Review of The Elephant Girl by Henriette Gyland

I really enjoyed reading Henriette Gyland's debut novel Up Close and have been looking forward to reading The Elephant Girl.

Five year old Helen Stephens witnesses the shocking murder of her mother in London. Twenty years later after a terrible childhood, she is summoned by her step-grandmother who abandoned her. When she arrives back in London, she finds out that the woman convicted of her mother's murder has just been released from prison. Determined to avenge her mother, Helen goes looking for the convicted killer Fay Cooper in London. However, finding her unleashes emotions and memories that Helen thought were long buried. After twenty years could there still be new information to uncover?

Helen is a strong, likeable heroine who comes across as a very determined person. I thought that all of the characters were well formed and had a strong presence on the page.

This is a gripping and fast paced read and I enjoyed every minute of it. There are lots of surprises in store for the reader as Helen tries to narrow down the events surrounding the murder. The mysterious circumstances intertwine with a strong romantic element. I loved this book and highly recommend it.

Thank you to Choc Lit for sending me a copy to review.