REVIEW: THE CRADLE IN THE GRAVE by Sophie Hannah

Hannah's tireless cops are on the case again in her newest procedural novel.  Strangely enough, its publication rather coincides with the real life of Casey Anthony.  Never one to shy away from difficult subject matter, Hannah, through her characters, explores the emotional and societal impacts of such an unthinkable crime.

The main action surrounds the making of an investigative journalism documentary about mothers who had been convicted of killing their children - only to be acquitted with later evidence.  Its executive producer and mastermind quits his job at the BBC rather abruptly, leaving heroine Fliss Benson with the reins.  As she begins to sift through the files and interviews, she uncovers questionable statements, missing evidence and doubtful witnesses.  All the while, MPS is on the case, tracking down the murderer of one of these acquitted women.  The two narratives run like the two hypothetical trains at 60 and 70 mph, destined to collide in St. Louis.  Or in this case Notting Hill. 

The original BBC building, Regents Street, London.

Author Sophie Hannah's strength, as always, lies in her dialogue.  It truly informs her entire story.  Her characters all have different voices and thought patterns.  Their vocabulary and speech patterns are unique.  I couldn't tell you what Fliss Benson looks like, or even if Hannah gives a physical description, but I could tell you what she would say, think, or do in any situation.  Each of the police officers varies.  They range from lovesick to crass to solitary.  It is these characters that engross the reader.  The "whodunit" aspect becomes secondary.  It is hardly a surprise then that Hannah's stories has been adapted into a mini-series called "Case Sensitive" on Britain's ITV1.  I can only hope it will run in America as well.

This storyline is nowhere near as graphic as The Truth-Teller's Lie, but the subject matter is quite unsettling.  Its immediacy is part of what makes it so gripping, but readers should be warned that it pulls no punches.  Readers should also know that Hannah does her utmost to explore every possible point-of-view.  She tries to shed light on the grey areas of guilt and innocence, public scrutiny and private grief.  Only the murderer is a villain  (and even that character is somewhat sympathetic).  Everyone else is portrayed as conflicted, confused and struggling -- imperfect.  It reminds the reader that a trial can prove only a sliver of truth, while the rest is unseen.

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Many thanks to the folks at Penguin for the review copy.

ISBN 9781101543733 | 480 pages | 30 Aug 2011 | Penguin | 18 - AND UP 

Visit Sophie Hannah's site.

REVIEW: THE RETURN OF CAPTAIN JOHN EMMETT by Elizabeth Speller

I am unhappy to report that the strongest element about this book is the cover art.  It hearkens back to the wonderful Great Western Rail (and other) posters of the 1920s and 30s in England -- the Golden Age of Travel.  The contents, I'm afraid, do not. 

The story is set in 1920, just as England sputters into a recovery after the First World War.  The main protagonist, Laurence Bartram survived his days in France but returns to an empty home.  His wife and son died while he was away.  With little to anchor him, he receives a letter from the sister of an old friend.  She asks him to help discover the cause of her brother's sudden suicide -- or perhaps uncover something more sinister.  

Trafalgar Square, London, 1920.

Unfortunately, the plot drags on for far too long.  It has none of the suspense that can sustain a drawn out storyline.  The reader simply has to plod along with Bartram, looking over his shoulder  while he traces various threads.  It's one gloomy parlor interview after another.  

Bartram himself is not a terribly compelling character.  Sad and sympathetic, but not engaging.  The only brightly drawn character is his friend Charles.  Clearly modeled after one of London's Bright Young People, he actually brings to life a sliver of the times.  And it's not just the fact that Charles' outlook is more positive.  He is the only one with a palpable personality.

The "villain" is silly and the discovery of the villain even more so.  It seems as if Speller wrote herself into a corner and had to create loopholes and surprise characters to make her shifty plot work.  As it is, it makes little sense, and by the end the reader really couldn't care any less.  Even if I wanted to read a melodrama, this was hardly an engrossing example of it.  

But don't just take my word for it.  You can read an excerpt here.  You can also view the trailer here.

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A sincere thanks to the folks at HMH Books for the review copy. 

ISBN-13/EAN: 9780547511696 ; $26.00

ISBN-10: 0547511698

Hardcover ; 448 pages

Publication Date: 07/04/2011

Trim Size: 5.50 x 8.25 

It's rare for me to not like a book, but when I do find something that's not to my liking, I normally set it aside.  I did not do that here.  I read it cover to cover in order to give it a fair shake.  

Poe's New Life

If you don't already, you should follow @Edgar_Allan_Poe on Twitter.  Whomever is behind this icon's, well, icon, is an unknown but they know their Poe.  And they have a wicked sense of humor to boot.  Occasionally, this user will host an #askpoe forum, which is generally quite amusing.

I'm not going to lie -- my heart did a little flip when Poe (shh... don't remind me he's dead) answered one of my queries.

Dead for 162 years and still making the girls swoon.  At least bookish ones like me.