Synopsis: Kitty Patterson's Funeral

Marieke Doyle is a thirty-something cop with serious doubts about her profession of choice. Matters only worsen when she's assigned a new case: a fourteen year old girl has been found dead in an alley, covered in blood and surrounded by empty beer bottles. To get to the bottom of the girl's murder Marieke has to dive into the darkest corners of suburbia, involve herself with dysfunctional families and boys that mean well but never seem to get things right. Meanwhile, her relationship with her boyfriend is on rocky ground, and her sister's wedding is fast approaching...

How did Kitty Patterson end up dead in an alley? What exactly did Slade witness that made him bolt? What will be revealed at Beatrice's wedding? And why is Kitty's funeral in the title when it never actually takes places in the novel?