Lead Review

• Book: The Death of Her
• Location: Epphaven Cove, Padstow
• Author: Debbie Howells

Review Author: Tina Hartas

“She looks around, at the whitewashed Cornish-stone walls and the views, that even after a year here, still take my breath away. The house is perched above Epphaven Cove, which was one of Cornwall’s best-kept secrets until national paper ran a feature and ruined it“.

Evie has been found battered in a cornfield and when she is found, she is distraught about the whereabouts of her small daughter, Angel. It would appear there is no trace of the child at her home. Charlotte lives above wonderful Epphaven Cove (those are her words above), living in an on off relationship with surfer, Rick. Theirs is a scratchy relationship. Charlotte spots that she went to school with Evie but her name then was Jen!

Is Evie telling the truth about what she does and doesn’t remember? The police enlist Charlotte’s help to keep Evie company whilst she recuperates, whilst the police keep a careful eye on proceedings. They ascertain that another child also disappeared on Evie’s babysitting watch, several years ago. Coincidence?

The story is populated with a lot of issues that put this into the psychological thriller genre, but they are never really fleshed out to aid a deeper understanding. There is parental carelessness and harm, there is alcoholism (which potentially makes Charlotte an unreliable narrator, as she certainly hits the bottle). There is a lot of anger flying about and for me, the notion that the police would bring in Charlotte – who only vaguely knew Evie at school – to keep her company as she adjusts to life after the attack, just seemed a little odd.

The roiling seas and thunderstorms and changing surfing conditions and weather patterns of the area all add atmosphere to the narrative.

The author is a very good writer and it was this that kept me reading. However, I just couldn’t really get on board with the story as it developed.

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