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Rachel Deese, a beautiful 17-year-old high school senior, disappears one winter night. The city of Duluth, Minnesota, does not have many major crimes; but this is the second teenage girl to disappear in a year. Lt Jonathan Stride is not convinced the two crimes are related, but the press is definitely convinced, and he is constantly badgered both in print and in person. Rachel and her mother did not have a good relationship. In fact, they had a terrible one. Rachel had managed to drive a wedge between her real father and her mom. After her father died at an early age of a heart attack, she insisted that it was her mother's fault that he had died and they were at odds constantly. When Emily remarried, Rachel seemed to accept her stepfather for a short time, but lately she was at odds with him as well. Her stepfather Graeme is nonchalant about the girl's disappearance, stating that Rachel has a twisted sense of humor and is probably playing a trick on her mother. While Emily is convinced that her daughter is dead, her husband acts like nothing is amiss. Eventually the police arrest Graeme for murder; but they do not have a body. Nevertheless, the ambitious DA decides to take the case to trial even though there is no body. The outcome of the trial is definitely unexpected. The author has created two strong characters in Lt Stride and his partner Maggie. When Jon's wife died of cancer, Maggie let him know she was interested. He didn't take her up on it, but they remain best friends. Other characters are well drawn as well. We mostly see Rachel through the eyes of the characters, all of whom believe she was evil. This is Brian Freeman's first novel, although he says he has always been fascinated with crime and mysteries and that he began his first novel when he was in the sixth grade. His idea for this book came about from a real case in 1992 when a five-year-old girl disappeared. A friend of the family was tried for the murder but without a body he was acquitted. IMMORAL is a riveting, suspenseful book, which is difficult to put down. There are twists and turns aplenty, and the ending will completely blow you away.
Reviewed by Lorraine Gelly, February 2006
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