin Stuart disappeared four years ago and now her mother wants to move on by having a memorial gravestone erected in the local cemetery and Tom, Caitlin's father, reluctantly agrees.  However the memorial becomes a catalyst for re-igniting public awareness of Caitlin's disappearance and sightings of her with an older man are reported. Tom immediately becomes hopeful that his daughter is alive and despite his wife's and police scepticism he pushes to reopen the investigation.

This book is beautifully and authentically written.  The characters are believable; Tom's grief and despair are almost tangible, whilst his wife's desire to move on, cushioned by her faith, is also poignant.  Bell, cleverly uses flashbacks to show the complexities of Tom's emotions and his behaviour concerning his personal relationships. 

This book reminded me of Simon Lelic's The Boy Who which again explored an unacceptable crime from a completely different perspective.