It was difficult to put my finger on how I feel after finishing this book. There are aspects of it that are very well-done. The two timelines (one in the fifties and one decades later) switch seamlessly and Betty’s voice remains consistent. I enjoyed Betty as an unreliable narrator, as a fifteen-year-old in an abusive home would be. She’s both insecure and brazen which is perfect characterization for the age. I did not enjoy Gallagher until the introduction of his point-of-view chapters at which point I found him very interesting.

My issue though comes down to I first impression of this book being a murder thriller. It’s really not though. The Cornish Cleaver investigation is only part of the story so crime fiction fans might feel wanting in the end. And romance fans won’t be pleased to realize that the romance in the story involves a fifteen-year-old girl. It’s more a story of Betty herself and how she exists around and between all of what transpires. However, sometimes the descriptions get too airy and over-the-top for my taste because the tone reminds me of documentary films.

The beginning was solid but the middle was dull. The reveal of the Cleaver’s identity was my favorite part of the book. I was pleased that my guess was wrong because the character chosen is perfectly inline with the story looking back. The last few chapters of the book were its best but I found the ending was a bit wanting. All in all, it was a good book (wonderful for a debut) but not a great book.

Note: I received a free Kindle edition of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I would like to thank NetGalley, the publisher Gallery Threshold, and the author Laura Powell for the opportunity to do so.

Using a dual timeline with multiple points of view, the story for Mary/Betty comes together to present a lives full of challenges and secrets, regrets and recrimination, but above all a chance to find some peace with the past. The Betty of 1956 is sheltered, naïve and constantly working to find a normalcy in her life with her mother: a woman who vacillates between frenetic and often drunken manic cheerfulness and near-catatonic depressions, leaving Betty to cajole, comfort and care for her. Add to that the fact that they live and run a small guest hotel in Cornwall, now full up with journalists seeking the story of the multiple murders of young women. Here the voice for Betty was as one would expect, although riddled with secrets and never quite able to know what she’ll wake up to from her mother: the tension within her, and her search for herself and acceptance is clearly presented and palpable.

Less certain for me was the older version of Mary/Betty: the stagnant feel of her voice: the multiple self-doubts, the avoidance of situations, the constant feeling that she was in a holding pattern from the events of her childhood just didn’t allow her to forget, share or even make sense of her life. Here is where I had some difficulty with the progression – since Mary’s perspective and point of view was truly stagnant, even as she was struggling for a way to move forward, the pace of her pieces were more muddled and felt disjointed.

The last major perspective is provided by John Gallagher: and his perspective is one of a man looking back on his life. He’s shuttered and used to keeping his own council, a man who never truly changed in his approach to life, or his secretive nature, in the years that have passed. When first meeting Betty in 1956, he was separate and different from the others:: alternating between friendly interactions to demanding demurral, to finding moments of connection with a child some 15 years his junior. Oh there is inappropriate behavior, and he’s more prone to running away from emotional situations, but his intentions while handled badly, were mostly skewed to the side of good.

This was a story with enormous intentions: Powel’s management of the different characters: their issues and foibles managed to create a sense of being in the midst of the story, particularly in terms of young Betty. What did pose problems for me, however, was the uneven pacing of the plot: from action-fueled moments to long stretches of navel gazing, my progression with the title was prolonged: it was most certainly not something I could, or wished to read in one sitting. While I have to say that I wanted to find the big reveal of the actual murderer, and to see if Mary/Betty would ever be able to put the past behind her in some small way, I had difficulties with the construction of the story, and it’s many stalling points on the way. An ambitious debut that fell a bit short for me in the flow, but delivered a story that did, after completion, tie together in many areas while presenting a conclusion that surprised.

I received an eArc copy of the title from the publisher via NetGalley for purpose of honest review. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own responsibility.


Review first appeared at <a href=” https://wp.me/p3OmRo-9En/”> <a> I am, Indeed </a>

A small English town is terrorized by a murderer of young girls. A girl falls in love with a much older man. An elderly woman decides not to tell her family that she has breast cancer. A reporter keeps a secret for 50 years. What do all these things have in common? You'll have to read this book to find out.

This book was a surprise to me. A thriller with chops. A surprise ending I didn't see coming. Believable characters moving tragically through love and loss. Really, really good and you should read it when it is available in the U.S. (now)!

This fairly complicated story is told from multiple points-of-view, ranging over 50 years, primarily by the main character, Betty, who is just 15 when she experiences a life-changing couple of months. She spends her entire life consumed with guilt mainly because there was no one in her life she could trust with her feelings. She is in constant need of saving, by her mother, by Gallagher and finally by her husband, Jerry. No one in her life is fully truthful with her, even those who claim to love her. Is it any wonder she's such a mess?

The storytelling was wonderful and I thought the author did a good job of describing the setting and the way of life in 1950s England. This was a very engaging read.

I am grateful to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance readers copy.

I found this book filled with mystery and suspense. It took a number of interesting twists and turns. This is a book I would recommend to all who enjoy mystery and suspense.

This is such an amazing suspense read, I'm drawn to the British dramas and this one fits the bill. The mastery of the era depicted when in the 50's is incredible and reads like its own character. Readers will start and be unable to put down until the last page.

I really enjoyed reading The Unforgotten. It was a little bit slow in parts but there were other parts that I could not put it down. There were twists and turns that I did not see coming and I never figured out "whodunit" throughout my reading. When it was finally revealed who had murdered the girls I was stunned. I love finding a book that can stump me like that!

This book is difficult to characterize, it is a mystery, but a tragedy and strange romance as well. The story begins in the 1950s in Cornwall, and without giving too much away, it centers around a forbidden romance. The plot was a bit strange and Betty not terribly likable, but it was intriguing and I was curious to see how it would end.

This story is told between two timelines and is a dark novel for me. Morality and inappropriate relationships are brought to light. It is very well written with many twists and turn.

I would like to thank Net Galley and Gallery Books for the advance copy in exchange for an unbiased review.

I had to think hard about the story and this book for about a week before I wrote this review. At times I found the two main characters incredibly annoying. Betty is a kid, so she can be excused for her immaturity. But the things she let happen to her were infuriating. I would hope that most 15 year olds now a days are a little more clued in. John on the other hand, as an adult, could have shown considerably more thoughtfulness in his behavior and choices. But all in all these are characters that stay with you long after you’re done reading. The story is simple, the characters complex. That is what I like in a book.

The story begins in 1956 with attempts to discover the identity of a serial killer in Cornwall. Reporters have descended upon the hotel that is managed by Dolores Broadbent. One of them, John Gallagher, becomes involved with Betty Broadbent, who is 15 at the time. The narrative alternates between 1956 and 2016 when a man who was falsely accused of the crimes is released from prison.

I was immediately pulled into the story and remained interested throughout the book. At times, I was frustrated by the shift in the timeline as I wanted to know more about what happened in 1956. The author did a wonderful job of maintaining suspense and helping the reader to experience the torment the murders caused to Betty and Gallagher. I suspected the actual killer about three-quarters of the way through the book, but, to the author's credit, the clues weren't obvious, and I wasn't entirely sure who committed the murders until the final chapter.

It is 1956, and 15-year-old Betty Broadbent fulfills the role of innkeeper and mother at Hotel Eden, the lackluster little hotel managed by Betty's mother. Mother often is incapacitated by the Black Snowman, brought on by booze or a lover who jilts her. And then there are these bodies of young women that keep showing up in the village. And Mother's wish for Betty to better the family circumstances by taking up with a young man she detests.

In a novel populated by few likable characters, Betty's life changes when newspaper reporter John Gallagher, along with a rowdy band of newspaper reporters, move into the hotel to cover the murders for the London newspapers. Gallagher and Betty strike up a relationship, which although weird, is mesmerizing--to both parties and to the reader.

What the heck is going on? Who is doing the filthy deeds, and what is one to think of a 30-year-old man having a relationship with a naive teenager? It smacks of Max DeWinter, in Daphne DuMaurier's immortal classic Rebecca. High born and low born and a generation between them.

Fast forward 50 years to Mary, a married matron with a past of some sort, who has just learned she has breast cancer. What is her connection to the "Cornwall Cleaver" and the dark secrets that lurk in Betty's small village?

This debut novel by Laura Powell at first confounded me. I found myself impatient with Mary and her whining. And Betty's life seemed so hopeless. But Betty is wise beyond her years, and resourceful, and her narrative is one that could be pulled from the Book of Job.

It's an unforgettable love story, a tale of obsession, major life errors and sins, and redemption. It is well worth the read to the end.

Thanks to Simon & Schuster/NetGalley for the opportunity to read an ARC of The Unforgotten and post my honest review.

It is hard to describe this book. The book goes back and forth between 1956 and now. You meet Betty who is 15 years old and live with her mother in an Hotel. Her mother is a drunk and Betty does whatever she can to make her happy and keep the place running. There is a serial killer running lose in the small town she lives in. I found Betty at age 15 annoying but I think it's is because I am no longer a teenager can't relate anymore to how desperate teenage girls feel. As an adult I just thought she was losing her mind. I believe this was suppose to be a mystery book but that part of the story really takes a backseat to Betty and her love for Mr. Gallagher. The ending does leave you with a twist sort of. The whole book is kind of sad between how Betty lives, how she grew up and how she is as an adult.

Laura Powell’s “The Unforgotten” is a tragic story revolving around a forbidden romance and a series of murders in a Cornish village. The subject matter is provocative and contentious, but somehow Powell has managed to construct a novel that makes her readers forgiving of the age-inappropriate love story. Powell changes the reader’s perception and ultimately delivers a multifaceted story that addresses the grey areas of life.

Betty is a fifteen-year-old girl in the 1950s who lives in a hotel with her mother, Dolores, the hotel’s manager. The two have a complicated relationship due to Dolores’ emotional and psychological issues, which she fuels with alcohol. Adding to Betty’s worries is the “Cornish Cleaver,” an unidentified killer who has been attacking local women. Newspaper reporters flock to the area to cover the murders, among which is John Gallagher, a thirty-something man by whom Betty soon becomes transfixed. As Betty evaluates her confusing feelings toward John, she finds herself put in a situation that will alter the lives of many.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading “The Unforgotten.” I felt that the use of the present and future narratives was a bit sneaky, but I think it added tremendous depth to the plot. Powell wrote in a way that elicited strong emotions of heartbreak and sadness from me, so I became invested in the story quickly. Even though I would be against the relationship between Betty and John in real life, there was something about this story that made me feel otherwise. Powell does have an advantage in leading our thoughts toward this conclusion, though, since we cannot actually see the characters before us. Because of this, I found the relationship between the two to be sweet, however taboo it was. And, when I think about it more, I believe that a major reason that Betty pursued John was because of how alone she was. Her mother was depressed and highly unstable, and she didn’t have anyone else in her life. I think that John was able to fill a void for her during a time that was stressful and disruptive for her. That helped me to understand the relationship better.

Though the romantic angle of the novel was captivating, I found the mystery surrounding the murders to be equally as alluring. Powell impressed me with her ability to surprise me with the killer’s identity. When I finally discovered who was responsible for everything, it really made other elements of the story come together that much more clearly. The reveal broke my heart, and I hated how it led to the permanent dissolution of Betty and John’s relationship.

Last, I want to touch on the present-day storyline. I liked the way that Powell delivered those chapters slowly and briefly. Though I had my suspicions about Mary from the beginning, seeing how her plot unfolded was still exciting. Though I felt sorry for Mary’s husband, Jerry, I was also angry with him by the end of the book. Even though I am sure I would have the same reaction if I were in his shoes, I was disappointed in his selfishness and how he so quickly tried to take away Mary’s right to know the truth about her past.

As sad as “The Unforgotten” was, I fell in love with the novel. The characters were so complex, and the story forced me to address grey areas. Though I wish the book had had a sweet resolution, I do like that the author chose a non-standard ending. I wish that I could know what would have happened if there had been another chapter or two in the end. The book left me wanting more—but in a good way. I think that if readers go into this novel with an open mind, they will find themselves just as mesmerized as I was.

http://www.literaryhoarders.com/2-5-star-rating/the-unforgotten-by-laura-powell/

The Unforgotten by Laura Powell is very slow at times. Story goes back and forth in time to 1956 and 50 years later. I was going to give this story a 3 star review, but there was such an interesting twist that in my mind I jumped it to 4 stars.

Book Description
It's 1956 and fifteen-year-old Betty Broadbent has never left the Cornish fishing village of St Steele or ventured far beyond the walls of the boarding house run by her erratic mother. But when the London press pack descends to report on a series of gruesome murders of young women, Betty's world changes. In particular, she is transfixed by a mysterious and aloof reporter, Mr. Gallagher. As the death toll rises, an unlikely friendship blossoms between Betty and Gallagher. But as their bond deepens, they find themselves entangled with the murders and each is forced to make a devastating choice, one that will shape their own lives - and the life of an innocent man - forever.
My Thoughts
Betty lives in a small village with her mother who suffers from “black moods” that have thrust Betty into the role of mother more often than a child. When bodies are discovered, the town is gripped by fear and a swarm of reporters descends, hoping to be the first with an exclusive story. The murders are of course paramount to the story, but often are secondary to what I felt was the main story, Betty's life, hopes, and fears. Mr. Gallagher is one of the reporters, but unlike the others, Betty is drawn to him and ultimately, it is the choices they make that propels the story to its conclusion.
The timeline shifts from 1956 to 2006, revealing what happened in St. Steele as well as how those choices and the reasons for them impact Betty. Mostly, we see and feel the events from Betty's perspective, though we do get information from others as well. The murders never really took center stage for long, the story really revolves around Betty. There were several instances when I thought Betty might indeed wind up happy and for every bad thing that kept coming her way, it was my hope for her that kept me invested in the story. This was a book that didn't provide easy answers but did intrigue me and provide an intimate look into what life was like in this small village.
I thought the author did an excellent job with the character of Betty. I didn't grow up in the 1950s, but I did grow up in a small town, where gossip was believed as much as fact and I do recall being young and naive and not always making choices based on logic or fact. There were many twists and turns along the way, but this wasn't a fast paced action packed mystery, it was slow and steady and to me satisfying. The ending surprised me and I have to say I look forward to Laura Powell's next book.
Thank you, Ms. Powell, Gallery, Threshold, Pocket Books and NetGalley for the digital copy to read and review.

As the story started out - in the 50's - if felt to me like an earlier era. It took awhile to get into the rhythm of the narrative going back and forth 50 years. The characters were pretty well-defined and the story different and intriguing. Until about halfway through the book, I was thinking it could be a 5-star review but it lost a little steam for me. Still, the unusual twists to the story made it a satisfying read and worth the 4 stars I'm giving it.

Betty is 15 years old. She is an innocent young lady who has never left her village. She is content helping her mother run the Inn where they live. The only rough spot in Betty's life would be when her mother goes into her drinking binges, and deep depression.
Then young blonde girls start to be murdered. The press arrives to the small village in throngs trying to get the story of the century. Amongst these are a reporter by the name of John Gallagher. Betty is smitten by the older man. He is somewhat charmed by her.
The story continues in a riveting manner. It totally encapsulates you. What happens to the spark of a young girls romance. Who is the murderer of the young girls?
It is a terrific journey to the end, which leaves you completely stunned!
5 Stars

I received this book in exchange for an honest review. I had a difficult time getting into this book but I stuck with it and I’m so glad I did.
It’s a very entertaining story with interesting cast of characters. I look forward to reading more books by Ms Powell. Very well done