The Souvenir

Four years ago, a man was killed by one of two girls. The two girls have such a tight story that it is hard to tell which one is the lier. It is wrapped up nicely in the end but somehow it seemed a bit of a letdown. I rather enjoyed the process nevertheless.

This mystery has a wonderful feel to it of a bygone time. First published in Great Britain in 1970, it was not published in the United States until 1995. Its author, Australian Patricia Carlon, is heralded for her crime novels. Fans of Ruth Rendell, in particular, should enjoy this well-written mystery.The mystery revolves around two teenage girls, Peta Squire and Sandra Trilby. They meet up while each is going hitch-hiking. Peta is an experienced hitch-hiker, while Sandra is a novice. After teaming up, they discover that theirs is not a match made in heaven. After cadging a ride from an elderly couple, one of them steals a pill box with medication that proves to be a matter and death for the wife. Discarding the incriminating pill box, which had been taken as a souvenir, it is found by young children, leading to tragic circumstances. A hunt is on for these two teenagers. Just as they are each about to go their own way, they argue violently. When a young man, Jack Burton, intervenes, he ends up being stabbed to death. But which of the two is responsible for this and the pill box incident?Well, Peta and Sandra point the finger at each other. Their stories remain unshakable, and the murder remains unsolved, as the police could not break either of their stories. Four years later, Marion Burton, sister to the deceased, hires Private Detective Jefferson Shields to crack the case. You see, Marion has fallen in love with Ward Wincham, Peta's step-brother, and she needs to know the truth before she can take the relationship to the next level. What Jefferson Shields discovers may or may not surprise the reader. It depends on how good a detective the reader is. The clues are all laid out, but it may not be as easy as the reader thinks. This is a tautly written, densely plotted, intriguing page turner, which I could not put down, having started it.

A really compelling read with a building sense of menace and an addictively enjoyable plot. If you enjoy mystery fiction you will enjoy this one!

A quick reading reissue of a taut 1970 Australian book. Two teenage girls are hitchhiking together during the summer and one of them kills a man. Each accuses the other and neither's story can be disproven. It is now four years later and the sister of the victim turns to a very ordinary--and yet odd--man to decipher the issue. The mystery is unraveled in flashbacks, written testimony and current interviews. The reader will be very hard-pressed to finger the culprit properly in this unusual tale.