Human Remains: A Novel

Human Remains is the third novel by former police intelligence analyst and author, Elizabeth Haynes. Searching for her missing cat, police intelligence analyst Annabel Hayer enters the abandoned house next to hers. She is shocked to find the decomposing body of her next-door-neighbour sitting in a lounge chair. Back at work, her interest piqued, she checks the data for similar cases, and is disturbed to note that the number has spiked in the last few months. Her superiors are only vaguely interested until someone rings The Briarstone Chronicle with a location for another body. And then it gets personal.

Haynes uses two main narrators to tell her tale: Annabel gives the perspective of a potential victim as well as illustrating the role of a police analyst; from Colin, the reader gets the point of view of a predator who, almost convincingly, justifies his actions. The rest of the story comes from multiple narrators: the dead tell how they have arrived at the point of dying alone and undiscovered; their stories are prefaced by articles in The Briarstone Chronicle.

Haynes gives the reader an original plot with an exciting climax and a female lead character who shows a hidden strength and tenacity. She also illustrates how easily a person can be reduced to despair, to hopelessness, to wanting to withdraw from the world, from life. She raises the issue of caring for neighbours versus interfering with the human right to decide one's own fate. Yet another gripping page-turner from this talented author.

Human Remains is the third novel by former police intelligence analyst and author, Elizabeth Haynes. Searching for her missing cat, police intelligence analyst Annabel Hayer enters the abandoned house next to hers. She is shocked to find the decomposing body of her next-door-neighbour sitting in a lounge chair. Back at work, her interest piqued, she checks the data for similar cases, and is disturbed to note that the number has spiked in the last few months. Her superiors are only vaguely interested until someone rings The Briarstone Chronicle with a location for another body. And then it gets personal.

Haynes uses two main narrators to tell her tale: Annabel gives the perspective of a potential victim as well as illustrating the role of a police analyst; from Colin, the reader gets the point of view of a predator who, almost convincingly, justifies his actions. The rest of the story comes from multiple narrators: the dead tell how they have arrived at the point of dying alone and undiscovered; their stories are prefaced by articles in The Briarstone Chronicle.

Haynes gives the reader an original plot with an exciting climax and a female lead character who shows a hidden strength and tenacity. She also illustrates how easily a person can be reduced to despair, to hopelessness, to wanting to withdraw from the world, from life. She raises the issue of caring for neighbours versus interfering with the human right to decide one's own fate. Yet another gripping page-turner from this talented author.