How do you solve a murder when everyone thinks you’re guilty?
Marjorie Crowe lives in Kilgoyne, Scotland. The locals put her age at somewhere between 55 and 70. They think she’s divorced or a lifelong spinster; that she used to be a librarian, a pharmacist, or a witch. They think she’s lonely, or ill, or maybe just plain rude. For the most part, they leave her be.
But one day, everything changes.
Local teenager Charlie McKee is found hanging in the woods, and Marjorie is the first one to see his body. When what she saw turns out to be impossible, the police have their doubts. And when another young person goes missing, the tide of suspicion turns on her.
Is Marjorie the monster, or the victim? And how far will she go to fight for her name?
Book Info: Print length: 360 pages. Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton. Publication Date: 18 Jan 2024
My Thoughts:
Are you looking for a beautifully written, character driven novel? Then I think I have found the perfect book for you. The Trials of Marjorie Crowe is CS Robertson’s latest book and if you have read The Undiscovered Deaths of Grace McGill, then you will have some idea of how well Craig creates these fascinating female characters and really gets under the readers skin.
Marjorie Crowe has lived in a tiny village in Scotland for the past 25 years. She keeps herself to herself and the locals are happy to ignore her. They don’t know anything about her from her age, previous occupation or family. The general consensus is that she is “odd” and best left alone. The only thing they know for certain is that twice a day for the past 20+ years, she walks around the village like clockwork.
One morning everything changes when Marjorie stumbles upon Charlie McKee’s body hanging from a tree, but once the police get involved she becomes a person of interest rather than a witness and soon the entire village has turned against her.
However, Marjorie is made from sterner stuff than the average pensioner, and despite the constant abuse and online vitriol she is subjected to, she is determined to find out what happened to Charlie McKee.
When another teenage boy goes missing, she finds herself the centre of a witch hunt but she won’t back down or be scared off from digging deeper into the past of the village and discovering what is happening in the village of Kilgoyne.
This is a really atmospheric story with fascinating characters. Some of the characters are wonderful and some are absolutely despicable, but all them are brought to life with such depth and clarity. This is a murder mystery with heart and I defy anyone not to fall in love with Marjorie by the end of the story.
