Pierced Peony is the second instalment in the Motts Cold Case Mysteries.

On the first trek out of the coastal path that runs along her cottage Motts spots a body in the sea. The body belongs to a woman that has been missing for three years. Motts find this hard to believe because the woman looked like she had been dead only a few days.

Motts soon learns that the woman’s family own a cold storage and that most of her family members didn’t like her much (it seemed to have been a mutual thing). You’d think that this would be enough for the police to detain one or several members of said family for questioning.

It appears that the police took the family’s word for it that they didn’t do it and didn’t know what had happened. Ugh, what is the police to do if they can’t even take people’s word at face value?

Meanwhile, accidents happen to Motts when there’s an O’Connell around. More evidence, you’d say? Again, after denial and stating ignorance, no further questions are asked.

This prompts Motts to investigate herself. And there is always a friend or family member around to accompany her (or coax her, if the case may be).

Don’t read this story for the mystery. The only mystifying thing is why the police didn’t solve this case in a day or two. (Or how much every one weighs, considering the amount of calories consumed.) Read because you want to get into the inner workings of an autistic mind.

I read an ARC through NetGalley.