The Breaker

Minette Walters

A woman is discovered dead on a beach in England. She is naked, and bruising shows she was raped and strangled before being thrown into the ocean. Two young boys discover her. In going for help, they meet an actor walking by who calls in the report of the body.

A short time later, a three year old girl is found wandering around one of the marinas in a neighboring town. She does not talk. After her picture is flashed on television her estranged grandmother recognizes her. The grandmother calls the father, who was at a weekend conference. He calls the local police, arrives, and identifies his daughter and dead wife.

The Inspectors find themselves in the middle of a sordid story of adultery, sexual slavery, pornography, pedophilia, drugs, lies, and other possible crimes. The actor who called in the report about the body seems to have had some sort of past experience with the dead woman. The husband has 24 hours that no one can confirm at his conference. It was enough time to drive home, quarrel with her, kill her, dump her body, and return to the conference. Yet what about little Hannah? Why wasn't she killed when her mother was?

This is a sadistic, intriguing mystery. It is a modern day novel dealing with crimes that are no longer hidden behind closed doors. There are different descriptions of the dead woman, depending on who is talking. There are different descriptions of the husband, depending on who is talking. There are different descriptions of the actor, depending on who is talking. Everyone is lying, whether innocent of murder or not. Much is being hidden, and the constables have to sort and ferret out the truth.

Notice: Strong indecent language, Suggestive dialogue or situations