Dear Amy by Helen Callaghan

Dear Amy starts with an exciting prologue, the abduction of Katie Browne. Katie is at the same school as teacher Margot Lewis, who freelances for a local paper - writing the agony aunt column as “Amy”. The suspense starts building as letters appear - addressed “Dear Amy” in the pigeon hole, signed Bethan Avery, a girl abducted years ago, begging for help.

Our protagonist, Margot/Amy, is quirky and odd. I liked her. Told in the first person, the solving of the mystery of the letters, in the hopes that Katie has a chance of survival, is medium paced, and well-drawn. 

The other characters are also great, and provide context and extended my interest. The plot is full of fairly predictable twists and turns, and some interesting developments.

Although I thoroughly enjoyed the writing style, the pace and the premise, this book felt “done before”. The genre has become full of missing girls, breathtaking villains with horrific pasts and heartstopping plot twists, plunging the victims into unspeakable danger. You have to really push the boundaries to make a book different, and this didn't really. 

A diverting read, well-written, albeit missing a little originality and noteworthiness. Read it anyway, you know you want to. I'm still glad I did.

3 stars

You may also enjoy All the Missing Girls by Megan Miranda,  or The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins. 

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