My recommendation for anyone who thinks this book looks interesting is to read "Missing, Presumed" first. It will really set you up for this one and you'll enjoy this book all the more for having been introduced to all of the characters in the first book. Manon is a fascinating character, with wild mood swings, going from hating everything and everybody and thinking her life is just rubbish, to being excessively happy and content with her situation, as situations change. Watching her character progress from the first book and through this one is gratifying, and you get a strikingly good mystery on top of well developed characters.

Manon Bradshaw has moved her adopted son, Fly, her sister Ellie and nephew Solomon back to Cambridgeshire to try and keep Fly away from bad influences in London. Then Solomon's dad is found murdered and Fly is implicated - has Manon made the right decision or has she brought Fly into the heart of danger?

I did enjoy the first Manon Bradshaw novel so I was interested to see how the story followed on. This second novel jumps straight in without really going back over old ground which, even as a previous reader, I found rather disorientating and a little bit confusing.

Manon herself is an interesting character but the author does seem to spend a lot of time making her, at 5 months pregnant, not able to do very much. I actually found this quite irritating and not at all true to life and it did really spoil the book for me as I cannot see why a woman who is 5 months pregnant with her first child can't walk properly!

I have always very much liked the characters of Fly and Davey and they don't disappoint again. The introduction of Mark is also positive as he is an interesting character who I would like to know more about.

The crime itself is not really a big part of the book to be honest and, even if it was, I didn't really like the people involved. I really dislike corporate "fat cats" "getting away with murder" and I think this was done quite poorly in this story.

All in all, this follow up didn't grab me as much as the first novel and I had started to get quite irritated with the character of Manon. I am not sure how the author can take it from here, but I won't be rushing to read the next one if there is one. Rather a disappointing read.

As in her first novel featuring DS Manon Bradshaw,(Missing, Presumed) Steiner places more emphasis on character development than actual police procedures and the story unfolds told from the perspective of different characters. Don’t expect explosive action or shocking twists and turns, just an attention grabbing literate read.

Steiner has an amusing sense of humor and the many ruminations of Manon make her a very real person and character I really liked. Unlike many series featuring one central character, Manon’s life does not remain static….it is changing, as are the lives of some of those around her.

While it is not necessary to have read the first book in this series, doing so will give readers more background on some of the recurring players.

Persons Of Interest

By Susie Steiner

A Edge Of Your Seat Crime Thriller !

 Manon Bradshaw a homicide detective, and single mother to her adopted son fly live with her sister Ellie and two year old son Solly in the town of Cambridgeshire.

When Ellie's ex boyfriend Jon-Oliver Ross, a well to do banker is found stabbed to death, Manon is told to step away from the case.

This edge of your seat crime thriller, weaves a dual story line with character named chapters. The second in the DS Manon Series, this one stands well on its own.
4 Stars.

I received this ARC through Netgalley from Random House Publishing Group for a honest review.

I loved the first novel featuring D.I. Manon Bradshaw, “Missing, Presumed,” and so was looking forward to reading this sequel. Manon has left London and returned to Cambridgeshire with her sister, Ellie, Ellie’s toddler son, Solly, and her adopted son, Fly. She is also expecting a baby and so, theoretically, life should be the best it has ever been. However, reality is often not as joyous as expectations and Manon finds her sister often absent, or temperamental, while Fly is not settling at school and has become withdrawn and secretive.

When Jon-Oliver Ross, a rich banker and Solly’s father, is stabbed in a park close to Fly’s school, Manon finds that her colleagues see Fly as a suspect. While Ellie behaves suspiciously and Manon feels hampered by her pregnancy, she is in a race against time to solve the case and try to reunite her family. In charge of the case is the newly promoted, Detective Sergeant Davy Walker, who feels out of his depth and uncomfortable with the way the case is going.

Sometimes, when you read the second book in a series, you are concerned it is going to be a disappointment. I am pleased to say that this is just as good as the first. The author includes lots of characters that we met in the first book, as well as introducing new faces; including the wonderful Birdie and a lawyer named Mark Talbot, who agrees to help Manon. With an exciting plot, lots of dark humour and a, far from romantic, sense of how life really is, this is an extremely good read. I look forward to reading more novels featuring Manon in the future.

In this second installment in the Manon Bradshaw series, the story begins with Manon trudging along in the cold case squad. When an active homicide comes in, Manon is stonewalled from the investigation because she is directly tied to it. As the plot unfolds, Manon's personal and professional lives begin to clash and unravel, and she desperately clings to the hope of setting them both back on the right track.

Like her last book, Steiner devotes each chapter to a different character's point of view. Early on in the story we are introduced to an alternate storyline that is separate from the murder investigation. As the book progresses the two storylines begin to weave together to more clearly focus the overall plot. All along the way Steiner has planted subtle hints and clues that keep you thinking and guessing. This is a rollercoaster read that will keep you guessing until the end.

I recommend this book to fans of mysteries, thrillers, and police procedurals. I received this as a free ARC from Random House Publishing Group in exchange for an honest review.

This is the second in the DS Manon Bradshaw series which has seen her and her 12 year old adopted son, Fly Dent, move to Cambridgeshire to live with Manon's estranged sister, Ellie, and her son, Solly. Manon transferred from London to protect Fly would be protected, have stability and a better future but never actually consulted Fly about this decision. A bullied and unsettled Fly is unhappy and missing his familiar London and his troublesome friends. Furthermore, he is feeling desperately insecure as the 42 year old Manon is pregnant as a result of IVF. Manon is now working cold cases for the police.

Jon-Oliver, a rich London banker, is fatally stabbed, he was Ellie's ex-partner and Solly's father. To Manon's dismay, Fly is captured on CCTV at the scene and has the victim's blood on his trainers. He is arrested and taken into custody despite reservations from the police team. Convinced of Fly's innocence, Manon is excluded from the police team, although DS Davey Walker keeps her informed. Despite battling morning sickness and exhaustion, Manon conducts her own personal investigation to exonerate Fly and uncover the truth behind the killing, aided by Fly's lawyer, Mark Talbot. This leads her to a distressingly close look at her own family where the manipulative Ellie is keeping her own secrets and begs the question whether we ever really know those closest to us. The case leads to dark doings in an opaque banking industry.

This is a dark, tense, character driven police procedural with a gripping narrative, delivered from multiple perspectives. It has an intricate plot that kept me hooked. The complex psychological and authentic characterisation is the greatest strength of this series. Manon feels real, with all the guilt feelings and stresses of a single mother. I particularly loved the lonely and quirky shop keeper, Birdie. Susie Steiner weaves a compelling contemporary social and cultural commentary on issues such as race and family. A great entertaining and absorbing read that I recommend. Thanks to Random House for an ARC.

*Thanks to NetGalley for a copy of this book*
I enjoyed this book, although it took me a long time to read. It seemed to develop a little slowly, and didn't really suck me in. The characters annoyed me a bit at the beginning because they all seemed so passive, but once that started to change, I got more drawn into it. It felt like it took a while to get going. I didn't know this was the 2nd in a series. I don't know if that would have made any difference either way.

The second book featuring Manon Bradshaw a female DI. Following on from the first book Missing, Presumed Manon has adopted Fly, moved back out of London and gone to a fertility clinic to conceive a child on her own. Yep a lot to take in. I don't know if I've forgotten something from the first book but the sudden pregnancy had me bewildered.
A man is found dying in the park and Fly is seen walking close to the scene at the correct time on CCTV. He is arrested and Manon can no longer be in on the case, she is left distraught. It is clear Fly is not the killer but evidence and circumstances do involve him and Manon with the man and evidence found by Davy and Harriet show that Fly is not a happy boy. You follow the case along with them Davey, Harriet and other characters.
I enjoyed the story but missed the humour that was in the other novel, and a slightly less believable story line.
Would give this 3.5 stars.
I received a copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Iwas looking forward to reading this and hoped i would be offered it by Netgalley.
I enjoyed the first Manon book and even though i enjoyed the plot felt this one lacked some things that i enjoyed in the first.
There was a lot less humour and the story line of her moving Fly away from the area he knew and the sudden need to have a baby of her own just didn't seem believable. Hence the 3 stars and not 4.

<u>Persons Unknown</u> is the second in the DS Manon series from Susie Steiner and easily matches the first volume, <u>Missing, Presumed</u>, in both plot and character development.

Steiner tends to give readers an in-depth look into how her characters think whether those thoughts are related to the case or not. This may well be what some people find tiring in her novels but it is what I find most interesting. In this case, however, everyone should be satisfied because the case is very personal for Manon so her thoughts all, to some degree, pertain to the case.

I think her use of each chapter being from the perspective of a different character works very well. It allows us to not only know recurring characters even better but lets us know some of the case-specific characters a lot better. I am thinking of Birdie here in particular.

As with many mysteries, especially police procedurals, many social and cultural issues are addressed. This is true here as well and the extra depth of character development allows those issues to have both an organizational/societal aspect as well as personal aspects on both sides of any debate.

I would recommend this to readers of both mysteries and general character-driven novels. There is plenty to appeal to both groups.

Reviewed from a copy made available by the publisher via NetGalley.

While I found the mystery itself ordinary, the characters and writing are fresh. Highly readable . This will be a purchase for my library's mystery collection.

(goodreads) https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1978823213

A sensitive and intelligent exploration of race and motherhood against the backdrop of being a police officer. Unusual and brilliantly written; this is an author at the top of her game.

A multi-layered police procedural told from alternating viewpoints, Persons Unknown again features DS Manon, a strong female detective investigating a murder in Cambridge. While working the case, Manon is pregnant, exhausted, and stressed as she struggles to parent her newly adopted son, Fly, who is 12 years old and angry at the world. An added twist will make you doubt how well you can ever really know someone. Though a sequel, this could easily be read as a stand-alone. I look forward to seeing more of DS Manon in the future!

I really love the DS Manon series, and this second instalment was a worthy follow-up to the popular first book. Manon feels like a real person, 3 dimensional rather than a flat stock-character detective, which sets her and this series apart from a lot of other police procedurals.

3.75 Stars.
I wanted to love “Persons Unknown” the sequel to Susie Steiner’s “Missing Presumed” as I really liked the first book - unfortunately for me, the mystery was somewhat lackluster and took a long time to build and the story line left me wanting.

Detective Inspector Manon Bradshaw and is back in Cambridgeshire, with her adopted black, twelve year-old son, Fly Dent. They are now living with her sister Ellie and Ellie’s son Solly, having left London. Fly hates Cambridgeshire. He misses his home in London and he misses his old friends - even if he constantly got into trouble with them. Manon thought Cambridgeshire would be better for him, yet she never asked his opinion before uprooting him. And both having been keeping secrets ever since.

Manon now works on cold cases at the police department, until a successful businessman, Jon-Oliver, who has ties to both Ellie and Solly, is stabbed on the street. Things go from bad to worse when her son, Fly is seen on the CCTV footage, wearing a black hoodie, walking past as Jon Oliver falls to the ground, thus Fly is immediately arrested. Once she is pushed out of the official investigation, Manon works to investigate the case on her own, prove Fly’s innocence and find out what really happened.

The story line is told from multiple viewpoints. That of Manon; DS Davy Walker (the investigating officer, who tries to do his job, while also trying to help his friend, Manon); Birdie (a quickie mart shop owner, who sees a lot and know everyone); and Angel (a young woman who is in need of serious help and is befriended by Birdie).

I had read Susie Steiner’s “Missing Presumed” and had extremely high hopes for this novel. I was excited to find out what happened to Manon and her adopted son Fly Dent. For me however, this story started off extremely slow. The beginning of the novel felt disjointed. The character of Manon wasn’t prominently featured until about halfway through and parts of her storyline weren’t explained until then and I was left wondering, confused by what was happening and was frankly annoyed by her actions and behavior. While I liked the characters of Birdie and Angel, I wasn’t invested in them and had a hard time connecting with the storyline. That said, around the midway point, the mystery picked up and all of the characters’ stories intertwined and from then on, my interest was piqued and I was in it.

All in all I enjoyed the book and am glad it finally got good. I look forward to seeing what else Susie Steiner has in store. Keep em’ coming.

Thank you to NetGalley, Random House Publishing Group and Susie Steiner for an ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

Published on Netgalley and Goodreads on 4/16/17.

**Will be published on Amazon on 7/4/17.

This will be posted on Murder by the Book's blog (mbtb-books.blogspot.com) shortly before the book's release:

Manon Bradshaw’s personal life is still a mess. There’s the bad, the worse, and the awful. Does it matter that she is a crackerjack police detective? No.

In this second outing for DI Bradshaw, her personal life again intrudes into her professional one. For one thing, Manon is walking like a beached battleship and can’t always get up if she is down. She’s six months pregnant. The how and why of that doesn’t come until way into the book.

It has been over a year since the events in the first book. Manon has returned to her little town of Huntingdon in Cambridgeshire, leaving her big city London job behind. That is so she and her sister can create better lives for their children. In Manon’s case, it isn’t just for her unborn child. For those who read the first book, “Missing, Presumed,” it will warm the cockles of your heart to learn that her adopted son is twelve-year-old Fly Dent, the sweet and vulnerable child whose older brother was murdered. Her sister Ellie has a three-year-old, Solomon. They all live together in an unremarkable but large house.

However, all is not well in paradise. Although the move was made to take Fly away from the poverty, drugs, and grinding lifestyle of where he is from, he feels out of place as a black boy in a very white town. Also, he is in trouble at school, often asked to babysit his young cousin, and buries his head in a book at every opportunity. And let’s not get into his monosyllabic responses! Manon finds out that he has skipped school at least once to travel back to his old London neighborhood. Can she win Fly’s heart if their new life is already stacked against them?

Worst of all (actually, worse is yet to come!), she has been sidelined from active duty. When a murder case occupies the squad, she eavesdrops, offers unwanted suggestions, and inserts her nose where it doesn’t belong. Her old colleague and former underling, Davy Walker, is supervising the case, something Manon used to do with Davy’s assistance. Sigh.

A man has been found stabbed to death in a nearby stretch of woods. A woman was walking on the same trail when she saw the man fall. He whispered what sounded like, “Sass,” as he died. The murder weapon cannot be found. It is discovered that the man had just arrived by train, walked the short distance to the woods, and then died.

Susie Steiner’s plotting shows her genius. Why are there holes in the testimony of the woman who found the man? Is she his killer? Then she claims to have seen someone else in the woods. A black man with a hood? A black boy, perhaps? Fly? Is her testimony reliable? I want to be careful and respect Steiner’s meticulous layering of the story, including the revelation of who the dead man is, so this review is rather sparse in details. But Steiner presents a deliciously layered crime-cake.

Manon is hard to like as a character; she’s too needy and self-involved. She spent the first book whinging, crying, and being a mess. She does less of that in “Persons Unknown,” trying desperately to pull herself up to face her new responsibilities, but she still has to be rescued by her incredibly tolerant friends. Her saving grace is she is a tenacious and intelligent snooper. Despite not being on the official team investigating the murder, she has an advantage. Besides the above-mentioned qualities, she is not hampered by certain assumptions the team is making.

My favorite new character is Birdie Fielding, who headlines one of the many sections of “Persons Unknown.” She is an overweight convenience store owner in London. She accidentally becomes involved in the case. She loves Tony Blair, disgraced though he may be. She misses her grandmother. She watches reality shows in her apartment above the store. Then this heretofore lonely, complex, intelligent woman living an ordinary life falls headlong into a dangerous situation. Steiner wins five gold stars for this character and her part in the story.

Finally, finally, Manon moves slowly outside of her own needs. The promise and ending for “Missing, Presumed” is realized in this.

This is the second book in Steiner's detective series about DI Manor Bradshaw, following on from the interesting opener to the series, 'Missing Presumed'. This novel builds on the promise of the first, delivering a well plotted and engaging mystery with a realistic and likeable heroine.

We pick up Manon's story a bit later on from the first book. She is pregnant and working on cold cases for the local police force near to where she lives with her unconventional family set-up in Huntingdon. The murder of a young businessman on her home turf seems to deliver a clear-cut case, but things are never as they first seem and Manon finds herself personally engaged in the outcome of investigations.

What I really loved about this was the different perspectives and how they came together to form the solution for the case. It was good to hear some distinctive and quirky characters, such as Tony Blair-loving Bridie or disillusioned policeman Davy. It was interesting to get different views of events and piece together who knew what, especially as the story was full of twists; you sometimes felt one step ahead of the investigators and willing them to catch up!

I'd recommend this for readers who like police procedurals with a twist. Fans of the first novel should also be pleased - this second installment is even better!

Manon Bradshaw has returned to her old workplace in Cambridgeshire, but things are not the same. For one thing, she is on Cold Cases, while compatriots Davy and Harriett continue with Major Crimes. For another, she has uprooted adopted son Fly from London, the only home he has ever known, but a place where he was increasingly encountering society's stereotypes of young black men as troublemakers. And then there's the fact that she's expecting a new baby, without a father or romantic partner in the picture. When a London banker is murdered in the local park, and circumstantial evidence points to Fly, Manon must use her knowledge of police procedure to parallel Davy and Harriett's official investigation, and save hurt and sullen Fly from the dangers of a juvenile detention facility. This will appeal to those who enjoy police procedurals with strong relationships and personal sidelines. The evolving relationship between Manon and Fly is particularly compelling.