Some books seem to get all the marketing attention based on what publishers believe will be the biggest titles of the season. However, these are human decisions, and sometimes excellent books aren’t afforded the marketing push they deserve. This is actually great news for readers because it makes discovering one of those overlooked gems all the more exciting, meaning the likelihood of a word-of-mouth viral sensation is possible. Case in point The Trials of Marjorie Crowe by C. S. Robertson.
Marjorie Crowe is a creature of habit—taking the same walk through the tiny village of Kilgoyne, Scotland twice every day, so consistently that other villagers could set their clocks based on her movements. Until the day when all that changes. On that morning stroll, Marjorie sees a boy hanging from a tree with a noose around his neck. She doesn’t try to help, and she doesn’t call the authorities. She doesn’t even tell anyone else in the village what she saw. Marjorie walks back home, shuts her door, and goes about her day.
When the police do eventually find the boy, everyone knows that Marjorie Crowe must have seen him, but what she tells the two cops investigating the case—Detectives Deacon and Sharma—is impossible. Why is Marjorie Crowe lying?
All of this happens just pages into The Trials of Marjorie Crowe and the novel only gets more gripping as every page is turned. What follows is an examination of the insidious nature of gossip, the dangerous power of social media, and the perennial condemnation of “others”—especially those that don’t fit into the nice categories society likes to believe exist.
C. S. Robertson showed in his novel The Undiscovered Deaths of Grace McGill that any notion that male writers cannot successfully write from the female perspective is patently false, and The Trials of Marjorie Crowe hammers the point home. Readers will struggle to find a more realistic and realized new character than Marjorie Crowe in all of crime fiction this year. From the first moments of the novel, her voice is hypnotic, drawing the reader into her isolated—and painful—existence. Robertson further highlights this by sprinkling the text with true tales of women who have been condemned—and often killed—simply for not “fitting in.”
The Trials of Marjorie Crowe is told in prose that often feels more like poetry. Every word choice, every sentence splice is deliberate and carefully decided. Difficult emotions and feelings are sometimes expressed so beautifully that readers will be forgiven for going back to read those sentences more than once. But there is also the oppressive feeling of the noose tightening with each turned page. As the dead bodies begin to pile up, the truth behind the façade of this small Scottish village becomes apparent. By virtue of the first-person narration, readers will feel bonded to Marjorie Crowe and will fear for her as she makes one poor decision after another. It is almost like the reader is facing all the trials that Marjorie must confront.
In particular, a scene set on Endrick Island, in which Marjorie stumbles upon a forest filled with baby dolls hanging from the trees will fuel many a nightmare for years to come. The themes within The Trials of Marjorie Crowe are not easy, but C. S. Robertson gives everyone the respect they deserve—victims, parents, teens, cops, village officials, and the townsfolk, including Marjorie herself. The subtle power with which C. S. Robertson highlights flaws in our modern society is to be commended—and it makes for one of the most gripping reading experiences of the year. Don’t miss The Trials of Marjorie Crowe.
BUY LINKS: The Trials of Marjorie Crowe by C. S. Robertson
Disclaimer: A print copy of this title was provided to BOLO Books by the author. No promotion was promised and the above is an unbiased review of the novel.
