Sara Shepard, The Amateurs, Allen & Unwin, Dec 2016, 336pp., $16.99 (pbk), ISBN 9781471405266
Aerin Kelly’s sister, Helena, disappeared five years ago. Her body was found in a forest near where she was last seen. The case was closed by the police but not by her sister. Aerin posts a message on the website Case Not Closed: ‘I need some answers about my sister. Help…’ The online community of amateur sleuths that respond search for further clues to the murder, meeting up face to face to follow some leads on the case. They eventually discover more about Helena’s murder than the police ever did.
This book had an interesting premise but the characters were difficult to warm to. Their actions didn’t quite match their supposed ages, which were meant to be more college than high school, but the romances were more high school than college with lots of flirting and an emphasis on the union of beautiful people. That a group of young people could put together a case when the police weren’t able seemed incredible, especially when the clues the sleuths gathered weren’t that difficult to find. However, the ending was a good twist – so that’s who killed Helena! – serving to move the story into its promised series.
Reviewed by Pam Harvey
