The Girl Who Came Back: A Novel

“She’s all things bright and beautiful,” Kian Bright whispered at his daughter Daisy’s birth. A few short years later, the Bright family is left missing their “star” when an estranged friend murders Daisy. In Susan Lewis’ latest novel of suspense, The Girl Who Came Back, Jules Bright has to face torment from the release of her daughter’s murderer back into society after three short years.

Amelia Quentin, the strange scion of the neighborhood’s richest family, is the accused murderer. Convicted as an accomplice in voluntary manslaughter, Quentin is released from prison early. Though she is thoroughly loathed by the villagers, she chooses to return to the estate closest to the scene of the crime. Jules is faced with the questions of what game Amelia is playing, and whether she or Amelia are in the most danger from the other.

Lewis is juggling many story balls in The Girl Who Came Back. Though it is presented as a straight ahead thriller about a disturbed girl and a grieving parent, Lewis also weaves in stories of Jules' marriage, fertility issues, and Daisy’s growing-up years. She is especially interested in the effect loss of a child has on a formerly rock-solid relationship.

There is no question that Amelia is a damaged human being; Lewis is not going for a “did she or didn’t she do it” vibe with this story. The prologue sets the stage with a child Amelia murdering her mother. A few scenes between the Bright and Quentin families, set in the pub Jules and Kian own, make it clear that neither Amelia or her father are people to be trusted.

Lewis has some important things to say about the uncertainty of the trust we often feel socially obligated to put in our neighbors in the absence of solid evidence of a crime. When Amelia drops back into the lives of the Brights and inserts herself into Daisy’s life, Jules is uneasy; it is not a relationship she is inclined to encourage, but she pushes aside her worry because Amelia hasn’t done anything overtly wrong. Even when the friendship becomes a bit weird and Amelia begins to mimic Daisy’s appearance and friendships (in a clear homage to Single White Female), Jules is afraid that setting a limit will look cruel to the motherless Amelia.

This story thread seems particularly apropos in the current sociological climate, and in light of the international discussion about the socialization of girls to be “nice” even when they have warning bells going off in their heads.

Lewis takes the chance of alienating an impatient reader who might wonder why in the heck Daisy would encourage the friendship when Amelia is so clearly unbalanced in order to detail how easy it is to follow that social mindset. Jules’ reasoning in staying out of the relationship and letting it continue is well detailed and is reasonable. Lewis’s risk is worthwhile, from a narrative perspective.

Less successful is the way she’s structured the story. The Girl Who Came Back is full of time jumps and reflection, not all of which serve the story well. For example, while the past history of Jules' and Kian’s infertility does bring home how devastating it is to them to have lost a child, a long digression into the reconstruction and decoration of their pub does nothing to further the story.

Lewis has a character problem as well. It’s hard to get an emotional bead on any of the numerous characters. They drop into and out of the story, leaving little impact or feeling that they exist aside from a need to impart one or two bits of information. Daisy is impossibly perfect, Kian is a cypher, and even Jules is hit and miss in how much the reader will care about her. The most compelling character is Amelia—the whys of her personality and actions quirk the imagination—and that’s a problem when the villain isn’t supposed to be the focus of the story.

The most interesting scenes revolve around the search for Daisy. In those, Jules’ fear and love shine forth. When she is looking around Daisy’s room, checking her computer, rechecking her phone for messages, she finally becomes a relatable character and hearts bleed along with Jules' own.

The biggest problem with The Girl Who Came Back is that Lewis doesn’t seem to have pinned down what she wants to write about: is this a story about a murder and the aftermath? If so, there is far too much backstory, far too little research into court procedure (those scenes, particularly a side plot involving a male friend of Daisy’s, are painful), and a weak payoff when the concluding action happens off-screen.

Is it about long-term marriage and the effect of the loss of a child? Then the huggermugger with the villainous Amelia is unnecessary. Is it about life of one quirky family in a small village, à la Maeve Binchy? If so, the pub and family scenes work well, but why the murder when any loss would do? Any one of these novel ideas could have worked well alone, as Lewis has a nice ear for dialogue and an easy, natural writing style. Mashed together, though, none is fully developed.

The Girl Who Came Back is a mixed bag. Lewis is on her game with her dialogue and in taking the reader into the life of a family and even a village. Pacing and a focus on a single story idea are lacking. It’s a quick read, but ultimately unsatisfying.