Dear Daughter

by Elizabeth Little

[Leah]

As soon as I heard about Dear Daughter, I wanted to read it. Mystery novels are the "thing" of 2014, following Gillian Flynn's Gone Girl, which I still haven't read, and they've thrown up some pretty interesting novels. Off the top of my head, the best of the bunch is C.L. Taylor's The Accident, which was a fast-paced, frantic read. But Dear Daughter sounded different to all the other mystery novels on the scene, and I quite liked the synopsis and I just plain ADORED the proof copy cover - Dear Daughter in big, blue letters, with a covering of newspapers all blaring various Janie-related headlines. It pains me that that isn't the finished cover, because it's eye-catching and visually stunning, at least I think so. I was super excited to receive a copy of the novel to review, in a BLUE envelope which was a first and I couldn't wait to get stuck in.

As soon as I started Dear Daughter, I knew I was going to love it. Jane has a voice you're either going to love, or hate, and I loved her. I love snarky heroines, with their wit and sarcasm at their beck and call whenever they want. I loved that Jane called herself out when she was sounding too clever, when she was merely trying to tell us she was scared. It was such a clever narrative, so absorbing and there were times when I just wasn't sure if Jane was guilty, or innocent, and I desperately hoped it was the latter, because I loved her. Her honesty was raw, and exciting, and I appreciate that in a narrator, because even though she lied to everyone else around her, we got to see the real Jane Jenkins, and it was super interesting to go along with her on her journey, to try and discover what really happened the night her mother was murdered.

There's quite a ride during the just under 400 pages of Dear Daughter, not only is Jane trying to find out the truth about her mother, but she's also dodging the press, who are just desperate to find her (and possibly kill her). I quite liked the quaintness of Ardelle where Jane ends up, posing as a dowdy Historian called Rebecca. It was an interesting sub-plot, with lots of questions being posed, and not many answers forthcoming and usually with novels like this, you can tell who the villian of the piece is, and you figure it out way before the main characer, but I actually didn't. I basically followed Jane wherever she went, and found stuff out at the same time she did; it was only when I got to the end that I realised, right there with Jane, who was responsible all along and part of me wondered why I hadn't already figured it out. Hey ho, that tells me Elizabeth Little knows her stuff and can write a cracking mystery.

Despite being a mystery novel, not the typical Chick Lit/Young Adult/New Adult I read I was surprised there was a bit of a flirtation between Jane and Leo, the town cop. It thrilled my heart, because I'm a sucker for some flirting, and banter, and those two had it in spades. But sadly that was just a bit of fun and games, but it was enjoyable. The ending was... surprising. I want to say disappointing, because of how it all went down, and how it all finished, and I can't really say why without spoiling it, but it wouldn't have been the ending I'd have written, but then again, I can't thrive without happiness, ya know? I should know better, this isn't a bloody romance novel, right? But it was such an awesome, well written book. Janie (I know she hates it, but I think it suits her) is such a great character, so memorable, and that's what took this novel ahead of all the other mystery novels out there, because it has such a memorable, honest, snarky heroine.This review was originally posted on Girls Love To Read