Close Her Eyes — Dorothy Simpson

LOST WEEKEND

Fifteen-year-old Charity Pritchard's conservative, fanatically religious family forbids her to date, wear makeup or jeans, or travel anywhere alone. So it is a great shock when Charity does go somewhere alone -- and stays missing for an entire weekend. Until her crumpled body is found in a back alley just minutes from her own bleak house.

As Britain's Inspector Luke Thanet tries to piece together a portrait of the young victim, he faces a vexing question: Was Charity the innocent child she appears to be? Everyone he questions agrees that Charity was a bright, submissive girl, but it becomes clear to Thanet that not a soul liked her. Dislike is hardly a strong motive to murder anyone, especially someone so quiet and innocent. Thanet suspects a darker motive. The deeper lie digs, the more convinced he becomes that Charity crammed much more than anyone suspects into her brief life -- enough so that someone would want to end it.