Sugar & Spice

by Saffina Desforges

When you think the unthinkable, where do you turn?

Sugar & Spice is the UK #1 best-selling, controversial psycho-sexual (FULL-LENGTH) crime thriller the agents called "the last taboo".


Based on research and details from the case of Robert Black, a UK serial killer, Sugar & Spice was deemed "Too controversial for the British market."

100,000 + readers thought otherwise.

Sugar & Spice is now one of the biggest-selling e-books in the UK of 2011.
It has also just been voted as a 'Red Adept Reviews' 2011 indie award winner for mystery!

If you like cosy crime, this is NOT for you.

Sibel Hodge (author) called it "Patricia Cornwell meets Silence of the Lambs."

The author draws heavily on the classic of the thriller genre, from Cornwell's Scarpetta and Thomas Harris through James Patterson, John Grisham, Dan Brown, Stieg Larsson and A.K. Alexander, to produce a truly unique and ground-breaking debut novel.
Would you trust a convicted sex offender to help you find your daughter's killer? Claire did...

Inspired by a news story of a man who begged a Judge to give him a longer sentence, because he knew he would harm another child if released without treatment, Sugar & Spice is meticulously researched, asking the questions society prefers not to have answered.
At once disquieting and challenging, Sugar & Spice is car-crash reading.
~
It's every parent's worst nightmare: A child fails to return home. As hours turn to days, all they can do is hope. Some children never come back...
Driven by the need to know why, a mother confronts the man accused of her daughter's murder, He presents a compelling defence, convincing Claire not only that he is innocent of harming her daughter, but that his previous convictions were not what they seemed.
Teaming up with a second-year psychology student and a fourteen year-old truant schoolboy, Sugar & Spice is the story of a mother's fight to bring one man's reign of terror to an end.
~
Be warned: In Sugar & Spice not all things are nice...

Genres: Thriller, Fiction, Crime, Mystery, Suspense, Drama, Abuse

353 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 2, 2010

About the author

Hi, I am Saffi - the loud half of the Saffina Desforges writing partnership!

Since first publishing our debut novel in January 2010, we have gone on to sell over 125,000 ebooks in just over a year!

We now also run digital publishing company MWiDP (Mark Williams international Digtial Publishing) and have over 80 titles live.

2012 will see our new online bookstore: IndiEbook.com go live, as well as several other book related domains.

Why not join us? For more details, drop a line to markwilliamsauthor@gmail.com

Saffi

Reviews

[Josee · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was disturbing and haunting; even though it's billed as a work of fiction, it's easy to imagine that it's true or based on a true story.

According to Amazon.com, the book is based on a news story of a man who begged a judge to give him a longer sentence because he knew he would harm another child if released without treatment. You can tell a lot of research on the subject was done, past criminals are mentioned, and the characters are based on real life studies. (Which is VERY disturbing)!!

After her 6-year old daughter Rebecca is kidnapped and killed, Claire visits the man framed with the crime in prison. He presents a compelling defense, convincing Claire not only that he is innocent of this particular case, but that his previous convictions were not what they seemed. He presents pedophilia in a whole new light.

At the same time, there's Greg Randall, a respectable 31-year old accountant and devoted father of six year old twins. Rebecca's murder makes him confront private demons he has been struggling to hide: What does a father of two young girls do when he's attracted to other young girls? Afraid he'll lose control, Randall seeks counseling at a private clinic licensed to treat sex-offenders. Randall's struggle to balance his family life as he undergoes "therapy," runs alongside the hunt for the child-killer, until eventually the two story-lines are joined.

The police can't tell their head from their ass (Is this how London Police really are?), Claire and her reporter boyfriend Matt Buford start their own investigation, teaming up with a second-year psychology student and a fourteen year-old truant schoolboy to find "Uncle Tom".

I guessed the way the book was leaning when a key murder is committed (not of young girls), however I was a slightly off. The authors set up the book to end the way it did the whole way, it was interesting how they tied everything together, but to me the ending was too tidy. I wanted to know MORE behind the WHY and the people involved? I feel like it was glazed over when so much time was spent profiling and talking about why pedophiles do what they do and think they way they think. Also, what happened to Randall? So much of the book was about him as well, and we never get a conclusion to his story.


This book is NOT for everyone or for the faint of heart, or for mothers of children. It's disturbing and scary, yet shines an interesting light on a subject that doesn't get enough attention.

[Yassemin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Plot summary:

Sugar & Spice is set in England and revolves around a series of disturbing multiple child murder cases. Children's bodies are found all over the country in various locations, usually naked, and dead, having been subject to sexual abuse before death, bringing in suspicions of a serial paedophile-killer on the loose.

Rebecca is one of those children found in such circumstances and leaving her mother Claire to cope with the horrific circumstances of her death.

However, not too long after Rebecca's death, Claire is relieved when Bristow a known sex offender is arrested in connection to all of the deaths thus far. However it soon becomes apparent, even to Claire(who visits him in prison), that Bristow isn't responsible for either Rebecca's or the other girls' deaths as more offences are committed whilst Bristow is inside on remand.

Joined with the help of Matt her journalist boyfriend, Claire sets out, with also the help of the police and Danny a teenage hacker to solve the murders and find out who is responsible for committing such atrocities with particular regard to who killed her daughter.

Alongside this is the subplot involving Greg Randall a self confessed paedophile with an admitted sexual interest in prepubsecent girls, concerned because of his own 6 year old twin girls of his emotions, he seeks help at a apparently respectable clinic who try through albeit it strange means to cure sex offenders of their sexual deviances. Randall becomes crucial to the other part of the plot as gradually he becomes scapegoated for the murders in question.

Thoughts:

NOT FOR THE FAINTHEARTED OR SQUEAMISH

That said, having given you fair warning, if your not, then continue reading my review or the book. You'll be okay!

This book was absolutely superb, so much better than I expected. Having so far, only read a minute amount of good kindle books with most disappointing me, I expected this to be also another disappointment. Never will I go into a book with such low expectations again. This was fantastic and definitely one of my favourites of the year. Hard to believe it was a debut!

The subject matter is extremely dark and therefore not for those who feel uncomfortable with reading about the subject matter of killings, paedophilia and child abuse in detail because this book does detail it, very much. Especially in regards to the Randall part of the story where we are given a real insight into the mind of a paedophile, it is of course not pleasant and sometimes downright disturbing reading but is of course crucial to the plot and an interesting insight nonetheless.

Sugar & spice is exceptionally well researched as well with the story feeling as real and true to life as can be with all the additional information about real serial killers thrown into the book to make it more like reality.

The characters were all in some way(dare I say it-even Bristow) characters I got attached to or sympathised with for many various reasons, I felt that they were drawn up extremely well and felt very realistic to me. They were the reason I kept reading this book late into the night, caring about finding out how things resolved for each and every one of them.

There is no criticism about the writing or plot I can think of in this book the only criticism at all would be the occasional typos I came across, however I accept that they are common in most Kindle books and for the price and quality that I got Sugar & Spice for, I could hardly complain too much. Apart from the fact, the typos were slight and did not detract me from enjoying this book whatsoever.

I am very excited about reading more of this author's work. Hopefully soon? Very soon??!

[Erin Kern · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sugar and Spice takes place in modern day England where a madman is abducting children and sending parents across the country into a frenzy and panic. Local detectives scramble to glue together the clues while a young mother of one of the victims takes matters into her own hands by launching her own investigation. The kidnapper's identity is kept a secret until the very end of the book, prompting readers to turn page after page. The author keeps up the suspense by shining a light on several potential suspects but without giving away too much information.

It's clear Ms. Desforges did her research of her local law enforcement and crime/punishment. The book comes across as well plotted and well thought out. It's written in the omniscient POV, taking the reader into the heads of several characters. The vibrantly descriptive scenes gives the reader a clear picture of each scene but without being too overwhelming.

If you're looking for a good mystery with plenty of twists and turns then Sugar and Spice is one you want to pick up.

Erin Kern
author of Looking For Trouble

[Chella · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is intense and definately not for "the faint at heart". Claire is a mother who's little girl has been murdered. Seeking answers from the pedaphile who was arrested for her daughter's murder, Claire begins her own investigation with the help of her reporter friend. She soon begins to doubt he is guilty and sets out to find who the killer really is. I have to admit, I felt uncomfortable reading this book at times and found myself feeling disgusted but I could not put the book down. I was captivated by the authors ability to make me feel like I was a part of the story. The research it must've took to write such a book, I could not imagine. Was sorry it ended

[Saffina Desforges · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my book, so obviously I like it! ;-)

[Grace Krispy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This novel by Saffina Desforges is immediately gripping. The topic is a terrifying train wreck; I was appalled, yet unable to look away. The author does a fantastic job presenting this controversial topic in a way that forces the reader to confront her own feelings and understanding of what is appropriate when it comes to sexual urges. The general feel is almost sympathetic towards pedophiles at times, but not necessarily sympathetic towards those who act on those urges, and that's an important distinction. Getting into the mind of several different pedophiles is not comfortable or easy, but the author smoothly compels the reader to take another perspective, if only for a moment, and confront what is appalling. Initially a bit slow for me, the story really picked up, and the 546 pages (on my sony) went by quickly. I was unable and unwilling to put the book down in the last several hundred pages. The characterization is beautifully done, and even the most loathsome characters manage to be somewhat sympathetic, if only as you pity them. There are some compelling ideas presented, soundlessly intertwined with the storyline. There are several storylines presented throughout the story, coming together at various points in the book. In retrospect, it seemed a bit disjointed, but felt fitting while engaged in the book.

With such a fluid writing style and compelling plot, I wanted to be drawn in through to the end. The frequent chapter breaks were too distracting to allow that. I wondered at one point if the chapter breaks were put in at regular intervals to ensure the chapters were the same length. Many of the chapters almost seemed placed to purposefully break the flow, which was confusing and disconcerting. A conversation would end abruptly because of a chapter break, but then continue in the next chapter as if nothing had happened. It gave me a "wait, did anyone else see that break?" type of feeling. I'd rather have seen the chapter breaks when the setting or characters changed, or when a major plot event was revealed. Additionally, there were some typos in the form of missing punctuation and incorrect word substitutions (e.g., you for your). For the number of pages, the typos were not overly excessive, but they were noticeable and sometimes required a second read of a sentence or phrase. Finally, I'm still not sure what I think of the ending. I had made a guess halfway through the book that turned out to have some merit, but the actual conclusion was unexpected. I loved that I didn't figure it all out, but the ending almost seemed a bit of a mockery of the rest of the story. It didn't help that a character at the end shared an historical perspective of pedophilia that was eerily reminiscent to that shared by an earlier character. It seemed less a thought-provoking perspective and more like propaganda at that point.

Still, all in all, this was a riveting and thought-provoking book that made it difficult to turn away until the last page was turned.

@ MotherLode blog

[J.R. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Though they may not admit it, readers are fascinated by monsters.

One need look only to the popularity of such monsters as vampires, zombies and—yes—serial killers to see the truth of that premise.

Should the writer add despicable to the characteristics of a monster, a winning combination is assured. And what is more of a despicable monster than a pedophile?
Even the most debased of criminals consider the pedophile as the lowest of the low.

A pedophile who preys upon little girls is the villain in this novel. That alone should be sufficient to attract readership. But Saffina Desforges and her writing partner Mark Williams have gone a step or two farther. They provide a multi-faceted view of the crime and criminal. We view him from the varied perspectives of the mother of a victim, her friend and lover, police and profilers and, intriguingly, as a person.

Few readers will have sympathy for a pedophile. But how often are we permitted to get insight into those afflicted with such vile tendencies?

The story is told from a variety of viewpoints. There is Claire, the distraught mother of a victim who wants justice for her child and yet also seeks to understand why anyone would want to harm a child. There’s her friend and presumed lover, Matt, a reporter who gives a journalistic slant and also struggles to understand how Claire can have sympathy for one of the suspects who admits his predilection. There’s Randall, a man who is disgusted by his attraction to little girls and seeks help because he doesn’t want to harm his daughters. These are all well drawn characters. But my two favorites were Ceri, the gifted forensics student, and Danny, the teen hacker, both of them spunky and genuine.

I read the British version. (There’s an American version for those who need a translator for Anglo terms.)

This isn’t a book for the squeamish. But if you like good characterization, novel ideas, fast-paced action and a satisfying resolution, you’ll want to read this one. I’m looking forward to the next offering from this team.

[Sonia · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s every parent’s nightmare. Not just that their child could be kidnapped and murdered, but that they may suffer any form of abuse as well.

Sugar & Spice (only 69p on Kindle!) tackles this taboo subject head on. In fact it bulldozes through it, in such a matter-of-fact way – completely non-glorified – that it takes your breath away.

Perhaps this wasn’t my best choice of book while spending a week on a caravan park by the sea where I have been letting my daughter wander off to do what she wants for hours on end!

However, if you’re not squeamish or one of those that can’t even deal with the thought of it, this is an extremely well written, and well researched thriller.

Rebecca is the first girl to turn up dead – her fingernails painted yellow by her killer. When another couple of girls turn up dead with the same trait, the police know that they are dealing with a serial killer. And what’s more, he’s even literally left a calling card giving himself his own moniker – Uncle Tom.

All of the indications point towards a previously convicted paedophile – but is this really the right man? This is what Rebecca’s mum, Claire and her journalist boyfriend Matt are desperate to find out.

This book deals with the subject matter without frills or niceties and seems to really get into the thoughts as to why these men (as they generally are) do what they do.

I found it absolutely fascinating. In a slightly icky kind of way of course – but fascinating none the less! One of the best ‘stabby-thriller-catchy-killer’ books (as I call them) that I have read in quite a while!

[Shah Wharton · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Neurotics build castles in the sky. Psychotics live in them. Psychotherapists collect the rent. More tea?”

Although this was a very difficult read in parts, and uncomfortable throughout, it was still one of the best books I've read. You should know several things about this before reading it - it deals with pedophiles in a very open and real way. You enter the thoughts and fantasies of those who want to touch but do not act, those who want to touch and do so, those who want to touch, who also kill. Be prepared for this and if you think you can handle it, delve into its murky depths and when you reach them, swim right back to the surface, otherwise you know the saying - Look too long into the abyss and the abyss will look into you! (or something like that anyway!)

NOTE- There were occasional writing errors, plus the chapters breaks hindered the flow, slightly. And although I did see the ending coming, it had layers I hadn't.

This is a great, well researched thriller which should make you question the world, as it informs. An amazing first book, too.

[Stephen Clynes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sugar & Spice is a complete novel in the crime thriller genre but includes within it a detailed anthropology of paedophilia. A tremendous amount of research has gone into this book and you learn about paedophilia through the dialogue between the characters in this story. This book is not a challenge to read. The writing is very clear and there is plenty going on with a busy plot line. This story deals with people's prejudices and how easy it is to jump to certain conclusions, especially to fit someone up for a crime. You will read many warning bells and jump to the wrong conclusion, just like in real life. I identified the wrong person as Uncle Tom, the killer, as I was only 35% through the story! The price of Sugar & Spice on the Amazon Kindle is a surprising 71p. Do not be put off by this bargain price, it would be worth a cover price of £7.99 if it was published in paperback.

[Simon · Rating 5 out of 5]

I bought this novel, a) because it was a recommendation on my Amazon Kindle recommendation's list. b) because it was cheap. c) it came under the "Crime Thriller" section. I didn't read the reviews, had no idea of the subject matter and hadn't heard of the author prior.
After the first few chapters I nearly gave up my read. The subject matter (please read the reviews before purchasing, regardless of the price) is not something I want to read about, watch on the news, even hear about, but I know it happens - My uncle was raped as an eight year old, by a stranger.
However, because I'd started the book and I have a reluctance not to finish a book I've started, regardless of subject matter, I continued, oh, the author's also a woman so I assumed it wouldn't be too graphic.
Great read. Fantastic thriller. Highly recommended. Will certainly look out for more by this author.

[Denna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reading about child murder/abuse can be hard going, but I thought the story really got into the mind of a pedophile and the lives that can be ruined on both sides of the coin. The tension was held well throughout and kept me guessing right up to the end. I didn’t care much for the short chapters. Breaks seemed to come out of nowhere and would have been better in my mind if they had been structured a little better. Other than this one little detail, I thought it well written, and though saying it was an “enjoyable” read isn’t exactly the right choice of words considering the actual content about child sexual abuse, it certainly kept me sitting on the edge of my chair. I would recommend this one, but be prepared to cringe in a few spots.

[G.S. Johnston · Rating 4 out of 5]

This probably isn't my preferred genre but this year I have read a few of the genres "big hitters". Patterson and McDermid left me wanting... But Sugar & Spice did EVERYTHING a novel should do. It takes an incredibly difficult issue, paedophilia, and explores it from numerous angles. BUT, what the novel does so well is that no particular theory is put forward as the "truth". The novel does what Austen does - stimulates multifarious debate.

Having said this, some of the characters needed a bit more development and I also felt the ending left a few too many things up in the air.

Bravely written and well worth a read.

[James Rye · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was an interesting read, though not a page turner. The author had researched a lot about the crime and the nature of the criminal, but at times that got in the way of the plot. For me the book was bloated and needed paring down. The psychotherapists lacked credibility and because of that I nearly gave up on more than one occasion. Introducing the 'son' right at the end was a bizarre plot device.

[Patricia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was so surprised at how much I enjoyed this book. It's about a controversial subject, child sexual abuse, but it was very well handled in the story. It wasn't written for shock value. This was definitely a page turner for me and kept me guessing all the way to the end. I was a little suspicious but the actual twist at the end was a total surprise.

[Vicki · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book kept me on the edge of my seat. I had a hard time putting it down!

[Juliabednar · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting. Very gripping. Very weird. One of those books I'm glad I read, but how can you recommend it to anyone?

[Iain Gray · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic, fast paced with excellent twists. Could not put it down.

[Andrea · Rating 5 out of 5]

what a great book couldnt put it down

[Babeth · Rating 3 out of 5]

Il y a tout un processus pour écrire un livre, un certains nombres d'étapes cruciales et inévitables. Une des étapes est la documentation : rassembler un maximum d'informations sur le sujet traité et ce livre est très bien documenté. Une autre étape est le tri : Vous avez une mine d'information et vous devez choisir les quelles apparaitront et là c'est beaucoup moins bien fait : A de nombreuses reprises j'ai eu le sentiment en lisant certains passages, d'une indigestion d'informations. Certains dialogue sont vraiment pesant parce qu'ils sont là uniquement pour vous donner des informations, quasiment jamais pour vous parler des protagonistes, de ce qu'ils sont, de leur façon d'appréhender le monde... C'est un choix narratif qui m'a empêché de m'attacher aux personnages: parce qu'ils n'ont presque pas de substance, ils n'ont pas d'existence en dehors de l'intrigue. Dommage, car l'histoire est sympas et le dénouement intéressant.

[Hannah · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. I found the authors writing very engaging and felt myself getting involved deeply in the story from the beginning. The subject matter likely played a part as it was about the murder of children and paedophilia and as a mom of three it’s my worst nightmare. The authors writing was extremely absorbing - I found myself feeling sympathy towards characters in the book that were paedophiles which I never would have thought would ever happen. I found the cold calculated manner of the social workers a bit unbelievable, after all social workers get into the job they do because they (presumably) care for the welfare of children so with how harsh they were to Tamara and Natalie I was shocked but I don’t like social workers much so I rolled with it. Over all I’ve found myself devoting more hours than I normally would in a day to reading because I couldn’t stay away from the book and wanted to devour more. I would love to read more from this author in the future.

[Ian · Rating 1 out of 5]

Ugly, badly written book about an ugly subject. Paedophile serial killings put into a Dan Brown style excessive, breathless number of chapters - 200+. The descriptions of suffering children are overly graphic and step over the line too often. As I said, ugly stuff. Avoid.

[L F · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gripped

Not what I expected a very gripping crime story with twists and turns a plenty. A very good read indeed

[Nightkid · Rating 3 out of 5]

這是一部關於戀童癖的犯罪小說，個人認為內容過於偏向講述戀童癖的理論及分析，對劇情的推進幫助不大，感覺作者把太多理論硬塞進書中，然後透過書中的醫師口中複述出來⋯⋯

全書以多視角的方式寫成，穿梭於眾多角色之間，實在讓讀者身心疲累，尤其當全書有逾 200個章節時，過於短小的篇幅只會讓人不斷分心，不停回想這個章節的角色到底是誰，嚴重影響閱讀體驗。

[Joy Musy · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good read but left many loose ends.I felt anti climax in the end..

[Jo Graham · Rating 2 out of 5]

Great storyline but not well written. Lots of typos and slow to get going.

[Ms Karen T Hooper · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read

I was impressed with this book
I liked the characters and the references to real criminals
There are some terrible people out there and this just highlights it further

[Caleb Blake · Rating 4 out of 5]

This review is cross-posted from Papyrus Independent Author Reviews (http://papyrus.calebblake.net/2013/08/14/sugar-spice-by-saffina-desforges)

A child is dead, a grieving mother is looking for answers - and the killing has just begun.

Sugar & Spice is inspired by the true story of Scottish serial killer, Robert Black, who killed a number of young girls in the UK in the 1980s. It was a best-seller in the UK and won the Red Adept Mystery Award in 2011.

Given that the story involves the murder of young girls, it's fair to point out that the content of this novel is quite dark and may not appeal to all readers. For those who would not be put off by that, there are elements in how the author has chosen to tell this story that might be of interest.

Firstly, the author has chosen the mother of one of the victims and her search for understanding, for meaning, as the focal point of the narrative. This choice leads the reader through some fairly uncomfortable subject matter such as the humanity behind paedophilia and rape, something many, including the character herself, wouldn't ordinarily want to contemplate.

It was telling that one of the aspects that evokes the most outrage in the story is actually the treatment of convicted or suspected paedophiles throughout the criminal investigation. We also view pederasty from a psychological and political perspective giving all sorts of grey shades to what is usually considered a very black and white topic.

There were a few elements that didn't appeal to me. I found the incredibly short chapters distracting. Shorter chapters can help to give the perception of a faster pace, but in this case, the chapters were not only too small, but they were rather arbitrarily placed, often breaking a single scene into multiple fragments. Rather than promoting a good flow, the narrative felt like a series of spasmodic convulsions. Equally frustrating was the climax of the story, which I felt was mishandled. A door key-card appearing in a convenient location, very specific information on who and what from a boy without prior knowledge, someone locked in a room suddenly released and meandering about the area. It felt like the logic of the story, previously pretty tight, had started to unravel at the worst of possible moments.

The main character of the book is Claire, mother of the first victim found. In trying to come to terms with what has happened to her daughter, she starts to tease at the edges of the police investigation with some subtle help from her partner, an investigative reporter, and a detective involved with the case. Before long she's having conversations with convicted paedophiles, rapists and psychotherapists trying to understand a topic she's always avoided, meanwhile inching closer to the serial killer.

Nothing about these scenarios are terribly realistic, but it's clear that the author wanted to move away from a police procedural and explore the more personal journey of Claire.

We also see this story from the point of view of Greg Randall, father of twin girls. Greg has a secret compulsion - one that is getting stronger. However, he is determined never to let what he's feeling hurt anyone and he voluntarily submits to psychotherapy. Experiencing life through Greg's eyes is quite uncomfortable especially with the details of the serial killer storyline running in parallel. And when these stories collide, the author gives the reader plenty to consider about how we judge those around us.

There are so many people I would not recommend this book to. Crimes against children can generate very strong reactions, even in fiction. In fact, it's the emotional element that I think the author is presenting in a cautionary light.

The current in Sugar & Spice is strong enough that it becomes easy to manipulate and more than one life is destroyed in the process. At the same time, the author challenges us to justify our reactions by making some very unsubtle points about the treatment of children in our society. This almost becomes heavy-handed when we are introduced to so-called social workers later in the story, but the claim that children are treated as second class citizens has a nagging element of truth to it.

It's quite clear to me that neither the author nor this book condones violence of any kind towards children. Having said that, the author is not afraid to confront and challenge the reader throughout this uncomfortable read. Luckily for me, I like to be challenged and I don't mind being uncomfortable.

[Matt Schiariti · Rating 4 out of 5]

There were a few things early on that had me thinking that I would end up rating this one much lower than I eventually did. I'm not one to put a book down before I'm finished reading it, no matter how much I find myself disliking it and I'm glad I didn't with this one.

This is a very disturbing book. While I wasn't shocked by it or the subject matter, I understand why it's considered controversial. It deals heavily (almost exclusively) with child molesters, pedophiles and the murder of small children. It's not for the feint of heart and I could easily understand why some wouldn't find the darker subject matter appealing. There is also the humanizing of pedophiles (characters in the book mind you) which I'm sure would put some people off immediately.

Clair's daughter disappears one day on the way to school and isn't found until two boys find her body floating in a nearby lake. When Clair and her crime reporter boyfriend Matt try to get answers they'll find that it's not a one off. They find out that they're dealing with a serial killer of the worst kind. One that kills little girls. As Claire tries to find answers and, in the process, solace to ease the mourning of her loss, she'll come into contact with a registered sex offender, a 14 year old truant computer hacking boy, a 19 year old profiling wiz kid in college and a learned psychotherapist from a well reputed clinic that specializes in treating pedophiles.

While I found it to be well written, there are problems, however. As it turns out, the location changed from England to the United States (the greater New York area to be exact) which in and of itself is fine. However, only the locale changed, not the vernacular. There are plenty of British turns of phrase to be had. "Gobsmacked...love (as in, I'll be out in a jiff, love), referring to friends as 'mates'...the book reads like an inherently British novel...which is fine by me. I'm a big fan of Deb Crombie and I like that particular literary personality. It's just that it took some getting used to seeing primarily british mannerisms taking place in the USA. So while at first it was a bit odd, after time it just faded into the background.

Secondly, there is a scene where a person is being questioned in a police station. I found it to be rather far fetched. I don't want to spoil anything but saying it was a case of police brutality is being understated. It just didn't seem plausible and what's more, after that particular sub thread is gone it seems forgotten.

This is a LONG book. The version being reviewed here is nearly 600 pages long. It reads pretty quickly though. Once I got past some of the earlier sticking points I found myself compulsively turning the pages. The amount of research into serial killers, psychotherapy and sexual 'norms' (or deviation, depending on how you want to look at it) must have been no small task. Because of that though, there are some sequences that involve diatribes between players in the scene where it seems more like a school lecture than a normal conversation two people would have. STILL, it shed light on a lot of things I only knew about in the vaguest of terms.

There are a couple characters that get heavily involved that actually seemed a little on the far-fetched side (sorry, I don't want to spoil anything so I can't/won't go into specifics!).

In addition, the foreshadowing of 'whodunnit' isn't exactly revealed on the sly so the villainous reveal isn't that big of a shock. The WHY'S however and the true depths of their depravity makes up for that though.

One final gripe was the ending. Once the big showdown takes place it sort of just ends. A page or two and it's done.

Still, despite all of those issues, this is one worth reading for anybody who likes a crime thriller with a darker twist. It's very well written and features some very good characterization. As I said, the subject matter isn't for the feint of heart. If crimes involving children disturb you, it may not be the best book to read, but it is, after all, a work of fiction.

Very good thriller that should keep you turning pages until you hit the last!

[Charlie Hau · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a controversial psycho-sexual crime thriller. Its a very readable book and one which provokes you think about moral and social issue. This is not for the faint of heart its riveting and disturbing in equal measure.