Book Review: Lost Girls

Reviewed By: Harriet Klausner

Lost Girls     Amazon US HC Amazon UK PB Amazon Canada HC
Andrew Pyper
Class/Genre:   Mystery   Noir   Legal Setting
Delacorte, May 2000, $23.95, 390 pp.

Garth Crane is a high powered Toronto attorney who relishes the rush he receives when he wins a case. Ethics are not a problem, as Barth will do anything to triumph, including lying under oath, cheating, and tampering with witnesses.

The tightly focused lawyer travels to Murdoch, Ontario on his first murder case. Local high school teacher Thomas Tripp is accused of killing two students. Barth expects an easy victory because the bodies of the victims were never recovered nor are there any witnesses that Tripp committed a crime. Circumstantial evidence links the suspect to the murder. The barrister settles in at the local hotel and begins to immerse himself in the life of the town in an effort to gain an edge for his client. Gradually, the legend of the Lady in the Lake begins to haunt him; changing him and making him take actions that will effect Garth for the rest of his life.

LOST GIRLS is an atmospheric work that seems gothic in tone. The story line gradually builds up the tension level until the reader feels, like Garth, overwhelmed and anxious. Garth is a loathsome person, yet the audience will feel drawn to him, especially as he travels down a road nobody could have foreseen he would take. Andrew Pyper’s ability to bring his story to life is brilliant and will leave readers clamoring for more works as soon as possible. Don’t be surprised if this book hits the charts.

Harriet Klausner

Reprinted with permission. Do Not repost without permission from the author, Harriet Klausner