Fabulous in parts, but the devil still lurks in some details
Please let me be clear. I can write an honest review about The Disappearance of Peter Markham, no problem. But if you want an unbiased one, you really have come to the wrong place. Because if there’s one book that I’ve really, really wanted to enjoy before even starting the first page, you’re looking at it right here.
There are two main reasons for this. First, the author. Donna Morfett has been a friend of mine, probably since before she started writing this novel. I’ve known her as a reviewer, blogger, interviewer and more recently, book festival organiser. The amount of work she’s done – voluntarily – to help promote other authors is enormous, and she really deserves her own break.
And second, the book. I’m fortunate enough to have read an early draft of this novel, so was intrigued to find out how much had changed during its journey to publication.
Good news: everything I loved about the early draft survives intact here. Spoiler and/or trigger warning alert: the early chapters contain some fairly graphic scenes of torture. But the pent-up anger absolutely leaps off the pages. It’s wonderful and I loved it. And the emotion doesn’t stop there. I thought that a man’s upset and frustration at being made to feel humiliated by a woman, followed by the woman’s indignation, turning to fear, turning to resignation as the man takes his revenge in a terrible, but sadly all too common way were magnificently portrayed.
Also very well done is Donna’s forensic awareness, which she manages to convey in a way that’s easy to understand and which doesn’t slow down the book’s rapid pace. The portrayal of the main character, DI Cora Snitton is very good too, we learn enough to like her but are also left intrigued and wanting to find out more. And the ending is just fabulous. It’s common for a police procedural novel to have a happy, or at least a contented finish, in which the detective in question can feel satisfied at having brought the case to a conclusion. But Donna has done it differently, and her way is much better.
Unfortunately, however, there is some not-so-good news, which is that the not-so-good bits of the draft haven’t really changed here either. The problem lies in some of the details. For example, I love the idea of a police detective who performs stand-up-comedy in her free time. But trying to describe a successful stand-up routine without including a joke is a bit like trying to describe the children’s book Black Beauty without mentioning that it’s about a horse. The whole point is lost.
There are also a few continuity errors – for example, at a post-mortem, an experienced police officer is apparently unable to identify the cause of death. But we’ve already been told how the person died, and can’t help but think that it should have been immediately obvious. And so it proves to be only two pages later. And I’m afraid that some of the grammar and sentence construction still needs some work. Sentences such as “Not knowing how Beverlee worked because when she’d joined Beverlee had been seconded to another team.” just don’t make sense. When who had joined? Are we talking about Cora or Beverlee here? The result is to spoil the effect of what is otherwise – let’s be clear – a very well-written book.
All it needed was the initial words “not knowing” to have been altered to “Cora didn’t know”. But this really should have been spotted during the editing process.
I understand that a last-minute edit did spot a couple more minor, but still notable errors that remained in my ARC, and for that reason I’ll refrain from detailing them here. But my message to Rampart Books is this: sorry, but if you’re going to put a book out for review, even if it’s an ARC, you owe it to your authors to ensure it’s better edited than this.
And there you have it, really. On the evidence of The Disappearance of Peter Markham, Donna Morfett has shown that she can write a gripping, fast-paced and sometimes powerful novel, and that’s wonderful. If you’re the sort of reader that can overlook, or is unlikely to be bothered by some fine details, there’s every chance you’ll love this. But, as I said at the beginning, I have to be honest. Which means admitting that they did bother me.
My thanks and best wishes to Donna for the gifted ARC of this book, which was published by Rampart Books on 23rd May 2024. I have reviewed it voluntarily and honestly.
My rating: I’m giving the benefit of the doubt on the final edit and saying ★★★★
27th May 2024
The blurb
If Martina Cole is the Queen of crime, Donna must be a Princess …
Do you believe in Karma? Peter Markham should have. The past has come tapping him on his shoulder with an appointment for a reckoning. There will be no tomorrow. The killer did everything to cover their tracks, but is that possible? Who is this mystery person to bear such a grudge, but more importantly, why? Is it possible to forgive the past?
DI Cora Snitton is new to the station and wants to make an impression. The pressure is on her to find Peter Markham and put the world back together again, at least for his wife. If Peter has a history, so have others. Secrets breed secrets while tragedy is only around the corner. It’s up to Cora and the officers on her team, like rookie DC’s Darcey and Luke, to solve the crime and deliver justice.
About the author
onna was born and raised in a small town in Bedfordshire, and has loved reading for as long as she was able to understand the words written on the page. The love has remained, and she now also uses reading as a way to help cope with mental health.
As with many people across the world, the pandemic left her with lots of time for twiddling thumbs. But rather than do that, she decided instead not only to complete a degree in Forensic Science, but also to try and write a book.
That book, although OK story-wise, needs a lot of work and is yet to see the light of day. She likes the story and hopes to go back to it one day.
Donna then took part in NaNoWriMo, in November 2021, and wrote her first full length novel. In November 2023, her short story Cassie came joint second in a competition and raised money for the charity MIND. The Disappearance of Peter Markham is her debut published novel.
My Cosy Book Nook 