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luellen1990's review against another edition
3.0
Witness by Cath Staincliffe
Title - Witness
Author - Cath Staincliffe
Published - July '1
Publisher - Robinson
Genre - #Crime #Thriller
Pages - 272
Price on Amazon - Paperback - £7.99 Kindle - £4.99
ISBN - 1849013446
When a terrible shooting of a teenage boy takes place, there are four witnesses, four people in the wrong place at the wrong time. Fiona is a midwife who is suffering from panic attacks. Mike is a delivery driver and family man who is forced to choose between his family or the court case. Cheryl is a young single mum who wants a better life for her child. Finally Zac a homeless man who says he will speak in exchange for witness protection.
This was the first book by Staincliffe that I didn't enjoy as much as the rest of her books. I found this book to be a bit slow and I was finding myself getting bored, to be honest. I found I couldn't engage with the characters the same way I had with previous books. I found I wasn't enjoying the plot and it was a bit slow and wasn't grabbing my attention.
Rating - Three out of Five Stars
Would I Read Again? - No
Would I Recommend? -No
Would I read other books by the same author? - Yes
Reviews for this book can be found on:
Amazon (UK) under Lu's Reviews
Goodreads,
Net Galley (If a NetGalley Book)
My Blogs at http://www.readingbeyondobsession.co.uk/
www.lusreviewsblog.wordpress.com
Links to this review can be found at:
Twitter: @lusreviews
Facebook: @lucyluisbookreviews
Instagram: lusreviews
Title - Witness
Author - Cath Staincliffe
Published - July '1
Publisher - Robinson
Genre - #Crime #Thriller
Pages - 272
Price on Amazon - Paperback - £7.99 Kindle - £4.99
ISBN - 1849013446
When a terrible shooting of a teenage boy takes place, there are four witnesses, four people in the wrong place at the wrong time. Fiona is a midwife who is suffering from panic attacks. Mike is a delivery driver and family man who is forced to choose between his family or the court case. Cheryl is a young single mum who wants a better life for her child. Finally Zac a homeless man who says he will speak in exchange for witness protection.
This was the first book by Staincliffe that I didn't enjoy as much as the rest of her books. I found this book to be a bit slow and I was finding myself getting bored, to be honest. I found I couldn't engage with the characters the same way I had with previous books. I found I wasn't enjoying the plot and it was a bit slow and wasn't grabbing my attention.
Rating - Three out of Five Stars
Would I Read Again? - No
Would I Recommend? -No
Would I read other books by the same author? - Yes
Reviews for this book can be found on:
Amazon (UK) under Lu's Reviews
Goodreads,
Net Galley (If a NetGalley Book)
My Blogs at http://www.readingbeyondobsession.co.uk/
www.lusreviewsblog.wordpress.com
Links to this review can be found at:
Twitter: @lusreviews
Facebook: @lucyluisbookreviews
Instagram: lusreviews
ceegreen's review against another edition
1.0
There's a need for an 'abandoned' category alongside, 'to read' 'reading', 'read', I think. I just couldn't be bothered with this after a few chapters. It read like it's just waiting to be a mid-week ITV drama with Lesley Sharpe as the motherly midwife
lorrainewardy's review against another edition
4.0
Another good read, loved this as it was based where im living at the moment so really felt as though I was part of the story :)
eileen9311's review against another edition
4.0
Although reading this in a large print edition was strangely distracting, I really liked the book. Strikingly different characters, well portrayed, together with the inherent suspense, made for a most enjoyable novel.
belakovska's review
3.0
I like the fact that Cath Staincliffe writes crime drama that doesn't just follow a detective around until they have solved the murder. Instead, we are told early on who the perpetrators are and, as is often the case where gangs are involved, the difficulty is not that the police don't know who they are looking for, but that they need to have a strong case in order to bring the perps to justice. This means relying on (credible) witnesses to come forward and be prepared to undergo examination in court, which in the case of at least one witness here, is a terrifying prospect given the risks.
The story begins with the murder of a young lad in broad daylight, told from the perspective of a nurse who was first to the scene and who attempted to save his life. In the event of his death, she becomes one of several other witnesses, whose stories unfold chapter by chapter. Staincliffe does a good job of trying to illustrate different characters from varied backgrounds, and voices the turmoil they have in deciding whether or not to testify in court. She also highlights the mental health difficulties associated with witnessing a trauma and how becoming a part of the criminal justice system can bring unforeseen issues as time ticks by.
One of the most interesting, but frustrating, characters was Zak, a homeless boy who clearly had a troubled childhood and whose motivation for becoming a witness is questionable but understandable. As he is contending for page space with three other characters, it is difficult to fully engage with him (and he is hard to like a lot of the time) but I would like to have learned more about him and his background.
The novel is resolved satisfyingly, and it does feel like the author knows her stuff when it comes to courtroom proceedings and the flaws in the law. Definitely worth a read if you like crime drama with a difference.
The story begins with the murder of a young lad in broad daylight, told from the perspective of a nurse who was first to the scene and who attempted to save his life. In the event of his death, she becomes one of several other witnesses, whose stories unfold chapter by chapter. Staincliffe does a good job of trying to illustrate different characters from varied backgrounds, and voices the turmoil they have in deciding whether or not to testify in court. She also highlights the mental health difficulties associated with witnessing a trauma and how becoming a part of the criminal justice system can bring unforeseen issues as time ticks by.
One of the most interesting, but frustrating, characters was Zak, a homeless boy who clearly had a troubled childhood and whose motivation for becoming a witness is questionable but understandable. As he is contending for page space with three other characters, it is difficult to fully engage with him (and he is hard to like a lot of the time) but I would like to have learned more about him and his background.
The novel is resolved satisfyingly, and it does feel like the author knows her stuff when it comes to courtroom proceedings and the flaws in the law. Definitely worth a read if you like crime drama with a difference.
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