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BLEAK WATER
by Danuta Reah
HarperCollins UK, June 2002
366 pages
$10.99 UKP
ISBN: 0007116292


Buy in the UK | Buy in Canada

Eliza Eliot, curator of a small innovative gallery, has pulled off a significant coup with a chance to exhibit The Triumph of Death, the work of a well-known artist Daniel Flynn.

Both the gallery and Eliza's flat are housed in one of the old warehouses beyond the expensive and redeveloped canal basin that seemed to be the demarcation line between new Sheffield and old Sheffield. In this dark and lonely area, the body of a young woman is found just 24 hours after Eliza had attended the funeral of her friend Maggie Chapman, whose nine year old daughter, Ellie was found murdered, in almost the same spot four years earlier.

Whilst Eliza is the main narrator, giving insight, into the artist Daniel Flynn by flashbacks to her time in Madrid, and her friendship with Maggie as she undertakes to clear her friend's belonging from her rented flat, where she discovers the long campaign waged by Maggie against her child's killer, who is shortly to be released from prison, we also see another side of the story from the point of view of Kerry Fraser, friend of Ellie, and daughter of Mark Fraser, Ellie's killer.

DC Tina Barraclough who is one of the investigating officers is fighting her own demons, and it appears fighting a losing battle, which is slowly coming to the attention of her superior Roy Farnham, who is in charge of the murder hunt.

The story has many interesting characters, moody Jonathan Massey, the gallery director, Cara the single mother, stroppy gallery assistant Mel Young. As the story unfolds the complexity of their lives in relation to each other is skilfully woven into a fascinating mystery, as is the feeling of menace which surrounds the gallery, but overriding everything is the dark and brooding presence of the canal.

I cannot recommend this book too highly, it is easily one of the best books I have read this year, I am only ashamed to say that it is the first book that I have read by Danuta Reah, who has three previous books, an omission I must clearly address

This book is not yet available in the US. The reviewer can be found at:

'Mystery Women'

A group of dedicated readers and authors http://www.mysterywomen.freeserve.co.uk

Reviewed by Lizzie Hayes, September 2002

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Contact: Yvonne Klein (ymk@reviewingtheevidence.com)


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