Noah is a boy from a privileged background, Abdi is the child of Somalian refugees, yet in spite of their wildly different backgrounds the two boys are inseparable best friends. Following a vernissage of his Father's art in a Bristol gallery, Noah is found near to death floating in a canal in a derelict part of the home city. Abdi was present when Noah entered the water but either can't or won't tell what happened.
At the time of the accident Bristol is a city fraught with racial tensions. Investigating detective Jim Clemo and the local police force are under pressure to not only solve the case but to monitor the press and social media so as to avert a potentially explosive situation. Narrated from the points of view of the main characters, the story slowly reveals what happened to the boys on the night in question, and while the ending wasn't a big surprise there was something satisfying in the way that all the loose ends came together.
Odd Child Out was a sad, but rewarding read, with well drawn highly credible characters from a broad section of society. I wouldn't class it as a mystery novel as such - this book has many layers and it was as much about the bonds of family and friendships as it was about police procedures and Noah's accident.
This was the first book that I have read by Gilly Macmillan and I'm greatly looking forward to reading others by this talented writer.
Recommended.
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