There are so many books now about missing girls/women that in order to stand out from the crowd, a book needs to be really spectacular - and this one just isn't. A young woman goes missing from her home, leaving a trail of blood, and the police have to track her down quickly if there is any hope of finding her still alive. On the case is somewhat hopeless detective Manon Bradshaw, who is so desperate for a man that, as a single 30-something female myself, she makes me cringe. Did feminism completely pass her by? The case disappears for a substantial time underneath Manon's brief but intense relationship with Alan, whose primary attraction seems to be that he went to the chemist and bought her some eyedrops - because obviously this ridiculous woman was incapable of doing that herself. The case developed slowly, wasn't very interesting when it all finally came out, and I doubt I'll bother reading any of the impending sequels.

Missing, Presumed was so close to being a four star read for me. So close. The novel follows the disappearance of PhD student Edith Hind, who leaves an open door, a house in disarray and a trail of blood in her wake. The case emerges through three main perspectives – those of Edith’s mother Marion, DS Manon Bradshaw, and DC Davy Walker – though it’s Manon who carries the bulk of the page time. Manon starts out as a wonderfully relatable character; nearing forty with a non-existent love life, a despair of online dating and some Bridget Jones-esque text banter with her best pal Bryony. She exudes a realism that from the start gave the novel a wonderfully fresh feeling, and had me certain that I’d be happy to read more by Steiner in future. Steiner’s character work really is brilliant, capturing little details that I’ve rarely encountered – for instance, a detective whose nervous tic is readjusting her bra straps at every available opportunity. She also has a real flair for showing, not telling – honestly, what more could a reader need to know about characters encountered “washing up the Le Creuset after lunch’s monkfish stew” or who admit “I don’t wipe my internet history. I’m only ever on the John Lewis website looking at table lamps.”? The trouble is, somewhere after the halfway mark, the case itself begins to submerge beneath the character development. We follow Manon on multiple dates, through a new relationship and out the other side, and really, I was in this for the crime. Upon embarking I didn’t even realise it was structured as a police procedural, so when the mystery aspect was set aside for chapters at a time, I’d much rather have returned to it than spend more time reading about the characters’ love lives. The conclusion wasn’t as satisfying as I’d hoped, and while I understand that Missing, Presumed is intended to be the first of a Manon Bradshaw series, I’m just not sure I’m interested enough to return for more. Were Steiner to pen a standalone crime/thriller novel that eased off on the romance, I’d be there like a shot. (Assuming, of course, I could move past my deep distress as a Vodafone employee – “[Policing was] so much sexier than the jobs he could have had: regional manager for Vodafone […] Which would you rather? Flogging some twenty-four month contract with 3,000 free minutes or wondering whether the Dutch woman got on a train to Brighton to kill herself there, or whether she was murdered?”)

MISSING PRESUMED Susie Steiner The first thing that struck me was the superb characterisation in this book. In a few well chosen words the writer conveys each individual person and a bit of back story. It is very much a character led thriller led by Manon, a criminal investigating officer who loves her job, is searching for love and struggling with conjunctivitis. She is really the pivot on which the story turns when one would expect the focus to be on the missing girl, Edith and her rather upper class family. This is a beautifully written story with superb scenes and dialogue between the characters. It is written from multiple views which does not, as can happen, break up the flow, rather the reader has a clear impression on the direction of the inquiry from the point of view of both the investigating officers and the frustration of the family and friends who are in limbo. The story moves smoothly in real time mode. The approach to a missing person inquiry is so well documented and for me, ignorant of such procedures, it was a revelation. How do the police officers approach such things with no clues, no victim and no suspects? And so much pressure from superior officers and the press to get a result. It is a great story that will grip readers. If I had a quibble it would be that as the investigation limped along without any particular direction the story staggered and slowed greatly. Manon’s troubles tended to take over and blur the focus of the book. Why did the blooming girl not go to the chemist and get a cream for her eye!! The story ended cleverly and with satisfaction and also quite a surprise. A very good read but would have had more bite if tightened up slightly.

I love a good crime novel, so when this book just kept selling and selling I decided to see what the fuss was about. Missing, Presumed introduces D. S. Bradshaw and her teammates, sets up their working relationships and starts to look at some of their individual dramas. In terms of the case they're dealing with, I was intrigued by the title - straight away is the question of whether Edith (the missing girl) is just missing, or presumed dead. I enjoyed the various twists in the case, as the team follow different leads and uncover new clues. The story is told from several viewpoints, with the most prominent being Manon. As the book progressed I began to have a suspicion of what might have happened, even if I couldn't put together the details of it, but I wasn't sure, and it was good to read through to the end and finally get everything untangled. While I'm interested in seeing the developments of the police team over future books, Manon's love life in this one did annoy me quite a lot, and I skimmed through large portions of her point of view chapters which didn't relate to the case. She just seemed a bit too grumpy and strange, it wasn't very interesting to read her awkward dating experiences or to see things getting messed up. Overall, it was a promising start to a series, and hopefully Ms. Steiner can build on it and the characters she has introduced to create a stronger second book. Missing, Presumed was a good, fast read but not memorable once I'd finished - definitely the sort of book I'd class as a 'beach read' or holiday read. I'm giving it 6/10.