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This is a very difficult book to read and review. I think that any concerned parent (especially any who, as I was, is over protective) may become just a bit too emotionally involved with the text. DI Will Wagstaffe, known as Staffe, is about to go on holidays. One of his cases has just been resolved amidst threats against him from the defendant and the defendant's gang. But he has to cancel his travel plans as he becomes involved in a case of what appears to be vigilante justice. Karl Colquhoun is a known sex offender - except his hobby wasn't known at his place of work until his wife's cousin joined that particular work force and told on Karl. To make Colquoun's crime even worse, his victims have been children. When he gets home, his murderer sends him wishes from "the children". Guy Montefiore is happily stalking teenaged Tanya Ford. He has a young teenaged daughter himself and worries about the bad habits she might pick up - ironically, from her mother. Staffe is notified of a murder on the Limekiln Estate as he is about to leave on his holidays, so he diverts to the area and, on seeing the artistry someone has made of the late Karl Colquhoun, defers his holiday. To add to the horror of what has been done, the murderer has forced Colquhoun to down a large quantity of alcohol, obviously knowing that the fellow, son of an abusive drunkard, never drinks. Meanwhile, Marie, Staffe's sister, is in the wars. She has been the victim of domestic violence so has been installed in Staffe's home, despite the fact that her feelings for the Detective Inspector do not include unadulterated love. Wagstaffe is a survivor (or is he?) of a broken marriage. Sylvie is still an influence in his life despite Staffe's wish that she didn't affect him. His loyalty to an old friend, a copper, is too much for her, but Staffe still tries to help Jessop. As I implied earlier, this is a very disturbing book. It involves the nature of good and evil and the perception of both. How can a normal human being, with emotions that cause him to love and protect children, view the torture and death of a paedophile with anything other than pleasure, despite the law? The characterisations in the novel are quite well done. The paedophiles are drawn in a queasily convincing manner while the emotions of the reader are, of necessity, on the side of the murderer, who takes such extreme measures to avenge the abused children. The emotions of the parents of the abused children are also convincing, from the disbelief of the partners of the abusers to the fear and hatred on the part of the children. As to the mystery of who killed the paedophile, well, it is a good one and I didn't see the culprit coming. Possibly other, more discerning readers will identify him, but this reviewer didn't.
Reviewed by Denise Pickles, August 2009
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Contact: Yvonne Klein (ymk@reviewingtheevidence.com)
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