I’m delighted to be joining in with today’s blog blast for The Disappearance of Stephanie Mailer – so keep scrolling for some book chat 🙂

Remember The Truth about the Harry Quebert Affair?
• A huge bestseller in Europe on publication
• 250,000 copies were sold in the UK alone
• Sky Witness series starring Patrick Dempsey aired in Autumn 2018

A gripping new thriller with a killer twist from the author of The Truth of the Harry
Quebert Affair

THE BLURB
In the summer of 1994, the quiet seaside town of Orphea reels from the discovery of two brutal murders. Confounding their superiors, two young police officers, Jesse Rosenberg and Derek Scott crack the case and arrest the murderer, earning themselves handsome promotions and the lasting respect of their colleagues.
But twenty years later, just as he is on the point of taking early retirement, Rosenberg is approached by Stephanie Mailer, a journalist who believes he made a mistake back in 1994 and that the real murderer is still out there, perhaps ready to strike again. Before she can give any more details however, Stephanie Mailer mysteriously disappears without trace, and Rosenberg and Scott are forced to confront the awful possibility that her suspicions might have been proved horribly true.
What happened to Stephanie Mailer?
What did she know?
And what really happened in Orphea all those years ago?

MY THOUGHTS

I really enjoy the detailed and incredibly thorough narratives of Joel Dicker, and ‘The Disappearance of Stephanie Mailer’ is no exception to that depth in the storytelling – I am personally happy to read such detail, although I feel the pace dropped a little and some more stringent edits would have improved the reading experience; I think it’s probably lost some flow in the translation. However don’t let this put you off at all!

There’s always a slow unfurling of information and overall, I enjoyed this book. It’s a crime mystery that explores awful events in 1994, when a family is tragically killed. I was fascinated how events move to 2014 and Stephanie Mailer casts doubt upon the killers’ guilt for this crime. After she disappears it’s a puzzle uncovering the truth, so prepare for multiple perspectives and dual timelines. You’ll really need to sustain your concentration with this one and there are many red herrings along the way to shift through.

I’d definitely recommend this book to people who are seeking a slow-paced complex read. The intricate plot and abundance of details give the reader a great deal to shift through and the layers of investigation add nicely to the reveals. This is certainly a multi-faceted read with various sub-plots keeping the pace and interest moving. The reader is also given a satisfactory, complete conclusion. Do check it out.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR & TRANSLATOR

JOËL DICKER was born in Geneva in 1985, where he studied Law. The Truth about the Harry Quebert Affair was nominated for the Prix Goncourt and won the Grand Prix du Roman de l’Académie Française and the Prix Goncourt des Lycéens. It has sold more than 3.6 million copies in 42 countries.
HOWARD CURTIS is an award-winning translator of Italian and French, including books by Fabio Geda, Gianrico Carofiglio, Jean-Claude Izzo and Giorgio Scerbanenco.