Title: The Disappearance

Author: Remigiusz Mróz

Genre: Crime/Thriller

Publisher: Zaffre

Publication Date: 5th December 2024

Rating: 4/5

Cover:

Summary:

A three-year-old girl disappears without a trace from her wealthy parents’ summer house. The alarm was on all night long and the windows and doors were locked. Investigators do not find any evidence of an abduction and fear the worst.

Experienced lawyer, Joanna Chylka, and her novice protégé, Kordian Orynski, are tasked with defending a married couple charged with murder by the prosecutor’s office. The trial is circumstantial in nature, but everything seems to point to the parents’ guilt – after all, when you eliminate what is impossible, whatever remains must be the truth.

Review:

I don’t think I’ve ever read a crime thriller set in Poland before and The Disappearance was a great one to start with! I loved the setting and finding out more the intricacies and complications of the Polish legal system, which is quite different to the one here in the UK. This is a compelling read from start to finish and one that I really enjoyed. Our main character, Chylka, is a smart, witty and uncompromising lawyer who finds herself defending a childhood frenemy and her husband. The case is an intriguing one and Chylka herself is fabulous, I found her so interesting and eminently capable within her career which makes following her thought process immensely satisfying. The thing I think works best in The Disappearance is the relationship between Chylka and her protégé, Kordian, whom I also really liked. Their witty banter is brilliant and the clear undercurrent of trust and loyalty between them is actually quite touching. I believe this is the second book in a series featuring these two and whilst The Disappearance can definitely be enjoyed as a standalone, I’m absolutely going to be reading the previous instalment because I adored the relationship dynamics, the tense and propulsive nature of the story and the sharp writing. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone looking for an excellent legal thriller! 

★★★★

Thank you so much to Anne Cater of Random Things Blog Tours for inviting me on this tour and organising it. I kindly received a copy of the book from the publisher. My review is entirely my own honest opinion.

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