The Beauty Queen – Sally-Anne Martyn

Forty years ago

It should have been the happiest night of her sister’s life. When she was crowned Miss Sunshine Sands.

But nothing was ever found except her pink satin sash that washed up on the shore.

Now

Journalist Zoe Kincade arrives in the rundown seaside town of Sunshine Sands to report on this year’s talent show. The motionless Ferris wheel blurs into the dark sea beyond and polystyrene chip trays bounce along the pavement.

She checks into the Forget-Me-Not hotel, a faded Edwardian terrace that has seen better days.

The last place her beautiful older sister Jane was seen alive.

Zoe has spent forty years trying to block out the pain. Any chance of a happy marriage and living in some kind of peace were shattered because of that night.

She was only a little girl when Jane disappeared. She just remembers how much she looked up to her big sister.

Now Zoe is determined to find out the truth.

And no amount of glitter and sparkle can hide the dark truth of that night.

Review

I really like Sally-Anne Martyn; this is never going to change.

We follow Zoe, a journalist investigating a years-long cold case of a missing beauty queen, who we very quickly realise has a kind of connection with Zoe. Listen, I didn’t read the blurb because anything from Martyn is an auto-read, so I honestly was not expecting them to be sisters; I don’t know why. I think I was just very immersed in the writing that I didn’t see this key point coming at all, but I loved it anyways.

After we get a little bit more context of the story as we read between timelines of that fateful beauty contest and the present, I quickly caught on to what was going on. I realised who was responsible, and I kind of deduced what was the main reason for what had happened to Anne. Fortunately, I don’t care if I guess a plot twist of a book; if I really like the vibes, it’s a winner.

This book is very Laura Palmer, Twin Peaks. Even though I have never watched that show, I do listen to the soundtrack and take scenes from that series as inspiration for some of my work; the vibes are immaculate.

I can’t rave about this book enough.
Yes, 4.5 rounded down only because I think it’s a really good book, and I really think that people WILL like it, but I wouldn’t really reread it; that’s the only reason why I’m not giving this a full five stars. If you are looking for an absolute 5-star masterpiece, then may I introduce you to The Clinic by the same author? That book is just great; it is still at the top of my list from Sally-Anne Martyn.

This author is always a great time.