'Girl, Forgotten' has unexpected plot twists, too many pages

"Girl, Forgotten," by internationally bestselling author Karin Slaughter (William Morrow, $28.99), is her latest crime novel showcasing frustrated, hard-working Andrea Oliver.

No longer just a 911 call dispatch officer for a local beachside Georgia police force, Andrea, who starred in "Pieces of Her" (2018), has taken on more challenges.

She's survived and outlasted others, completing rigorous training procedures: she's become a new U.S. marshall.

Her first assignment is to assure the safety and protection of a prominent Baltimore judge who's been getting escalating death threats.

The overly-long 393-page novel opens in 1982, focusing on a deadly different situation involving teenager Emily Vaughn, the judge's daughter. Emily's battered and mutilated body is discovered in a dumpster on the night of her high school prom.

Forty years later, the case has still not been solved, but not because of a lack of suspects.

A good part of the book is spent with Emily, who was seven months pregnant, and trying to figure out who got her that way; she took drugs at a party, passed out and doesn't know who may have raped her. She'd been playing "Columbo", but ended up dead before getting all the facts straight.

Andrea's attempting to use more modern technology: the suspects include a convicted killer who's behind bars and a former teacher who's now a peculiar, mesmerizing cult leader.

There's also a pair of twins, (one who commits suicide) and the deputy's son, who's taken over his father's role - and the investigation - to no avail. Another suspect with anger issues is a local troubleshooter for the cult leader.

Andrea gets help from U.S. marshall Leonard "Catfish" Bible; other relatives and associates contribute, too.

Emily appears in flashback scenes that are carried to the extreme: the names of the possible suspects are repeated over and over and over again!

The author has written significantly better books, yet there are still many unexpected plot twists.

"Girl, Forgotten" would have been considerably more enjoyable if a dedicated editor had lopped off 100 pages.

Ray Walsh, owner of East Lansing's Curious Book Shop, has reviewed crime novels and Michigan books regularly since 1987. His email address is raywalsh@voyager.net.

This article originally appeared on Lansing State Journal: Walsh: 'Girl, Forgotten' has unexpected plot twists, too many pages