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Wednesday, December 17, 2014

Broadchurch by Erin Kelly

OK - Broadchurch isn't exactly an Erin Kelly novel, and yet it is.  The series was created by Chris Chibnall for British television, and Kelly then turned it into a novel.  Although I didn't see the television series, I loved the novel that examines a community in the aftermath of the murder of eleven-year-old Danny Latimer.

I was so totally satisfied with Kelly's novelization that I have no desire to see the British drama or the American version titled Gracepoint

Kelly's characters are strong, well-defined, and entirely human--I'm not going to mess with the images I took from the novel.

Detective Ellie Miller is personal friends with Danny's parents, and her son Tom and Danny were best friends.  On returning from a vacation, Ellie discovers that the promotion she thought was a sure thing has instead been given to Alec Hardy, a man whose last case was a disaster.

Ellie is still coping with her disappointment when she realizes that the body found on the beach is Danny's, and then the gut-wrenching discovery that it wasn't an accident.

The small community of Broadchurch is stunned--an eleven-year-old boy murdered and the murderer must be one of them.  As you can imagine, the town will never be the same.  Danny's family is devastated.  Ellie struggles with her own sadness, the close connections to the Latimers, her initial refusal to suspect anyone she knows, and the aloofness of Hardy, who leads the investigation.

Who killed Danny and why?  The suspects--friends and family--have secrets and pasts that are coming to light for the first time.  There are also comments about the press and the way the media can influence an investigation.

The writing is succinct, the setting is vividly depicted, and the characters are treated with a kind of empathy that is touching.  

Excellent.  If you have the chance, do read Broadchurch, you won't regret it.

Library copy.

Crime/Police Procedural.  2014.  448 pages.

10 comments:

  1. I probably won't read this, but I really loved the television series. I am glad to hear the novelization was well done. Just curious ... whose point of view was the story told from? Ellie's?

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    1. Mostly Ellie's, but it's third person, and lots on Hardy's difficulties as well.

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  2. Wow- I am so happy that someone who didn't see either tv adaptation could enjoy this book! My daughter watched the one on the BBC and recommended it or even the one made for U.S.

    However I haven't gotten to them yet but had seen this book listed somewhere and was intrigued. Thanks for confirming that the book is a worthwhile read!

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    1. I've read one other book by Kelly, which was also very, very good. I'm sure the BBC version is great, but I have all the characters in my head now, so I don't want to make any adjustments! I hate not watching a good series, though.

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  3. I've not heard of the television series, but this novel does sounds good. I'll have to check out the novel, that is.

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    1. It is really good, Melody. Now, I want another one by Kelly!

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  4. the tv (british) version is absolutely fantastic!

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    1. I love watching British series--they are almost always so good. It was just a fluke that I found the book at the library and read it first--I had no idea when I picked up the book that it was a BBC drama. Since I enjoyed The Burning Air so much, I just wanted read another book by Erin Kelly.

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  5. I just noticed the series is on Netflix and I'm eager to watch it. I can't say I'm a fan of books based on television shows, but it sounds like the author did a good job with this one.

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    1. I don't know that I've ever read a book based on a television series before, and even after reading it, I didn't discover the tv series until I was posting to Goodreads! It is a very good book, and I understand that the series is an excellent drama.

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