The Wrong Boy By Cathy Ace – Blog Tour Review.

About The Book

Perched on a Welsh clifftop, the ancient, picturesque hamlet of Rhosddraig has its peaceful façade ripped apart when human remains are discovered under a pile of stones. The village pub, The Dragon’s Head, run by three generations of women, becomes the focal point for those interested in the grisly find, and it’s where layers of deceit are peeled away to expose old secrets, and deep wounds. The police need to establish who died, how, and why, but DI Evan Glover knows he can’t be involved in the investigation, because he’s just two days away from retirement. However, as the case develops in unexpected ways, it becomes irrevocably woven into his life, and the lives of local families, leading to disturbing revelations – and deadly consequences . . . 

My Review

With thanks to the author for the copy received. The Wrong Boy takes place in a remote Welsh village. I can’t remember ever reading a book set in Wales before and almost immediately I sensed the accent and more importantly the attitude towards the English. Particularly from people like Nan, who was one of the more formidable characters in the book.

The book starts with the investigation into human remains that have been found by a dog walker. Two officers are sent to the site but one of them, Evan, a local man is due to retire a few days later. Much of the novel focuses on him and his wife, Betty, a therapist both adapting to his new life. He does struggle, knowing that his colleagues can’t keep him informed but wanting to help. But the main focus isn’t on the murder investigation from a police point of view. This novel is mainly about the effect on the village, in particular on a family of three women. The afore mentioned Nan, her daughter Helen and her grand daughter Sadie. All three, Evan and Betty all narrate their own version of events.

All of the characters were believable, especially Nan and her family. The author did a fantastic job of creating their family life, their attitudes to each other and I had sympathy for Helen from her first appearance. Her mother was a nasty, vicious bully and Sadie didn’t seem much better. I also liked the description of village life, where there were no secrets and very long memories.

I did ‘solve’ the murder but because this novel had such strong characters and was set in a different area I enjoyed it thoroughly.