Alafair Burke: The Girl She was, Faber & Faber UK, 9780571345595, paperback, Jan 13, 2022

This is my first crime mystery by Alafair Burke who is the daughter of James Lee Burke whose atmospheric thrillers set in the Louisiana bayous I really digest.  She has clearly inherited his writing talent; Alafair Burke has her very distinct voice and is a crafty storyteller.  

“The Girl she was” tells the story of Hope Miller who survived  a serious car crash with total amnesia and no memory of her past life. In her new life Hope develops  an exceptionally close bond with her  friend Lindsay Kelly, a lawyer who is surprised when Hope decides to start a new life on Montauk.  When Hope gets entangled in a murder case, the need to find out who she really was before becomes very pressing for Lindsay. 

“The Girl she was” keeps you in suspense for a very long time, with many twists and turns until the last pages.