'REPENT BEFORE YOU DIE ... OR MAY YOU NEVER R.I.P.'
Threatening plaques, vigilante killings, a Jewish community in an English town - what's the link? The clock is ticking to the next murder.
After witnessing a racist incident in a small Hertfordshire town, journalist Shanna Regan uncovers a series of threatening fake commemorative plaques. Each plaque highlights someone's misdemeanour rather than a good deed.
Delving deeper, Shanna discovers these plaques are linked to vigilante killings spanning several decades, with ties to the local Jewish community.
As her search for the truth becomes personal, Shanna puts her own life in danger. Can she stop the next murder in time?
The Redeemer is a compelling, thought-provoking murder mystery debut, featuring themes of prejudice, identity and heritage, revenge and redemption, and secrets from the past.
It's such a pleasure to be sharing my review of The Redeemer today, many thanks to Victoria Goldman for sending me an advance digital copy of the book.
I've been looking forward to reading The Redeemer, which was given an honourable mention in the Capital Crime/DHH Literary Agency New Voice Awards 2019, for some time. It's the first book in the Shanna Regan series and what an excellent introduction it is.
Shanna is a journalist but despite previously having a career which saw her travelling the world, she is now living in Hillsbury, a fictional small town in Hertfordshire, where she has recently started working for local magazine, Hillsbury Living. At the start of the book, she witnesses a distressing racist attack on a Jewish woman but despite her reporter's instinct for a story, the victim, Valerie, is clearly too afraid to take the incident any further. However, her visit to Valerie's house does at least give her some material for the piece she is writing about historical plaques for the magazine. She discovers that as well as the well-known blue plaques that are erected to commemorate notable local figures, there are others which bear a more malicious message.
The mystery behind these plaques isn't the only source of danger in The Redeemer and this compulsively plotted novel radiates a menacing sense of tension. One of most important themes explored is the anti-Semitism experienced by the Jewish community; there are overt incidences here but also the more insidious examples of prejudice that may not be as immediately threatening but are ultimately as damaging. Victoria Goldman cleverly weaves information about the beliefs and customs of Jewish people into the plot allowing readers to learn alongside Shanna. I am drawn to fiction that teaches me something without distracting from the narrative and The Redeemer does exactly that.
Hillsbury might not be a real place but it never feels anything less than entirely convincing. One of the most moving elements of the book for me is that although onlookers might point to an integrated community where small businesses such as bakeries and kosher butchers have thrived, Shanna realises the more sombre truth that any gathering of Jews is a potential target. This isn't a particularly violent novel but there are a few chilling scenes which expose the hatred that consumes some people.
As with all the best mysteries, the complex storyline abounds with red herrings and potential leads, and the first-rate characterisation throughout ensured I was never short of people to suspect. Meanwhile, Shanna's personal life is equally as fascinating; she is a beautifully written character and the disclosures regarding both her recent past and her childhood add further layers of interest to proceedings. I'm delighted that this is to be a series because she is a character I am already keen to know more about. The nail-biting conclusion to this mystery kept me awake, turning the pages until the early hours and the twists and turns kept me guessing throughout; I was genuinely surprised by some of the revelations and thrilled by the ending which sets up the next instalment in the series, perfectly.
The Redeemer is an intriguing, tense mystery exploring contemporary issues, it offers a fascinating, authentic insight into Jewish culture and is a gripping read. Crime fiction is ideally placed to examine these important topics – but to be truly authentic it needs diverse own voice thrillers such as this. I highly recommend it.
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