Fiction, Mystery & Crime, World Literature, Fiction Subjects, Peoples & Cultures - Fiction

The Souvenir

Name: The Souvenir
Author: Patricia Carlon
ISBN: 9781569470657

by Patricia Carlon

Write a review

Overview

An early morning murder in the park of a quiet country town in Australia. Four years later, Marion must find out who killed her brother. The police, the press and ordinary people have lost interest in the case, unable to determine which of two teenage girls was the culprit. Sandra and Peta met each other while hitchhiking across Australia. They travelled together for a short time. Each accused the other of stabbing the boy in the park; each remains tarnished by suspicion, but free from prosecution. To resolve this intolerable state of affairs, Marion seeks the help of Jefferson Shields - she's been told that he solves puzzles. This one is a real challenge.

Reviews

There are no reviews yet. Log in to write one.

Editorials

Library Journal

First published in Great Britain in 1970, this excellent work by an Australian author poses a most intriguing puzzle. Marion Burton, sister of a murder victim, establishes the principal frame of reference. Four years after the murder, Marion presents a "complete" file to a private investigator and demands to know which of two hitchhiker girls killed her brother. Then, within the present, a disturbing tale of a stolen "souvenir" and its far-reaching consequences unfolds. Variant viewpoints disguise the truth in teasingly deceptive ways, and the Australian settings add a touch of the exotic. Recommended.

School Library Journal

YA-A first-rate mystery set in Australia that involves two teenage hitchhikers and a man who has been stabbed to death in a blind, brutal rage. Was the guilty party Peta Squire, a self-reliant and seemingly experienced 16-year-old? Or Sandra Kilby, a novice at being on the road, a quiet, delicate girl who yearned for acceptance? Four years later the murder is still unsolved. Whoever views the evidence faces the fact that one of the girls is lying and has the strong backing of her family. The case is brought back to prominence through the instigation of a young woman who expects to marry into Peta's family, hoping for her fiance's sake to resolve the guilt and doubts. YAs are sure to get caught up in the book's issues of hitchhiking, pilfering, and culpability.