Karen spent 30+ years as a Civil Servant, mostly in Revenue which is where she developed my absolute hatred of poor writing skills! Her favourite genre is now crime/thriller/police procedural/legal genre with the occasional foray into chick-lit and general fiction.
Flint’s novel tells the story of a woman who is convicted for the murder of her two children; rightly or wrongly?
It explores the feelings and reactions of those closest to the crime - parents, police, family, friends, and journalist. The author has developed the mother’s character in such a way that you really are never sure about her guilt or innocence until the last few pages.
I found it very realistic and although set in the 1960s; I can imagine it unfolding in a similar manner today which I thought was a great strength of the story; relevance to contemporary times, as well as chillingly believable.
It is not a run-of-the-mill crime story, nor could it be described as a psychological thriller. It is simply a story about the people closest to, and affected by, the crime; albeit an extremely well written and plotted story. I think it likely to appeal to those who want something different and deeper than the average crime story.
