The Burning by Jane Casey
It’s been a busy few weeks for police officers on the murder task force in London, with four dead girls and counting. Dubbed The Burning Man by helpful media, someone is beating young women to death before setting their bodies ablaze in secluded parks. When one young woman takes the law into her own hands, determined not to be the fifth victim, there is a quick flare of hope that the murderous rampage has come to an end. But it turns out to be a false identification, leaving the real murderer still at large. Detective Constable Maeve Kerrigan has long suffered slagging over her Irish roots and her red hair, which makes her all the more single-minded in her quest to solve the case. Not helped by her distraction over the disintegration of her longterm relationship, her focus is also diluted by her growing closeness to her work partner. And then there is victim Rebecca Haworth, whose death is beginning to look more and more like the work of an opportunistic killer taking advantage of the chaos caused by the Burning Man. A wonderful page-turner from an author to watch out for.
|
|
Scissors Paper Stone by Elizabeth Day
Along with the creeping sense of foreboding that comes as you delve further into this father-daughter tale, is the sense of perverse relief – to this reader, at least – that abuse is far from being just an Irish dirty little secret. With all that has come out in this country over the last few years, we could be forgiven for thinking that we are somehow alone in twisted and tortured family relationships, which of course couldn’t be further from the truth. Charles Redfern is an oh-so-proper English gentleman who has just been knocked from his bicycle and is currently in a coma. His wife Anne is a bit of a snivelling wreck, but it soon becomes apparent that her nervous state originated long before her husband’s accident. Their daughter Charlotte has long had an uneasy relationship with Anne, and has very mixed emotions about her father’s accident. As the characters reflect back on their lives, we see that Anne was once a vibrant, popular young woman, whose personality changed immensely once she married Charles. Growing up in a very stifled home environment, it’s little wonder that Charlotte has trouble maintaining close relationships. Uncomfortable subject matter, but a very well-written tale.
|
|
