The Whispering Palms is an accomplished read which has pace throughout. It tells the story of Andie Yates who is asked by a woman called Maureen Daniels to look for her daughter, Summer who has disappeared without trace. Andie is an investigator with previous police experience and so you know that you are in the presence of someone who will pursue the truth until it is found.
The difficulty that Andie faces is that looking for Summer means returning to the town where she grew up and where her mother was found dead in mysterious circumstances. Andie is keen to find Summer but she is also determined to find out more about her mother and her life but as she begins to probe, with her friend and colleague, Mac to help her, she finds that the residents of Bayswater are not keen to open up about anything. This, of course, drives her search even more.
Andie meets figures from her past and learns new things about her mother as well as meeting new influential people in the meantime. One of these is insurance investigator, Jake who seems to be interested in Andie but is he all that he seems to be or does he have a secret to hide as well?
Both Andie and Mac are characters who are likeable and the chemistry between them as colleagues and friends who know and respect each other comes across throughout. There are lots of people mentioned through the book who could be responsible for Summer’s disappearance and the plot unfolds nicely and at the right pace. Leigh’s writing is fluid and her dialogue is snappy and I found it very easy to read.
Bayswater feels like an insular environment and Leigh does well to show the caginess of all of the residents; some are reluctant to talk because of bringing up the past whereas others seem to be fearful of something or someone. There is a sense of a conspiracy and Andie’s doggedness increases the threat to her which is just what you’d expect from a good thriller.
There is nothing too heavy here. Tension and mystery is maintained throughout but it is not an incredibly dark book and it made for light and enjoyable reading.
Scuffed Granny 