Review by Frank Plowright

For a relatively unknown writer Glenn Møane sure knows how to construct a crime drama and grab attention from the start. We’re shown a young man on the phone as he collects the paper from his drive, at which point he’s attacked by a guy with a baseball bat. You’ll figure who’s in the right and who’s in the wrong is obvious, but the seemingly irrelevant phone conversation preceding the attack is more than passing conversation, and Møane will soon have you guessing.

The situation that begins to play out is the abduction of Sean. He’s been cleared of involvement in the death of his girlfriend, with whom he had a very public argument before she died. That, though, isn’t good enough for Julia’s father Brian and Uncle Earl, who intend to beat the truth from him.

Never mind a can, it’s a whole pallet full of worms that begins to emerge as two questions are asked. Has Sean managed to fool the police while actually guilty? And how far will Julia’s relatives go in attempting to force a confession from him? Yet it’s more nuanced than that, as Møane fleshes out the cast via flashbacks, and introduces the women married to them. He creates a horrible situation, and it seems as if there’s not a decent person in the entire story, yet none are irredeemable, and doubts are voiced.

Elevating this still further is the accomplished art of Tirso Llaneta. It’s commonly the case with smaller publishers that the creators are starting out, and the promise can be seen, but they’re growing up in public. That’s not the case with Llaneta, who’s already the full package, having worked in animation for years. His cinematic storytelling is exemplary, and so is his character design, Earl’s mullet being especially memorable. Attention to detail is also evident, and violence is restrained rather than exaggerated, which makes it more effective in the long run.

You’re not going to figure out the dark twists in store, but they’re exquisitely revealed and all believable in context, and by the end the title will make sense as well. The Love She Offered is a short graphic novel, but should be essential for any lover of crime drama.