Review of The Flower Girl Murder

[Michelle Menezes]

[Following is a volunteer review of "The Flower Girl Murder" by Keith Hirshland.]

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2 out of 4 stars

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A murder. The victim is shot in three places- the head, the heart, and between the legs. Detective Marc Allen has had no luck finding the killer or understanding the motive. Daisy Burns was loved by her family and a valued member of the community. Why then would someone want to kill her? With zero leads, the case goes cold, just like so many other unsolved ones.

A second murder. The victim comes from a family of criminals. This one looks like a straightforward crime, and the killer seems obvious. But, it is not so simple, and it triggers a chain of events that are connected to a past murder. Will Dt. Allen be able to connect the dots and catch the murderer in time? Will Daisy's family finally get the closure they deserve?

The Flower Girl Murder by Keith Hirshland is a crime thriller with an interesting plot. The murder investigations that were carried out seemed realistic, in the sense that nothing came easily to the cops. I could sense the frustrations and helplessness they felt. I've read books where the detectives get the required information quickly, and the problem is solved in no time, which feels far-fetched. Luckily, that was not the case here.

The characters are great for the most part. They were given backstories that helped me understand their personalities and motives. It helped me like or dislike them. I liked the writing style, and the author had used the third-person perspective that added to the mystery as it became difficult to get information about the killer. The language was simple and easy to understand.

Unfortunately, there were many things I disliked about the book. The story was slow-paced, and the beginning was information-heavy with details about each and every character. It became difficult to remember them all. As the story progressed, things became clearer, but the initial confusion made me feel a little disconnected.

There were also many unnecessary details about the characters' travel history, eating habits, and other mundane things. There were also backgrounds of people who barely had two seconds of contribution in the book. For example, a person working for the news channel had absolutely nothing to do in the story, yet his whole history was given. These things did nothing to help the story move forward. They were just fillers, and they were far more than the actual plot.

The worst thing about the book was the ending. The identity of the killer was dissatisfying. Though the revelation was clear, it felt like many things didn't add up. I had to go back and reread certain scenes, but it still didn't help. The motive also felt like it was cooked up at the last minute. At first, I thought this was one of those books with an open ending where the readers make their own conclusions, but that was not the case either.

I rate the book 2 out of 4 stars for a promising plot even though it lacked proper execution. I found only one minor error, so the book was well-edited. My reading experience went smoothly due to this reason. The book contains profanity and sexual content, so I recommend it to readers who are above 18 years of age and enjoy the crime-thriller genre.

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The Flower Girl Murder
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[Clare Jose]

"The identity of the killer was dissatisfying. Though the revelation was clear, it felt like many things didn't add up."

That's a shame. When it comes to crime thrillers, the climax is the most awaited aspect of the book. Guess I'll be skipping this one.
Thank you for your detailed review.

[Muna Chizzy]

It's strange for someone to be murdered for no just cause. Seems like a book that will keep one on the edge as the police try to discover this mysterious death. Thanks for the captivating review.