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Title: Forty Words for Sorrow by Giles Blunt ISBN: 0-425-18516-8 Publisher: Berkley Pub Group Pub. Date: March, 2002 Format: Paperback Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $6.99 |
Average Customer Rating: 4.4 (20 reviews)
Rating: 5
Summary: Stunning debut by an original new voice in mystery writing
Comment: First off, let me say that this book does not follow the typical formula for a mystery and is far more character-oriented than action oriented, at least at the beginning. And then there's the fact that the reader is introduced to the killers fairly early on, taking any mystery out of who they are. This one has been called a "thinking person's thriller" and the description fits.
But none of this takes anything away from this wonder of a book, winner of Britain's Silver Dagger Award for Fiction - and deservably so. Author Giles Blunt brings each character to life with an expert hand.Blunt has the rare ability to make readers care about his characters, flaws and all, so much so that I deliberately read the last chapters slowly, not wanting the book to end.
And what people inhabit this book! There's the basically good but lonely cop who may or may not have a dark secret in his past, the fellow detective who is covertly investigating him, the pair of skewed killers who prey on hapless adolescents with a veneer of friendliness which masks their ruthless desires and tortures.
I confess that I didn't open this one with high expectations, having read far too many works by first-time authors that just didn't hold my interest, had serious flaws or were lacking in depth, solid characters, a believable story line. So it was an delightful surprise to have my expectations overturned. I look forward to reading more books by Blunt.
Rating: 5
Summary: Time Well Spent
Comment: Time is a precious commodity so there's always some degree of risk to start a novel by an author I'm unfamiliar with. In this case, the time devoted to read enough to decide if it was worth continuing was short. The story of an investigation of the murders/disappearances of three young people starts with the discovery of a body while describing the main characters in the setting of bitter cold Algonquin Bay, Canada. The cold winter weather is expertly described and matches the cold, detached feelings of the heartless killers. Once they are introduced, the pace of the story quickens. The technique of alternating between Cardinal and Delorme ( the primary investigators ) and the killers and their captive heightens the tension and accelerates the pace so by the time the storyline is clearly established, the investigation is in overdrive. The subplot allows the reader to witness the internal struggle of conscience in one of the characters and the total emptiness and lack of conscience within the other killer. The comparison offers enough contrast to lift the story above the run of the mill thriller by offering the reader some substance and material for reflection. To put it simply, invest the time, it'll pay off.
Rating: 5
Summary: Turn the Pages . . . Fast
Comment: I won't rehash the plot as others here have already done so and probably much better. Everything about this book was believable, from the characters, situations, dialogue to the well-below zero weather. I liked the fact that you know who the killers are part way through the book -- the pace of the story quickens as you are now going back and forth between added characters and situations. I also like that I had compassion for Cardinal concerning the situation with his mentally ill wife, but it was woven into the story in such a way that I felt it wasn't overkill. I found myself towards the end jumping ahead of the story because I couldn't stand the suspense and then I went back and read more slowly. Also, just when you think it's all over and resolved . . .SURPRISE! Highly recommended
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Title: The Delicate Storm by Giles Blunt ISBN: 0399148655 Publisher: Putnam Pub Group Pub. Date: 29 May, 2003 List Price(USD): $24.95 |
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Title: The Distant Echo by Val McDermid ISBN: 0312301995 Publisher: St. Martin's Minotaur Pub. Date: 01 October, 2003 List Price(USD): $24.95 |
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Title: Playing with Fire : A Novel of Suspense by Peter Robinson ISBN: 006019877X Publisher: William Morrow Pub. Date: 20 January, 2004 List Price(USD): $23.95 |
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Title: A Question of Blood: An Inspector Rebus Novel by Ian Rankin ISBN: 0316095648 Publisher: Little Brown & Company Pub. Date: February, 2004 List Price(USD): $22.95 |
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Title: Black Dog by Stephen Booth ISBN: 0671786040 Publisher: Pocket Books Pub. Date: 01 November, 2001 List Price(USD): $6.99 |
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