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Book Review: The Killing of Polly Carter by Robert Thorogood




Book: The Killing of Polly Carter 

Author: Robert Thorogood 

Pages: 369

Read: Paperback copy 

Read in: 4 hours 

Plot Summary: Supermodel Polly Carter was famed for her looks and party-girl lifestyle. Now she's dead, apparently having thrown herself from the clifftop near her home on the island of Saint-Marie. Those who knew her say Polly would never have killed herself…and when he is called in to investigate, DI Richard Poole is inclined to agree there is more to Polly’s death than meets the eye.

Already fighting a losing battle against the intense summer heat of the Caribbean, Richard now faces fresh adversaries: a stream of alibis; a host of conflicting motives; and, worst of all, a visit from his mother. A frenzy which would surely allow a murderer to slip away unnoticed…yet Richard is certain that the guilty party is still on the island.
As his team closes in on Polly’s household, Richard becomes convinced that the model’s death was an inside job. And he's determined to prove who planned the killing of Polly Carter, and why…

Things I Liked:
  • The premise is really interesting. A supermodel, supposedly, jumps off to her own death in front of a couple of eye witnesses. Everything points to her death being a suicide, but a few things don't add up. Multiple people in her life with a motive to want her dead. Multiple people with questionable alibis. A very interesting story about complicated interpersonal dynamics. 
  • This was a really great murder mystery. Like I said, Polly Carter had a lot of unhappy, angry people in her life; people who hated her and would rather see her dead. So, it was no surprise that she died under mysterious circumstances. But the way in which she died made it seem impossible for anyone to have killed her. I love how Richard and team went about solving this crime and the multiple new motives they unearthed. 
  • There were some very good red herrings in this book! About two or three people looked like they could easily have killed Polly. I love nicely created red herrings in murder mysteries, especially, when they could all potentially be the real killer.
  • This book was also very entertaining to read because Richard's mother is visiting Saint-Marie and having some sort of a mid-life crisis! Richard trying to Parent Trap his parents is hilarious! 
  • There is a very neat twist at the end. I love how the murder is explained by Richard! I live for good reveals in mystery books and TV shows. Any Monk fans here?! 
Rating: 5/5
This is a really great murder mystery book that fans of Agatha Christie and classic whodunnits will really enjoy! Highly recommend! 
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