Sunday Synopsis

 

Through a Mother's Tears: The tragic true story of a mother who lost one daughter to a brutal murderer and another to a broken heart by Cathy Broomfield
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I think I downloaded this book because it was either a freebie or a 99 cent book offered through Bookbub. If you've never heard of it, it's a site that recommends books for free or very low priced. They don't sell the books. They just send you the deals that are available for whatever electronic device you use. I was using NOOK at first, but now I am using Kindle, and it was easy to change so I was getting the links to Amazon instead of Barnes and Noble. I get about one email a week with recommendations and personalized offers. Now, to the review...

True Crime is one of my favorite genres. That being said, my observation is that true crime is usually done well by an author who wasn't involved in the case. While this was a sad, yet interesting story written by the mother who experienced it, it was a little disjointed and repetitive. There was a little too much whining (and I would whine, too, if I were this mother), but it doesn't make for compelling literature.

That being said, it was a good story. Set in England, Cathy is a mother of three, divorced, but remarried. Kirsty, her youngest daughter, rushes into a hasty marriage with a man her family doesn't approve of. When she goes missing, her family prays she has gotten away from her abusive husband and will get in touch when she feels it is safe to do so. Then comes a knock at the door. It's the police. They have found Kirsty.

Justice is slow in coming, but when they finally go to trial, shameful secrets are revealed. In addition, Cathy's middle daughter Hailey has "learned" to cope by drowning her sorrows in liquor, which doesn't lead to anything good. This family is dealing with tragedy after tragedy, and it is truly heartbreaking. I just wish it were written better.

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