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Jay Yadav

Reviewed on Dec 1, 2024

Loved it! 😍

The Sorrowful Girl by Keenan Powell blends mystery and historical fiction,unraveling corruption and injustice in gripping 1890s murder case.

Synopsis

Liam Barrett embodied the dreams of his immigrant family, bound for Harvard Law School. When his father unexpectedly dies, he gives up his plans to become the family breadwinner. As a policeman who abhors violence, he strives to keep peace in his community.

When a young woman is found murdered near the estate of mill owner Alistair Cunningham, Cunningham pressures Liam to make a quick arrest. But Liam wants justice. As he fights to ensure that an innocent man isn’t railroaded, Liam uncovers a plot which forces him to choose between his convictions and protecting his town.

The Sorrowful Girl has Keenan Powell writing an absorbing historical mystery, the events of which transpire at the end of the 1800s, with young Liam Barrett, an Irish-America cop in Adams, Massachusetts, as the protagonist. The romantic tale follows the investigation into the murder of a young Irish immigrant named Deirdre Monaghan as her corpse is discovered close to the lavish estate of a mill-owner. It is semiosed into a rich narrative, accounting for and integrating the harsh prejudices to which the Irish immigrated during the period of the Gilded Age, together with themes of justice, morality, and social corruption.


Yet, Liam is a man of integrity who feels he must get to the heart of the crime even when pressured by those higher in the police establishment or the elites of the town. The investigation into his crime leads him into a vast network of concealed facts and brings to light the shadowy side of the elite of the town and even personal travails as experienced by immigrant communities. Powell builds tension with the well-placed clues; he deepens the obscurity and manipulates character motivations to enhance the story pace.


The atmosphere of the book-the Sorrowful Girl-is what makes it most interesting. The culture really comes to life through Powell's brush-the way the Irish immigrant struggled in this time. The story becomes so much more than just a whodunit; it becomes a powerful commentary on the structures of power and prejudice that permeate justice. The story gains authenticity and weight through historical detail-social tensions, family dynamics, and local politics.


Through its intricate plot and powerful prose, The Sorrowful Girl unfolds an important tale of personal and societal conflict. There is no way true fans of historical fiction and mystery would want to miss on a book that would offer them both a gripping mystery and rich, social commentary.



Reviewed by
Jay Yadav

I'm a student and new to book reviewing. I just started reviewing books.

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