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ClareR (6225 KP) rated The Keeper in Books

May 29, 2020

The Keeper

Jessica Moor | 2020 | Fiction & Poetry, Mystery, Thriller

8.0

(1 Ratings)

Book Rating

I usually try to avoid books where there's violence directed against women, particularly spousal abuse. I just find it too uncomfortable. I seem to be feeling braver as I get older, and I'm so glad that I read this book. It's an interesting insight into the lives of women who find safety in Women's Refuges. It shows how hard it is for women to make their ways there, how many of them arrive nothing but the clothes on their backs - and the same goes for their children. It shows how hard the people who run these refuges work, and how undervalued they are - in fact, they're often a target for hate themselves. And we also get to see how some women return to abusive partners, and the ramifications.

Katie Straw's body is pulled from the river, and it looks as though she has committed suicide. However the women at the refuge that she worked at are adamant that she was murdered. The detectives who are put on her case really do seem to thoroughly investigate Katie's death, even though the older of the two is very much on the side of suicide (and he is a bit of a dinosaur). As they investigate though, it looks more and more likely that this is the case.

I found the lives of the women in the refuge fascinating, and I could easily have read more about them. To be honest, the older of the tow detectives was really interesting as well - it was like I was looking at the attitudes of a police officer from another age.

Near the end of the book, there's a fascinating twist - I didn't see it coming at all (I should say that I'm very much a reader who is along for the ride. I tend not to try and guess whats going to happen). I'm a big fan of unresolved endings too, and this certainly delivers (so there's a warning for those who DON'T like an unresolved ending!). You're left wondering what's going to happen next.

This was a really satisfying read, that I very much enjoyed!

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my copy of this book.