I liked the mystery in this and the character development. The momentum kind of putters out near the end, which is unfortunate, but overall I enjoyed it. ( )

Although Susie Steiner employs the overused device of giving key characters their own individual chapters, she does so with a style and finesse that lends distinction to "Persons Unknown." This police procedural deals with the further adventures of forty-two year old Detective Inspector Manon Bradshaw, now in her middle trimester of pregnancy, who is "in hot pursuit of the work-life balance." Previously, she adopted Fly Dent, a twelve-year old African-American boy (Manon takes "pride in his reading, in his gentleness, his soft manners, his decency"), who resents her decision to leave the pricey and dangerous streets of London for a four-bedroom home in Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire. Manon and Fly live with Manon's sister, Ellie, and Solly, Ellie's adorable two-year-old son.

The plot involves the stabbing death of thirty-seven year old Jon-Oliver Ross, a financial wheeler-dealer and ladies man, the subsequent arrest of a convenient but unlikely suspect, and the exploitation of vulnerable girls to entice rich businessmen. The characters are intriguing, and we get to know some of them intimately. Manon is hilariously self-deprecating about her ungainliness ("she has a rolling gait these days, as well as a double chin, as if someone has attached a bicycle pump to her backside and inflated her"), is perennially exhausted, cries at the drop of a hat, and has an enormous appetite. She adores Fly, but fears that he will go astray if she does not keep a close eye on him. Because of her transfer from the Met, she has been demoted to a boring desk job. However, she has good reason to stick her nose into the aforementioned homicide investigation, led by former colleagues DCI Harriet Harper, and DS Davy Walker.

There is an abundance of humor in Manon's clumsiness, bluntness, and inability to take no for an answer. In addition, Steiner effectively and warmly conveys how far a devoted parent will go to protect a child she loves. Adding to the novel's appeal are its brisk pace, aided by the author's skillful use of short sentences and fragments; superior descriptive writing; animated and clever dialogue; and a meticulous examination of how carefully analyzed forensic evidence can be a game-changer. The conclusion springs an unpleasant surprise on us, leaving enough loose ends to whet our appetite for the next installment in this engrossing and addictive series. ( )

Although Susie Steiner employs the overused device of giving key characters their own individual chapters, she does so with a style and finesse that lends distinction to "Persons Unknown." This police procedural deals with the further adventures of forty-two year old Detective Inspector Manon Bradshaw, now in her middle trimester of pregnancy, who is "in hot pursuit of the work-life balance." Previously, she adopted Fly Dent, a twelve-year old African-American boy (Manon takes "pride in his reading, in his gentleness, his soft manners, his decency"), who resents her decision to leave the pricey and dangerous streets of London for a four-bedroom home in Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire. Manon and Fly live with Manon's sister, Ellie, and Solly, Ellie's adorable two-year-old son.

The plot involves the stabbing death of thirty-seven year old Jon-Oliver Ross, a financial wheeler-dealer and ladies man, the subsequent arrest of a convenient but unlikely suspect, and the exploitation of vulnerable girls to entice rich businessmen. The characters are intriguing, and we get to know some of them intimately. Manon is hilariously self-deprecating about her ungainliness ("she has a rolling gait these days, as well as a double chin, as if someone has attached a bicycle pump to her backside and inflated her"), is perennially exhausted, cries at the drop of a hat, and has an enormous appetite. She adores Fly, but fears that he will go astray if she does not keep a close eye on him. Because of her transfer from the Met, she has been demoted to a boring desk job. However, she has good reason to stick her nose into the aforementioned homicide investigation, led by former colleagues DCI Harriet Harper, and DS Davy Walker.

There is an abundance of humor in Manon's clumsiness, bluntness, and inability to take no for an answer. In addition, Steiner effectively and warmly conveys how far a devoted parent will go to protect a child she loves. Adding to the novel's appeal are its brisk pace, aided by the author's skillful use of short sentences and fragments; superior descriptive writing; animated and clever dialogue; and a meticulous examination of how carefully analyzed forensic evidence can be a game-changer. The conclusion springs an unpleasant surprise on us, leaving enough loose ends to whet our appetite for the next installment in this engrossing and addictive series.
( )

I'm a bit torn on this one. Up until pretty close to the end, I was into the story and feeling Manon's frustration and heartbreak and anger and all the rest. I was empathizing with Davy and cheering for Mark. But the way the reasoning behind the arrest was completely glossed over left me calling bullshit. As upset as Manon was about it, I have a hard time believing she wouldn't have pushed for more of an explanation. Particularly since it was so close to her personal and professional lives.

I would go 3.5 stars if I could. When I started writing this review, I had already marked the book as 4 stars but just dropped it to 3 because I can't get past the handling of the arrest and the resolution with the conspirators. I don't want to give any spoilers away so I can't get more specific than that.

Was the writing good and the mystery interesting, yes. But between the stuff I already mentioned and having one-to-three POVs too many, I feel comfortable with the 3 stars. The extra POVs weren't really that bad but I would have liked to have stayed with either Manon or Davy and had the story unfold from their POVs instead.

All this being said, I will certainly still read the next in the series. I like Manon. Flawed, bitchy, rude, assholish Manon.

Thanks to the publisher, and NetGalley, for the opportunity to read and review this book. ( )

I liked Persons Unknown even more than the first. Some great insights on human behavior. Manon and Fly's relationship is fragile and I can't help but root for them because it is so beautiful. An issue that I noticed with Missing, Presumed and this book is the conclusion to the mystery, it's a bit anti-climatic, but the lead up to it is outstanding and the character development so good that I can overlook that slight flaw. Maybe I just wanted to see one of the characters get their due and that didn't happen. I will definitely be reading the third in the series. So sad to hear of Steiner's death, huge loss as she was so talented. Sadly there will not be a fourth in the series ( )