"Following a true crime influencer at a sleepy village’s sinister crow festival, this fast-paced comedic crime novel will make you laugh and gag "
The novel alternates between two time-lines, the events leading up to Esme’s disappearance a year ago, and the ‘present day’, on the night of that event’s anniversary. Both timelines have their own twists and adrenaline (and dramatic murders!) Following a downbeat journalist and a cold-case online celebrity, the book is both an homage and critique of modern true crime obsessives and armchair investigators.
Chilton’s story combines cinematic set-pieces — like the sinister Jack Daw crow costume which a historic murderer wore at the local village fete 30 years ago — with relatable characters and everyday language which makes you feel very much part of the action, and believe that it could be happening.
Something I particularly admired is how Chilton is brilliant at having a killer (pun intended) twist at the end of each and every one of these punchy chapters, meaning you can’t put the book down. I read it in two sittings and was racing to get back to it.
