Peggy Bowden has not had an easy life. As a teenager, her mother was committed to an asylum and then a local priest forced her into an abusive marriage. But when her husband dies in an accident Peggy sees an opportunity to start again and trains as a midwife.
In 1950s Dublin it is not easy for a woman to make a living and Peggy sees a chance to start a business and soon a lucrative maternity home is up and running.
But when Peggy realizes that the lack of birth control is an issue for women, she uses their plight as a way to make more money. Very soon Peggy is on the wrong side of the law.
What makes a woman decide to walk down a dark path? Can Peggy ever get back on the straight and narrow? Or will she have to pay for her crimes?
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['I'm sorry', I shout in my half sleep. It's been a while since I had such vivid dreams] ***(Bloodhound Books, ebook, 319 pages, 25 January 2018, ARC from the publisher via NetGalley and voluntarily reviewed)
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The Abandoned is very enjoyable, quite different from the crime fiction I usually read.
I really liked Peggy's voice. It's been a while since I read a crime novel with a first-person narrator. It works really well in this book. She's feisty, tough, hard as nails but so soft as well. She's a well-rounded character.
I'm pretty sure this is the first book I've read about someone getting involved in the criminal underworld. I found the whole concept behind the book really enjoyable. The setting and the characters are vivid and realistic.
The author does a great job of creating sympathy for Peggy. She's not a saint but she's far from evil. A victim of circumstances, trying to do her best. I enjoyed the way the story develops, as Peggy's life gradually spirals out of control.
My only gripe is the ending. The ending isn't terrible. It's better than it could have been when Peggy's dangerous new life falls apart. But still, so much potential is lost. The ending isn't completely satisfying.
The Abandoned is worth a read if you're looking for crime fiction a little bit different.
