Scan barcode
janie's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
caro1511's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
nee223's review against another edition
5.0
Wow, this book was great. I couldn't put it down. I sort of had an idea, but I didn't really guess right. This book really left you hanging until the very end and I liked that. I will have to check out more books by this author.
syren1532's review against another edition
5.0
One December night in 1963 fourteen year old Alison Carter goes missing from the isolated village in Derbyshire. Detective Inspector George Bennett is on the fast track in the force and is put in charge of the case. There are fears that Alison's disappearance is linked to two children, one from Manchester and the other from Lancashire, who have gone missing - victims of what we now know as the Moors Murderers. He is determined to find Alison, dead or alive, for the sake of her mother. Then suspicion falls on her stepfather who has been doing unspeakable things to Alison and after a trial he is sentenced to hang. Thirty five years later Catherine, a journalist, has managed to persuade George to speak about the case as she wants to write a book about the investigation. George finds working with her cathartic but suddenly he has a change of heart and writes to her to say new information has come to light and she can never publish the book. Why has George suddenly changed his mind and what could the new information be? Fantastic read from start to finish.
kkilburn's review against another edition
3.0
This is the first Val McDermid I've read, for some strange reason. I very much enjoyed the first section of the book - the "true crime novel" recounting the events surrounding the crime, its investigation, and its solution. The characters were nicely revealed, the pacing was great, and the writing taut. I didn't care as much for the second section - it felt looser, even a little sloppy compared to the beginning. I think that's because I didn't connect well with Catherine - it felt to me as though she sort of appeared out of nowhere, and I never felt terribly invested in her. Finally, I found the final secret (don't want to give anything away) to be a bit too contrived for my taste. I'm obviously in the minority, as the book won numerous awards and McDermid is an acknowledged master in her field. I'm going to try another one and see if I like it better!
tdk's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
alexandramue's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
schopflin's review against another edition
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
I don't feel this is McDermid at her best. A lot of the historical section feels clunky and overlong, and there are some jarring anachronisms (they weren't drinking tea out of mugs in 1963 and no defense barrister needed to downplay his upper class origins). Bennett and Clough feel a little clichéd as characters in the first sections (wearing hats and smoking a lot are not substitutes for personality) and Heathcote is well-drawn but unpleasant company. However, the sense of place is powerfully evoked and it had me turning the pages. There's no mention later that despite her distrust of the police, Ma Lomas reported Alison missing to Grundy before Ruth called the station. I am also surprised that no-one makes the point in the revelatory chapters that if Hawkin had not been hanged, a life in prison for child sex offences alone, with the shadow of doubt of murder over him, would have been far from pleasant. Bennett and Clough could also have reflected that hanging was society's choice at the time. But I suppose the book was already so long by then there wasn't much room for reflection.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child abuse and Rape