I think Susie Steiner is as good as Tana French. I was impressed after reading her first DS Manon book; this second one only confirms it. If you like crime/police novels (especially British ones), you really should give this series a try.

What I love about Steiner is how she writes more than suspense novels (though she's good at the suspense part too). She writes about class and race and family and guilt and love, all without being heavy handed or preachy. Her characters are relatable, and I stayed up too late last night to finish this.

I received this review copy from the publisher on NetGalley. Thanks for the opportunity to read and review; I appreciate it!

This is not right, something’s not right. There are forces in the room that are not being talked about, invisible as magnetic fields, pulling the investigation in a direction it doesn’t want to go.

Quickly picking up the plot-lines left from her previous novel, Missing, Presumed, Susie Steiner enmeshes readers into the familiar life of Manon Bradshaw in Persons Unknown; however a few surprises still remain to be discovered.

For the first time in Manon’s life, she is not moving through the world alone. She has a companion tucked inside her, her favorite kind of human: silent.

Manon is grappling with the demands that her job, her pregnancy and her new adoptive son, Fly require of her. After a futile attempt at transformation and escape via London, Manon and her makeshift family, including her sister, Ellie and nephew Solomon, return to Cambridgeshire. While this may suit Manon and her sister, Fly is at odds being the only Black teenager in the neighborhood. Manon begs to return to her job and is swiftly caught up by the river of detective work when a new crime rents a giant hole through her personal life.

“Got an ID yet?” “Jon-Oliver Ross,” says Harriet, peering into Manon’s paper bag. “Have you got an apricot one of those? Posh banker type, from Lon—” “Fuck,” says Manon. “What?” says Harriet. “Fuck,” Manon says again, feeling behind her for a surface on which to perch or steady herself. “He’s Solly’s dad. Jon-Oliver is Ellie’s ex.”

As quickly as this news can be delivered, Manon faces another blow. Fly is arrested as one- the only- suspect in the murder of his adoptive cousin’s father. When rock-solid evidence points to Fly’s proximity to the murder, Manon questions both the reason behind Fly’s presence at the scene and the possible prejudices of her coworkers.

She’d had to have “the conversation” with him back in London, when he was repeatedly being stopped and searched: her sermon on how to behave with the police. Don’t get their backs up, don’t disagree, don’t be impolite, don’t question their authority. And she’d thought, as she said it, that what she was really saying was, You cannot be fully yourself in this situation. You must reduce yourself, because the justice system that protects me is a risk to you.

A battle of sorts ensues- outwardly between Manon and the police department as she is now unable to have any participation in the investigation of this case given it’s personal nature and inwardly between Manon’s pure love for her son and the realization that she is outside of her depth in raising him. Is it possible for Manon to save Fly? Who can she trust to look beyond the bias of race? What will they find if they do?

Not without the trademark Manon humor, Persons Unknown is a well-paced mystery that wrestles with the tough topics of dishonesty, race and corruption and doesn’t shy away from revealing them in full light. When it is all unveiled, it becomes clear that we can never truly know everything about a person.

“You may not know him as well as you think you do.”

Thanks Random House Publishing Group - Random House and netgalley for this ARC.

Susie Steiner keeps this series jumping! This one had me outraged at the present day prejudices of some characters and proud of others in their empathy. This is one of the best contemporary police procedurals this year.

I have such spoiler-y feelings about this book. I wish I’d read it in a book club so I could discuss it even more freely. This novel follows the character Manon, who was first introduced in the novel Missing, Presumed, which I really enjoyed. In this sequel, Manon is now raising adopted son Fly and expecting a baby of her own. She’s moved in with her younger sister and they’ve returned to the location of the first novel after several years in London.

I thought the author did an excellent job of setting up what occurred in the past that we needed to know for this novel without spending too much time there. My big problem with this book is the mystery. It just wasn’t as interesting to me as as the story before it, and I can’t even recall the specific details of the previous mystery. Manon is still a great character but I couldn’t help sharing her frustration at being sidelined from the action thanks to her pregnancy. If you read and enjoyed Missing, Presumed, I’d say give this one a try but I’m hard-pressed to find anything here for new readers. I enjoyed it, but it wasn’t a must read for me like the first book. Still very good, but not at as urgent of a read or recommendation.

As we return to Steiner's series, we find Manon pregnant, working cold cases, and searching for that elusive work-life balance. She's moved from London to Cambridge in search for a better life for her adopted (nearly) teenage son, Fly. The two live with Manon's sister, Ellie, and her toddler son, Solly. Unfortunately, Fly is not happy: he feels uprooted from his home and all he has known, even if Manon has brought him to Cambridge to start over, to keep him safe. She knows, too, that the new baby won't make things easier between them. Then Ellie's ex and Solly's dad, wealthy Jon-Oliver Ross, is found dead and things quickly go awry for the entire Bradshaw clan. Manon finds herself trying to protect her beloved son and on the outside of an investigation at the force.

This is the sequel to Steiner's first novel featuring DI Manon Bradshaw, and I found it even better than the first. Told from varying POV--Manon; another DS, Davy; a shop clerk named Birdie; and Angel, a young woman whom Birdies assists, the book is intriguing from the start, even if it begins a bit slowly. Storylines run almost in parallel, which ratchets up the suspense, and we even occasionally dip back in time. Poor Manon still isn't doing very well (she wasn't exactly in the best of shape in Missing, Presumed), as she struggles with a new home and dealing with her role as Fly's parent. He's facing trouble at school and seems depressed in their new home. The characters are all well-developed and quite fascinating: at first, I wasn't sure if Birdie and Angel would just drag the story down, but they were both quite interesting in their own right.

Parts of the novel are downright heartbreaking: especially some of the tales Angel tells us and bits and pieces of Manon and Fly's relationship. Steiner's novels are certainly tinged with a tad of melancholy (and some of Manon's patented poor decision-making). But the plot on this one is quite engaging, keeping me reading late into the night and guessing the entire time. The novel does an excellent job of a creating a tangled web and casting plenty of doubt on each and every potential suspect.

Further, I loved so many of the characters and found myself highlighting quotes left and right - even if Manon frustrated me, I do very much care for and relate to her, and I liked Davy much more this time, too. Birdie was a charming character, as well. In addition, the novel offers such a timely look at race (even if set in another country from my own). So often I just wanted to give Fly or Manon a hug, or set things right.

In the end, this is a captivating mystery novel. It's slow start ends quickly and is all but forgotten once Manon gets more involved in her own shadow investigation to protect Fly. I think with each novel, I grow to love Manon more and more. I had my suspicions about who did it, but the novel kept me guessing and reading. Definitely enjoyed this one, and I hope Steiner brings Manon back for a third book in the series.

https://mjletstalkbooks.wordpress.com/2017/06/29/persons-unknown-susie-steiner/
A really welcome return to Manon, Fly, Davy and Harriet. Disappointingly this was not as good as 'Missing Presumed'. I think this is due to Manon being in a different situation and confined to desk duties and this novel does suffer from Manon not being actively involved in the investigation.
However I liked the focus on Manon trying to find a perfect family life and struggling with her new life with Fly. The plot is very family orientated and very emotional as a result. Steiner portrays the relationship between Manon and Fly very realistically, showing the struggles but the underlying need to remain together.
The investigation for 'Persons Unknown' is a slow burn and became gripping for me the more I read. There are no big thrills but it is worth it in the end.

Beautifully written with colourful characters! Manon is a homicide detective, living with her adopted son and her sister. Her son is a suspect in a murder. How do you cope with a suspect in your family and you still have a job to do? Manon is told she has to be off the case but can she stay away? How does she balance her job and the family drama? This story is a great page turner and I would read more from this author.

This is the second detective Manon Bradshaw book, I was looking forward to reading it, and I wasn’t disappointed.
It starts with a murder in a park, and then goes on to the investigation.
Manon isn’t initially directly involved, her circumstances have changed, and she is investigating cold cases. However, when her adopted son Fly is implicated, she rushes to his defence.
What I like about this book, and her previous book, Missing, Presumed, is the characters surrounding the case, they are all well drawn and engage with the reader.
Alright, maybe police procedure isn’t totally accurate, but I would happily sacrifice that for such a cracking story.
The narrative is told through various voices, I particularly like Davy, the policeman who is having a crisis of confidence, and Birdy, an overweight shop owner, who’s story seems to be unconnected with the murder until all becomes clear.
The resolution is clever, and unexpected.
I admit that Manon isn’t my favourite detective, she isn’t the most likeable person, and I’m not sure where her story can go next, but I would certainly like to hear more of the rest of her team, and Birdie.
I will certainly read the next book!

Thanks to Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group – Random House for the opportunity to read this book.

I liked this book, especially after the story got moving. It took me a while to get used to the disjointed way it was written but after a while I just took it in stride and kept reading. I love Manon and how much she loves her adopted son, Fly. I could feel her pain when Fly was arrested and charged with murder. There were a lot of twists and turns and although I kind of thought I had an idea of who the murderer was, I wasn't entirely right. I look forward to another installment in this series, it will be interesting to see where it goes...

I loved Missing Presumed and was very eager to read Persons Unknown, the next in Susie Steiner's series. What I most enjoyed in reading both books was the author's ability to create a quirky, interesting protagonist in Manon. I enjoyed Manon's observations on the bonds of parenting and her experience of pregnancy. Early on, I was glued to this book because I was so worried for Fly, Manon's adoptive son. I found the mystery itself a bit less strong but that did not lessen my enjoyment of this book. Thanks for allowing me to read it.

Agh, this was an unfortunate one for me.

I read Missing, Presumed, which was my introduction to Steiner. I liked it enough (four stars on goodreads, actually) to automatically request this second one in the series.

Unfortunately, the element I liked least in Missing surfaces here as a primary plot point, and that is Manon's adopted son. I don't know what it is about this relationship but it just falls flat to me. So when it came up as a primary element on top of what felt like an already sluggish beginning, it couldn't retain my interest.

I am disappointed to say that I didn't finish this one; in fact, I stopped reading around the 20% mark. Because this isn't nearly enough to provide a fair public review, I'm not going to post one on goodreads.

Thanks for the opportunity to try this one out; I'll keep Steiner in my sights, but based on this second one in the Manon series, it might be another series that I'll look for.

I’ve been in a bit of a slump lately. The last few books I’ve read have been ok…nothing wrong with them but not anything that made me lock myself away & force abandoned family members to forage for themselves ’til I was done.

When I read the blurb on this, I was hoping for an exciting & complex police procedural that would keep me guessing. Sadly, it was not to be. Yes, Manon Bradshaw is a cop but despite the fact it opens with a body this is much more about the MC’s domestic situation than hunting down bad guys.

To be fair, she is forgiven for being a bit scattered & preoccupied. Manon is 42, 5 months pregnant & lives with sister Ellie, nephew Solly & adopted son Fly. She recently left the bright lights of London for a slower life with the police force in Huntingdon. Her crushing workload at the Met has been replaced by regular hours spent combing through cold cases. Impending single-motherhood is daunting enough. So she really doesn’t need the added stress of Ellie’s problems, Solly’s tantrums & Fly’s troubles at school. The proverbial icing on the cake is provided when the body is identified as Ellie’s ex.

That’s just the beginning of a convoluted story line that will cause Manon’s professional life to come crashing into her personal one. The author has a very distinctive writing style, often in present tense with characters’ random thoughts popping up in the narrative. Chapters alternate narrators so you get multiple POV’s. The investigation throw up a few surprises but you’ll have your suspicions early on as to who is involved. Instead of being full of suspense, it’s more of a vehicle to foreshadow big change to Manon’s home life.

The case is wrapped up by the end but several other plot lines are left open. I haven’t read the first in the series & perhaps that’s why I had a hard time connecting with the MC. That’s on me. It all comes down to the fickle element of personal taste & if you read & loved “Missing, Presumed”, no doubt you’ll find much to enjoy here.

This is a great book that one will never want to end. I look forward to reading other books by this author.

I first discovered this series when I was searching for readalikes for Tana French's Dublin Murder Squad series. While I liked MISSING PRESUMED, I absolutely loved PERSONS UNKNOWN! It seemed as though Steiner really hit her stride with this one. Manon, Davy, and Harriet are very likable characters, and I enjoy their relationship dynamics as they try to crack a case. I also fell in love with the eccentric Birdie and thought Steiner did a fantastic job weaving her narration and POV into the story. The twist with Ellie at the end was superb. I continue to find Manon's love life a bit puzzling. Her relationship with Mark felt odd and out of place, and overall I wish there was less time spent on her personal family life and more time spent on the actual solving of the crime. However, this series continues to grab my attention and I already can't wait to read the next in the series!

After finishing "Missing, Presumed", I knew I'd found a new favorite author. Ms. Steiner reunites Manon, Harriet and Davy in this sequel, but now they find themselves working on a case from different perspectives and with different interests. Ms. Steiner's characters are so real you miss them when the book winds up. That's how you know you've gotten to enjoy a good book the way good books are meant to be. If you haven't already discovered this author, please do yourself a favor and look her up. You won't be sorry, I promise!

Thanks to the author, her publisher Random House and Netgalley.com for allowing me to spend some more time with Manon in this new mystery.

I liked Missing Presumed and was looking forward to Persons Unknown. This book just took off with little backstory from the previous novel and while I remembered as I went, it would have been nice to have a little more help. 😊 I found that there wasn't that much suspense and the story focused more on the characters than the actual crime. While an OK read, I was hoping for much more in this second book in the series!

Susie Steiner is fast becoming my favorite new author. She knocks it out of the park with the second DI Manon Bradshaw series. A rare treat!

Gosh I hated this book. "Missing Presumed" was ok but this one, no.