Only those who have had to say farewell to their bundles from heaven too early know how to deal with the loss of their own child. It is difficult for me even to think about it. For me, a mother of two wonderful rascals, books in which children are harmed are particularly difficult. Especially when I realize that the book is based on a true story.

This difficult subject is put forward by Katarzyna Bonda in her third story about the profiler Hubert Meyer entitled "Flower Girl". We find the police psychologist in a very difficult time of his life. He has said goodbye forever to his parents and made a professional mistake, after which he honorably withdraws from his work in the police. His own company, which was supposed to be the base for his professional career, appears to be a failure. He has become a bored, unemployed divorcee without any goals or livelihood.

He happens to meet two people who change his life. The first is an ambitious young woman called Lena who tries to talk him into cooperation, and the second is his old friend who asks for help in solving the mysterious disappearance and murder of 9-year-old Zosia. It turns out that the girl's disappearance causes a lot of people's tragedies to come to light. This case is reminiscent of another occurrence which took place a few years before. At that time a young boy called Amadeus was murdered. In fact, the culprit was caught and imprisoned, but this doesn't help to clarify the situation. We could say it makes it less clear. It calls into question the quality of the police's work, its loyalty and credibility. The mental status of Amadeus' mother, the flower girl Olga, causes her to be perceived as one of the main suspects.

The Flower Girl is not only crime fiction. It is a book about emotions, tragedies and longing. This is a story about incomplete grief and sorrow which slowly becomes an obsession. The main heroes of the book are women. Every one of them carries experiences which have irreversibly changed their lives. They miss their lost relatives, unfulfilled dreams, a need for love and acceptance. They fight their inner demons and their environment, even though it turns out their closest and most sympathetic acquaintances are their biggest enemies.

In the Flower Girl you will find everything you need in crime fiction: crime, a gripping plot with detailed investigation, varied characters, surprising turns of actions and a murderer who thinks that his crime was perfect.

What we for sure have to say about the literature written by Katarzyna Bonda is that it requires maximum concentration. The episodic plot where mysteries from the past interchange with current affairs, effective building of emotions, abundance of characters and numerous references mean that only a moment's distraction is necessary and we have to go back a few pages to remind ourselves who, with whom and why. In this book the murderer is equally as important as his motives. Due to this I think that even these who find the murderer early will read until the end with interest.

I recommend it!

Read also:

"Only dead people don't lie"

"The Nina Frank case"