AUDIO BOOK REVIEW: The Body on the Moor by Stephanie Griffiths

Publication Date: February 24, 2022 Format: Audio Genre:  Mystery Narrators: Richard Burnip, Sarah Durham

Publisher: Bookoutore Length: 10 hours 47 min Buy: Kindle | Audio

Synopsis

A totally gripping mystery thriller inspired by a true story: an innocent young girl holds the key to unlocking a long-buried crime. Perfect for fans of Gregg Olsen, Catherine Ryan Howard and I’ll Be Gone in the Dark. Pulse-pounding, heart-wrenching and unforgettable. 

Manchester, England 1965: Little Kathy Openshaw is waiting in the car with only her toy doll for company. Whilst her mother Connie visits close friends Myra and Ian, Kathy gazes out at the surrounding moorland and dreams of a happier life. 

But when Connie returns to the car, Kathy has vanished. Instantly she thinks of the news reports of the children who have gone missing from the area. Parents everywhere are worried sick. Connie is struck with terror: what kind of mother leaves their child alone when a kidnapper is on the loose? 

Black Fell Farm, Saddleworth Moor: no one has visited Ronald’s farm in decades. But when a young couple start acting suspiciously on his land and a mysterious visitor arrives on his doorstep, Ronald feels instantly threatened. He doesn’t want any unwanted attention directed towards his farm. 

For on the wild and desolate moorland, Ronald has buried his own dark crime for years and if his secret is ever exposed, it will be more than just his life at stake… 

Review:

I received a free audio book from the publisher through netgalley.com in exchange for a honest review.   

Wow there is a lot going on in this book and its hard to review without revealing some deep secrets that are slowly revealed.  A young girl, left in a car, goes missing only to turn up at a farm where two brothers live. She is very sick and refuses to tell them her name so they take her in and nurse her back to health.  Meanwhile her frantic mother is searching everywhere worried that she may be dead. 

A couple is also stalking the farm, killing the sheep and threatening the brothers.  They try to avoid them and don't call the police scared that they might find the body of their father which is buried out among the moors.  

There are a lot of secret connections between the characters that are slowly revealed as the book progresses.  The trauma of the mom of the missing girl was heart wrenching but may also be triggering to me due to the recent death of my step-daughter.  The narrators were fantastic and the story while complex held my attention. The ending seemed a bit rushed and even a bit unbelievable but the characters all had their flaws and I could see how it could happen. When I found that this book is based on a true story I found it even more fascinating.  

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