Clear My Name

Starred review from July 1, 2019
As the sole investigator for Innocence U.K., a British nonprofit fighting to free the wrongly convicted, Tess Gilroy, the heroine of this powerful thriller from Daly (Open Your Eyes), often feels her tasks are Sisyphean, but her latest assignment presents even greater challenges than usual. Tess must reexamine the evidence that sent middle-aged mother Carrie Kamara to prison for the stabbing murder four years earlier of her husband’s mistress. For former probation officer Tess, the case literally hits too close to home. It forces her to return for the first time in decades to the faded northwestern coastal town of Morecambe, England, where the crime took place—and where Tess suffered childhood traumas from which she has been running ever since. As Tess searches for the break that could give Carrie back her life, the author skillfully explores the question of whether Tess can finally manage to do the same for herself. Daly’s fans will welcome this gritty departure from her popular novels of domestic suspense. Agent: Jane Gregory, David Higham Assoc. (U.K.).

Colleen Prendergast's strong, nuanced voice takes listeners to a village by the sea in northwest England. There, Tess, an investigator for Innocence UK, is gathering evidence to exonerate a woman imprisoned for stabbing her husband's mistress to death. Tess has her own secrets, which come to light as witnesses are interviewed about the murder case. This feminist thriller explores the various manifestations of motherhood and the psychology of murderers. The characters sound authentic, and the plot is compelling. Listeners are left hoping that Tess and her team who seek justice for the wrongly accused will return in a second audiobook with a new case as riveting as this one and a narrator as polished as Colleen Prendergast. D.L.G. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award � AudioFile 2019, Portland, Maine