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Tuesday, January 14, 2014

A Cry in the Night


A Cry in the Night is a psychological thriller. Dark and intense and often unpleasant.

Trying to review this book has been a slippery slope.  

Missing children, the effect of history and myth, misogyny at work in past and present.  The author does not give the reader much help in this novel, deliberately leaving us in the dark--and uncertain about what to believe and who to trust.

DI Sam Taylor and DC Zoe Barnes have worked together long enough to be confident in each other, but from the beginning of this case, their trust in each other is threatened by secrets.

Not only is the relationship of the two investigators undergoing a devolution, but both Sam and Zoe have a growing sense of unease about what is going on in their department.  A corruption of values and of trust is taking place.  The point of origin for their concerns differ, but both have increasing concerns and questions

Both Sam and Zoe question how QC Helen Seymour has ended up defending all of the women in the files given to Sam...cases where women have murdered their own children or those in their care.  

Instead of an unreliable narrator, this novel features a number of unreliable characters.   A clever technique that leaves the reader uneasy and often repelled.

I almost abandoned this book pretty early.  I persevered, and must admit that while not a pleasant novel, there are some interesting insights.  Grieves keeps the tension tight, and the reader ambivalent and troubled.

Read in Dec., 2013

NetGalley/Quercus Books

Police Procedural/Psychological Thriller.  Jan.  2013.  Print version:  ??

4 comments:

  1. This sounds like an interesting read, like one that will definitely keep the reader on his or her toes.

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  2. Wendy - I can't really say I enjoyed it, but it did interest me.

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  3. Glad to hear the book ended up being an interesting read. I actually do think it sounds like one to check out! Sometimes I do like an unreliable narrator and if you've got several here well, that is something!

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  4. Iliana - It is difficult to know who to trust in this novel since even the "good" characters have serious flaws. I find unreliable narrators interesting; so many characters who are unreliable creates a strange atmosphere.

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