Edgar Nominee: No One Will Miss Her by Kat Rosenfield

 

No One Will Miss Her

Author: Kat Rosenfield

Publisher: HarperCollins Publisher

Date of Publication: October 12, 2021

Pages: 304

     The five nominees for the 2022 Edgar Award for Best Mystery Novel are: Razorblade Tears by S.A. Cosby, The Venice Sketchbook by Rhys Bowen, Five Decembers by James Kestrel, How Lucky by Will Leitch, and No One Will Miss Her by Kat Rosenfield.  This is the third of my reviews for this list of books.  Click on the hyperlinks above to view the previous reviews.  

     This book has a lot of positive aspects.  The characters are unique and while not particularly endearing, they are well developed by the author.  The settings include rural Maine and Boston.  The author's descriptions of place are excellent, and add a tremendous amount to the story,  

     The plot opens with the discovery of a local woman named Lizzy Ouellette in Copper Falls, Maine who has been brutally murdered and disfigured.  Her husband is missing and becomes the primary suspect.  Lizzy grew up with her single father in a junkyard which he owned and ran.  She fixed up an isolated old cottage and rents it out to vacationers from the city.  One of her most frequent renters is a social media influencer and her high society husband.  They were to be renting the cabin where Lizzy's body is found.

     A state police investigator joins the murder inquiry, much to the consternation of the local police.  The list of folks who either resented or had arguments with Lizzy and/or her husband gets longer the more the detective digs into the case.  The investigator uncovers the curious relationship between the "wrong side of the tracks" Lizzie and the big city influencer/renter, Adrienne Richards.  Designer clothes as well as jewelry and other items formerly belonging to Adreinne are found in Lizzie's home.  The relationship between the poor, lower class country girl and the sophisticated, world-wise socialite is found to be more and more peculiar.

     The plot of this novel is fast-paced and keeps you guessing and keeps the pages turning.  There is a startling twist of plot about mid-way through the story which ratchets up the tension and mystery quite dramatically.  This is a very worthy nominee for the Edgar Award and I enjoyed it very much.