I award this a solid 4.5 stars.

Betty Broadbent is a 15 year old girl who helps her mother Dolores manage the Hotel Eden in St. Steele, a village on the south coast of Cornwall, England. It's 1956, and the hotel is fully booked with news reporters. There has been a slew of murders recently, all blond young girls on the cusp of womanhood. Betty's Dad died in the war, so it's just her and Mom Dolores running the hotel which the Eden family owns. Betty is mature beyond her years and precocious, forced into adulthood by her family situation. Her pretty Mom Dolores has an intermittent drinking problem which leads to a stretch of days where she may be out of commission. Mom is also flirtatious with men and always seems to dabble with the wrong sort. No matter, Betty faithfully and lovingly tends to her Mom when needed...when she's drunk and stumbling around and needs to be tucked into bed to sleep it off. So, Betty is programmed to get up early, serve the hot tea, kippers, eggs, and toast with sugar and cinnamon to their boarders. If this sounds like a cozy murder mystery, you're right...but it's much more than that. 

One of the reporters is a tall, dark and handsome...but rather aloof and "stormy"...man named John Gallagher. Although Betty is 15 (but closer to 16) and John Gallagher is more than twice her age, they forge a strong attraction. He loves the very frank way Betty speaks to him and even comes up with bylines for his columns without trying. However, their age difference provides romantic angst that simmers throughout the book. 

There are alternating time periods of 1956 and 50 years later which weave together to form a rich story of a murder mystery and tender forbidden love, all set in the background of a quaint English village. This was an unexpected gem that I highly recommend.

I received an advance copy of this from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I made it to 77% before giving myself permission to let go of Betty Boo-Boo and her troubles. Time to move on.

I was excited to read this one. Comparisons to Tana French are compelling inducements. This is NOT Tana French, by a long shot.

Cycling between 1956 and 2006 could have been interesting. It was tedious.

We have the Cornish Cleaver and at least 8 or 9 dead blonde girls with slashed throats. This was supposed to be an exciting thriller.

Instead, we never even learn the names of the dead girls, except one, who is only ever Miss Hollinghurst. This is a small town being terrorized by a slasher serial killer, but instead, all anybody does is make out with everybody else.

This is a 1950s treatise on the importance of getting and keeping a man, at all costs, no matter how boring, unattractive and flubby he may be.

It is also about 15-year-old Betty who hasn't got the sense God gave a cow, bless her, and her disgusting alcoholic mother who calls her Betty Boo-Boo. They love each other in a stifingly codependant way.

But it's okay, Betty gets a man, in the end, though he is not the man she loves. No, that's the creepy 30-year-old reporter who's just a weird plot device. But in 2006, in a home for rich people suffering from dementia, he'll know Betty instantly. It was true love, of course.

During the course of this book, we are treated to graphic depictions of Betty Boo-Boo peeing, vomiting and a particularly colorful miscarriage. Her little "giblet."

Some disclaimers, so you can forge ahead and read this masterpiece for yourself, knowing that my review is biased: I was the daughter of an alcoholic mother, I suffered a toxic codependent marriage and also a miscarriage. 

NONE OF THIS HAS ANYTHING TO DO WITH THE CORNISH CLEAVER!!!!!

I just can't summon enough energy or excitement to get to the end and determine if Betty Boo-Boo's killer theory is correct. 

As far as I'm concerned, the Cornish Cleaver didn't slash the right throats to shut this one up. 

Really, the lackluster apathy was bad enough, but it was the "giblet" that did me in.

I'm always impressed with any book with a mystery at its center that manages to surprise me in resolving it. I read so many of these types of books that I can usually see the twists and turns coming a mile away. Well, in this book I continually found myself thinking things like, "well obviously this person is so-and-so, 50 years from now" or "clearly so-and-so is the murderer" and being totally wrong. I loved that. 

This book is full of little gem moments, (for example describing what it's like in the brain of someone with dementia who is trying to have a conversation.) However, it also has some that might be off-putting for some readers. For one, its central relationship is one between a 30 year old man and 15 year old girl that turns sexual. Additionally, there is a intensely and graphically described miscarriage scene that might be super triggering for anyone who's experienced one. For me, the unsentimental way both were described merely added to the complexity and trueness of the story.

Overall, a pretty great read. Unfortunately, I will likely remember the story longer than I will the title of this book (which is ironically forgettable.) Also, (not that anyone's asking) but I like the newer cover with the red blotch and photo much better than the original one (which kind of felt like a maxi-pad ad from 1968.)

Thanks to the author and NetGalley for granting me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

Fantastic story!  The plot was very clever, very twisty and really unpredictable .Everything I look for in a thriller, I could not read it fast enough. It made me think and kept me guessing, very well written, I can't recommend it enough. Thanks so much to the Publishers and Netgalley for an ARC.

I can’t quite put my finger on what exactly was missing from this. 

Usually I don’t mind jumping back and forth in the story between past and present but I wasn’t moved by the past anymore than I was the present. I felt like I didn’t connect to either version of the narrator. 

The love story had no heart and was kinda gross and considering that’s one of the main parts of the story, it kind of fails to keep the story interesting. 

I also felt like the whodunnit was kind of obvious.

This is nicely written and believable but I just couldn’t invest in the story. Thank you for the chance to preview it

Weaving back and forth between past and present, The Unforgotten by Laura Powell is an intriguing mystery about a spate of murders in a seaside town.

 In 1956, fifteen year old Betty Broadbent lives with her mom, Dolores, who manages the Hotel Eden in St. Steele. When young women are targeted by a particularly vicious killer, several journalists descend on the small town as they cover the story.  Betty is instantly fascinated with Gallagher, a reporter who is twice her age. Despite her mom’s best efforts to pair her daughter with George Paxon, the son of a wealthy factory owner, Betty and Gallagher are soon seeing one another in secret due to the impropriety of their fledgling romance. In between trying to convince Gallagher there is nothing wrong with their relationship, Betty covers for her mother, who seems to be suffering from bipolar disorder and a drinking problem.

 In 2006, Mary Sugden has received a troubling diagnosis but before she can tell her husband, Jerry and daughter Cath about it, she is distracted by a troubling news story about the person who was convicted of the brutal murders in St. Steele a half a century earlier.  Mary is determined to right a wrong, so she tracks down the only person who can possibly prove what she believes to the identity of the real killer.

 Both storylines are interesting but the story arc set in 1956 is rather slow paced and none of the characters are particularly well-developed or likable. Betty is a curious blend of mature and hopelessly naive. She is obviously dealing with a lot since her mother’s behavior is unpredictable as she veers back and forth between manic highs and bouts of deep depression which leave her bedridden. Dolores is also searching for love and her heart is broken numerous times when these relationships inevitably end. Betty is obedient to her mother but she is impatient with Dolores’ attempt to set her up with George. Needless to say, once Betty meets Gallagher, she cannot bring herself to completely reject George, but she definitely becomes more resistant to her mother’s matchmaking. Betty is also frustrated by Gallagher’s frequent changes of heart where she is concerned.

 Readers who are expecting a straight up mystery will most likely be underwhelmed by how quickly the murders take a bit of a backseat to the drama playing out in the Hotel Eden.  The few mentions of the ongoing investigation paint a portrait of a suspect being railroaded as the police try to wrap up the case in order to placate the frightened townspeople. It is not until the events in present that the person convicted of the crimes is named but is this person actually responsible for the murders?

 The Unforgotten by Laura Powell is a character driven novel with an fascinating mystery to solve.  Unfortunately, the plot is rather melodramatic and it is difficult to become overly invested with the characters since they are so poorly developed and impossible to like. The identity of the killer is rather easy to guess even though the motive for the crimes is elusive.  There are a few unexpected twists that are revealed later in the story but the conclusion is abrupt and somewhat unsatisfying.

What will you do for love? What would you sacrifice?

Mary Sugden chose to say nothing long ago - a choice that led an innocent man to be imprisoned.  A choice that has haunted her life, and has now reared its head once more.  The novel alternates between the present and the past, her memories and her actions as she chooses to face what happened long ago.

The Unforgotten is a powerful novel, bittersweet in its portrayal of a mother daughter bond turned topsy turvy by bipolar disorder.  Betty is as much mother as daughter as she cares for her mother, whose days fly between brittle heights of frenetic activity and devastating lows made worse by broken relationships and temporary flings.  It’s 1956, and Betty’s world is unraveling at the seams.  A chain of murders is plaguing the small Cornish village, and the small hotel managed by her mother is filled with reporters hungry for news.  Amongst them is Mr Gallagher, a reporter twice her age.  Each fascinates the other and Betty dares to hope for a different life.  But actions have far reaching consequences.

The Unforgotten is devastating in its frankness.  Noone is left unchanged in the wake of the murders and the events that follow, not even the reader.

The Unforgotten is an excellent novel that will definitely be remembered by readers long after the final page is turned.

5 / 5

I received a copy of The Unforgotten from the publisher and Netgalley.com in exchange for an honest review.

--Crittermom

This book was absolutely engaging. I found myself huddled in bed with a nice warm cup of tea trying to figure out what happened to Betty, and the Cornish Cleaver. This book was wonderfully reminiscent of older Agatha Christie mysteries and I was absolutely charmed by the wonderful descriptions of her small (albeit sadly fictional as I figured out on Google maps) town. The characters were wonderfully flawed and I was continually surprised by the twists and turns that this lovely story took. I highly enjoyed it and would recommend it to anyone looking for a wonderful vacation or airplane read.

Thanks to the publisher, via Netgalley, for the opportunity to read and review this title.

This was a quick read for me and it shifted between past and present, which caused me to frequently retrace my steps. The setting is a mid-fifties hotel in Cornwall where a group of reporters are living while they cover the story of  a serial killer nicknamed the "Cornwall Clever". Our protagonist is Betty, a fifteen year old girl, who helps her mother run the hotel. Betty has a school girl crush on one of the reporters, Mr. Gallagher.  Mr. Gallagher knows this and exploits it in more ways than one.

I never really bonded with any of the characters. Betty's mom has some sort of mental health issue which is compounded by the stress of running the boarding house and trying to take care of her's and Betty's future, on top of which she drinks too much. Periodically, her depression becomes overwhelming and she takes to bed while Betty ends up taking over her responsibilities. Betty's best friend Mary seems to only be using Betty as bait to attract a boyfriend of her own. Mr. Gallagher tries using Betty as a source for local gossip, but then becomes caught up in Betty's romantic ideas.

In short, I couldn't find anyone to like in this story although I did feel sorry for Betty.

On top of all of that, the ending felt rushed and confusing. I can't say I'd recommend it.

Set in Cornwall, a murderer is on the loose.

Betty Broadbent lives with her mother and told in two timelines 50 years apart this is a very good read.

I was entertained with Betty and her mother Delores and I loved the guessing game of who is the killer.

This is a superb tale, and one I will be recommending to my reading group. 

There is  much to debate,  especially about the relationship between Betty and her mother. 

Excellent reading

In 1956, the seaside town of St. Steele in England is besieged by a series of murders of young women. Betty Broadbent, a precocious fifteen-year-old, lives at the Hotel Eden with her mercurial mother who is the manager there. As Betty strikes up a friendship with John  Gallagher, a much older reporter who is staying at the Hotel Eden and reporting on the murders, she discovers a forbidden attraction to the man even as she soon believes that she has uncovered the identity of the murderer.

Therein lies the dilemma, as if Betty reveals how she knows who the murder is, she risks implicating John in his illicit relationship with her.

Powell alternates between 1956 and fifty years later when a woman named Mary is coming to terms with the ghosts of her past as she feels that if she had gone to the police with her suspicions decades before, a man she thinks to be innocent wouldn’t have spent so many years in prison.

The suspense surrounding the murders in the small fishing village is heightened by the alternate storyline featuring Mary’s 21st century life. As the two storylines brilliantly converge, the secrets of the past are finally unearthed leading to a breathless and unanticipated conclusion.

Ooohhhh my goodness!!  So between the fabulous book cover and intriguing synopsis for The Unforgotten, I was instantly captivated .  I literally finished this book in a day because I had to get to the bottom if what exactly happened in the small English village of St. Steele over 50 years ago!!!

I love mystery/thriller’s and Laura Powell did a fantastic job of coming up with an original storyline that kept will keep you guessing until the very end!! I had a couple of thoughts of the who, what, where and when, but I was 100% wrong—love that!!  When the mystery was revealed my jaw hit the floor!!!  I thought Laura Powell did an amazing job of time hopping between 1956 and present day throughout the novel, the back and forth added so much suspense.  Layered amid all of the mystery was a touching romance that was both heartbreaking and heartwarming and everything in between!  The Unforgotten is a solid 5 star read that would make the perfect book club selection!!

The Unforgotten by Laura Powell (release date Feb. 8, 2018).
⭐️⭐️⭐️.
.
A debut novel compared to Louise Penny and Tana French, The Unforgotten explores the repercussions when two people decide to remain silent about the truth of a murderer in their midst.
.
Fifteen-year-old Betty helps her bipolar mother run a local inn in Cornwall. When a serial killer begins slashing young women, a horde of reporters stay in her inn. One, John Gallagher, strikes up an unlikely relationship with the teenager. Their decisions lead them to a tenuous position of knowing who the murderer may be but unable to reveal the truth without endangering their own futures. What follows is years of regret, guilt, and mistaken ideas.
.
Similar to Tana French, this is not a murder novel; it's a novel with a murder in it that explores human nature and weakness. Powell examines how far one will go to suppress the truth in order to protect those we love. There is a big twist at the end that completely surprised me and changed my entire perspective of the novel.
.
But I knocked it down to 3 stars because there is one aspect of the plot line that I have a really big problem with - not so much about what happened but how it was presented in the narrative. I can't really talk about it without giving it away, but it's partially related to my work with teenagers, which makes me a bit biased. I'm looking forward to discussing this with others; DM me if you've read this too!
.
This book doesn't come out til Feb. 8, 2018. Thanks so much for the advance copy, Net Galley! I received a digital Galley in exchange for an honest review.

The Unforgotten is a lovely mystery. Set in Cornwall, the atmosphere is deftly created. Young girls are being murdered in the idyllic village of St. Steele. Betty Broadbent, 15 years old, is as afraid as the other girls in the town are but she is distracted by falling in love with one of the reporters covering the case. He is staying at the boarding house Betty helps her mother run.

Powell's portrayal of young love is as touching as her ability to conjure up the brutal murders against which the love story is played out. Betty is a vivid drawn character with whom I fell in love. Young, proud, fierce, yet vulnerable, she is the heart of the tale. Her relationship with her unstable mother, her longing to love and beloved pulled me in and kept me engaged throughout the entire novel.

Most of the story is told through Betty's eyes but it is a welcome choice when Powell switches the point of view to let us know things we otherwise would never have known, even as the mystery is solved and the killer finally known. There are many shocks and surprises in this work but, for me, its greatest strength is the story of love and loss, of weakness and power, and the balance among these things.

I strongly recommend this book not only for mystery lovers like myself but for those who enjoy an unusual love story, the bond between lovers but also the other bonds we form. Along with the usual love story, there is also the relationship between Betty and her troubled mother. We see how deeply Betty is able to love and how much she's willing to do for the person she loves. This is sometimes a gift and sometimes a curse. But, in this story, it is always of interest.

I want to thank NetGalley, Gallery Books, and Laura Powell for the opportunity to read this lovely book.