A Cry From The Dark

by Robert Barnard

Unable to forget a life-shattering moment that happened to her when she was an Australian schoolgirl, renowned author Bettina Whitelaw works on her memoir and becomes increasingly disturbed when she realizes that someone she knows may be trying to kill her. 15,000 first printing.

Genres: Mystery, Fiction

288 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2003

About the author

Aka Bernard Bastable.

Robert Barnard (born 23 November 1936) was an English crime writer, critic and lecturer.

Born in Essex, Barnard was educated at the Royal Grammar School in Colchester and at Balliol College in Oxford. His first crime novel, A Little Local Murder, was published in 1976. The novel was written while he was a lecturer at University of Tromsø in Norway. He has gone on to write more than 40 other books and numerous short stories.

Barnard has said that his favourite crime writer is Agatha Christie. In 1980 he published a critique of her work titled A Talent to Deceive: An Appreciation of Agatha Christie.

Barnard was awarded the Cartier Diamond Dagger in 2003 by the Crime Writers Association for a lifetime of achievement.

Under the pseudonym Bernard Bastable, Robert Barnard has published one standalone novel and three alternate history books starring Wolfgang Mozart as a detective, he having survived to old age.

Barnard lived with his wife Louise in Yorkshire.

Series:
* Perry Trethowan
* Charlie Peace

Reviews

[Sanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Having not read a Robert Barnard book before, I found this one quite an entertaining read.

The story line was good and I really enjoy stories about old Australia, but I didn't enjoy how it kept jumping from the present to the past. I do rather prefer a story to follow itself.

Bettina Whitelaw was born and brought up in the little outback town of Bundaroo, in NSW in the 1930's. Life was simple then and the people were mostly friendly and helpful, but the downside was that everyone knew everyone else's business, but that's just how life is in the country.

One day she met a new student from England in primary school Eugene Naismith, but Bettina didn't much like the name Eugene so she nicknamed him Huey. That name caught on so he remained Huey for the rest of his life. While the other boys at school ridiculed and bullied him due to his accent and the fact that he seemed to be rather uppity towards them, Huey and Bettina actually got along very well, and would do homework together at each other's houses. That wasn't an easy feat since they lived several miles apart, and had no car. Dad had the horse to work on the farm.

While in her pre-teens, she discovered an enjoyment for writing, which led her on later when she left school, to several jobs where she could capitalize on that very talent, which was to lead her to jobs all over the world. She eventually settled in an upmarket suburb in greater London, and true to form, many other things happened to her.

I did enjoy this book and the storyline.

[Kathy · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have loved most of Robert Barnard's mysteries, but this one just didn't sound like him; there was too much explaining, a protagonist who wasn't very likable, and jumping back and forth between contemporary Britain and Australia of many years before didn't ring true. I don't know whether Barnard spent time in Australia, but much of the dialogue didn't seem right. And then the mystery of why someone would be so interested in Bettina's memoir that she is writing, with details of the night she was raped in her small Australian town. So obvious that it had to be someone from that time, and bringing her brother and her daughter (who she adopted out because she didn't want to be a mother? Really?) to England "coincidentally" didn't add to the mystery. It's beyond me why she would have continued her friendship with Hughie throughout their lives, knowing what he did to her.

[Terry Steinborn · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting stand-alone book from a very fine British author. This one centers around an elderly British author who was born and raised in a small town in the Australian Outback. She is writing a novel which is essentially autobiographical, and is, at the same time, newly connecting to her early days by the visits of people from her Outback past. The approach taken by Barnard basically makes the connections between the past and present become the "suspense" of this book's description. Characters are introduced gradually through the book while their relevance to the story only gradually becomes clear, which for me made for a rather tortured progress through the book. Saying any more about the book might be considered to be a "spoiler", so I'll stop here and try to find one of Barnard's more traditional mysteries that I have yet to read.

[Lisa Almarode · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was well enough written, but I did not care for it, the ending solution did not resonate with the tenor of the whole at all.

[Fran Irwin · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 1/2 stars

[Cat. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hmmm, well, first of all there is a Giant Red Herring in this book. This tics me off in mysteries, where the author leads you astray intentionally. Because, you see, in this case I knew, just knew, who the guilty party was. But I couldn't figure out why he smelled of beer, as she told the cops.

Erk.

And I don't like Betty very much, for in spite of being one of those terrorist old ladies that scare the crap out of people just by being crusty, she's soft-headed. In fact, this is one of those books that you get to the end and realize there's really no one likable in it.

Or, is the point that we all do foul, awful things, but that doesn't really make us foul, awful people? And does legal punishment for a crime really help things in the end? That forgiveness is ultimately the most important thing? Or was she blackmailing him for 60 years?

Aaaargh. Well, Robert, you made me think. So that's good. And I love the descriptions of Bundaroo and London. So I'll graciously keep you as a List Author (as if I could stop myself from reading your books!).

[Swapna · Rating 2 out of 5]

The book starts off on a yawningly slow note but picks up a little bit of speed once the ‘incidents’ in Bettina’s past & present take place. The author has contributed to the slow pace with the language – instead of using simple English (like he normally does), he has used colloquial words and phrases. This is irritating esp. the use of Aussie terms by some of the characters. There is a parallel depiction of Bettina’s past and present.

Some discrepancies:

1) The ending is totally unconvincing - as if Barnard was just interested in giving a shock to the readers. The revelation is inconsistent with Bettina’s character. Why would she stay quiet about the attacker?

2) How can she give up her baby as if it’s a toy, however much she didn’t want it? Moreover, how did her father and aunt readily agree to this decision? This was in the 1940’s and all this for a literary career??

3) And why does Katie Jackson become Katie Johnson in the 16th chapter?

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm not usually interested in reading mystery or suspense, so its a good thing this book was kind of light on both, but still managed to be interesting. Bettina is a renowned author who is recording her memories, sort of a fictionalized account of her life. The story goes back and forth from her childhood in outback Australia, to her current life in London. Her friend Hughie appears in both, and it turns out they both are harboring a dark secret.

An interesting read. Not exactly light-hearted, since it does have some violence.

[Jessica - How Jessica Reads · Rating 3 out of 5]

Meh. I liked the first Barnard I read a lot, but this one was unsatisfying for me. It's the story of an older author in England--who suffered a terrible tragedy in her youth in Australia. But suddenly the past has become very much the present, and she has to deal with things that she was never able to resolve before.

[Cheryl Prentiss · Rating 2 out of 5]

I struggled with what to rate this book. I am not sure if I liked it or disliked it. The language of book was sometimes difficult to read taking place in England but also with characters from Australia. In addition I was upset by the outcome at the end of the book.

[Cynthia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another one of my favorite authors. He writes intriguing mysteries with interesting, well drawn, three dimensional characters and there is always some little twist. If his books were a cocktail they would be 'suspense with a twist of wry'.

[Gail · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good read. The twist at the end really surprised me.

[Anne Marie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not as suspenseful or scary as I would have liked, but I found myself not wanting to put the book down.