EURO CRIME

Home

Site Progress

Blog

Reviews

Bibliographies

New Releases

Author Websites

Competition

News

Awards

Events

Links

Shops

Email

Reviews


Grieves, Tom - 'A Cry in the Night'
Paperback: 384 pages (Jan. 2014) Publisher: Quercus ISBN: 0857389858

This is the second novel written by Tom Grieves. His first, SLEEPWALKERS, was first-rate and this latest one does not disappoint either. It is another nail-biter and, with an interesting story line that it is impossible to second guess, it should keep you hooked for the short amount of time it takes to read.

Two children have disappeared in a remote village in The Lake District. The village has a dark history of witchcraft and rumour has it that the witches have re-emerged to take the children. The community closes ranks when Detectives Sam Taylor and Zoe Barnes, police from outside, are called in to investigate and it is almost impossible for them to get any information from anyone. What they do manage to find out, though, is that the children's mother, another outsider, is unstable and a believed drug abuser. They arrest her after their suspicions are aroused but this is only the start of the trouble. A feisty female QC gets involved in the case very early one and, as she is infamous for helping women who are accused of murdering their children, it looks as if a witches coven might be involved after all.

A superb storyline and an excellent look at the attitudes of society towards women, even in this day and age, I loved A CRY IN THE NIGHT. The behaviour of Sam and Zoe at the start is a little annoying but stick with it because everything is relevant to the wonderfully unexpected ending.

Highly recommended.

Amanda C M Gillies, Scotland
July 2014

Amanda blogs at Old Dogs and New Tricks.

Details of the author's other books with links to reviews can be found on the Books page.
More European crime fiction reviews can be found on the Reviews page.



last updated 11/07/2014 21:15