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Song Circle #1
Die toten Mädchen.
A stunning literary crime novel, from the acclaimed author of Peacetime .The first in a trilogy of contemporary crime novels set in the city of Hull, and told in the wry tones of the troubled Private Investigator Leo Rivers. Robert Edric’s new departure into Noirish fiction is reminiscent of Chandler and Mosley, and yet remains uniquely British. Against the backdrop of a world of pornography and child murder, this dark and intense novel reads like a game of chess where every piece is invested with a deceptive significance. Edric’s trademarks of vivid characterization and delicious prose are as seductive as ever.From the Hardcover edition.
Paperback
First published August 18, 2003
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
October 4, 2018
"Cradle Song" Is the first book in a trilogy. This series of the three books is a departure for Mr. Edric, because it is about as close to a crime/detective series as the author has ever gotten.
The title, "Cradle Song", is a bleak irony, the central events of the book are the murders during sexual torture of teenage girls.
Years before the book begins, Martin Roper, a pornographer, was convicted of killing a number of girls. He confessed to the crimes in great detail. At his trial he pleaded not guilty. He is now appealing against his conviction.
Leo Rivers, a private investigator, is approached by James Bishop,the father of one of the victims to see what he can discover about what had happened, as his daughter had never been found. Yet Roper, at his trial had claimed to kill the girl. Roper’s trial was so lurid that most of it was conducted in a cleared courtroom, and much of the testimony is permanently sealed making Rivers search all the more difficult.
Edric does not shy away from difficult topics. This first 'song' of the trilogy deals with pedophilia, child murder and police corruption. This book would perhaps appeal to fans of Ian Rankin.
Did I mention this story takes place in Hull, England ?
The title, "Cradle Song", is a bleak irony, the central events of the book are the murders during sexual torture of teenage girls.
Years before the book begins, Martin Roper, a pornographer, was convicted of killing a number of girls. He confessed to the crimes in great detail. At his trial he pleaded not guilty. He is now appealing against his conviction.
Leo Rivers, a private investigator, is approached by James Bishop,the father of one of the victims to see what he can discover about what had happened, as his daughter had never been found. Yet Roper, at his trial had claimed to kill the girl. Roper’s trial was so lurid that most of it was conducted in a cleared courtroom, and much of the testimony is permanently sealed making Rivers search all the more difficult.
Edric does not shy away from difficult topics. This first 'song' of the trilogy deals with pedophilia, child murder and police corruption. This book would perhaps appeal to fans of Ian Rankin.
Did I mention this story takes place in Hull, England ?
January 29, 2011
This was great! I'm really pleased it's the first part of a trilogy and I get to read the second two installments in the series. I just hope they are as high quality as this.
It's a PI novel, set in the internet age, in Hull, an industrial city in the north of England with nothing much to recommend it. Leo Rivers gets involved in the case of Nicola Bishop, a fourteen year old, who went missing five years ago at the behest of her father. The man who confessed to her murder was convicted of another murder but nothing was ever proved about Nicola's death.
The book is both well written and well plotted. I don't want to give away too much about how the story falls into place other than to say that everything is set up just right. This is well worth a read.
It's a PI novel, set in the internet age, in Hull, an industrial city in the north of England with nothing much to recommend it. Leo Rivers gets involved in the case of Nicola Bishop, a fourteen year old, who went missing five years ago at the behest of her father. The man who confessed to her murder was convicted of another murder but nothing was ever proved about Nicola's death.
The book is both well written and well plotted. I don't want to give away too much about how the story falls into place other than to say that everything is set up just right. This is well worth a read.
April 12, 2012
First read of an Edric novel and I'm hooked. Fantastically moody and well-crafted, emotional mystery. Top shelf read. Looking forward to the next installment.
May 26, 2013
The Song-trilogy is one of the biggest achievements of contemporary PI crime fiction. Not in England only but on English language as well. Damn good.
July 28, 2013
It's good to read a novel set in your own home town, so that places are readily identifiable - something we're not used to in Hull. This is a rather over-complicated crime story, but a good read.
September 7, 2023
god this was brutal to get through. i haven’t DNFed a book in years. I don’t even remember the last time I DNFed while knowing I would make no attempt to try again. I got almost halfway through over the course of 6 whole ass months, and I read 12 other books in between while I tried to slog through this. The plot is intriguing in general but that’s all it’s got going on here. Let’s just say you can definitely tell this was written by a man when it comes to the scenes discussing r*pe, abuse, and crimes against women and girls. Every scene was Leo meeting another mysterious person at another mysterious location. I did want to know what happened in the end but I just couldn’t make it there. Maybe I will try again in the far future? Unfortunately it just certainly wasn’t for me.
January 13, 2018
Will a convicted pedophile and child murderer be able to bargain for a reduced sentence in return for information on those who were not caught? PI Rivers investigates causing new deaths. You'd think he'd figure out he isn't very good at this.
January 11, 2021
Was recommended this trilogy they are set in Hull (where I am from). Good from the nostalgia angle but not really my sort of book.
June 24, 2016
Meh. Lengthy build up. Random crimes. Unexplained motives. And sadly real life is much worse than this novel.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews