Thirty years ago there was a victim. A victim of unbearably cruel actions who never saw justice. Now there's a serial killer on the loose.
DCI Jack Hawksworth doesn't know any of this when he is assigned the case. Jack is young for his rank and good-looking which makes him interesting to the media. He's also the subject of considerable interest and speculation amongst his female colleagues which doesn't help.
As if that's not enough, there's an officer in the "Ghost Squad" who seems intent on re-opening an old complaint against him.
BYE BYE BABY is a very thick book. At just over 500 pages, perhaps too thick.
The basic plot is pretty good, but there seems to be just a little too much window dressing. Jack is attractive to women, his past problems demonstrate that. His deputy, DI Kate Carter has a crush on him and is extremely jealous of attention he pays to any other female, despite the fact she is engaged to be married. I didn't like this particular plot thread, I felt it detracted from the story and made a character central to the book unlikeable when she didn't need to be. And perhaps its a sign of the author's inexperience with the crime fiction genre that many plot developments are telegraphed to the reader long before the police discover the clues. At times I felt like shouting at them not to be so dopey.
That aside, BYE BYE BABY differs from many books dealing with serial killers. There are shades of grey in this book which are missing from most other books with a similar theme.
Lauren Crow is a nom de plume for Fantasy author Fiona Macintosh who is making her first foray into crime fiction.
Posts
2 comments:
I'm glad you finished it Sunnie. You've picked op on many of the same points as me. My review is at http://paradise-mysteries.blogspot.com/2008/04/bye-bye-baby-lauren-crow.html
Hi Sunnie! Just wanted to say hello and let you know I've got your blog bookmarked.
Read your comments about doorstop books. I've gotten a few of those lately. I do think it's a lack of editing. "Every word is sacred" (as sung by Monty Python) LOL
Val Roberts
Post a Comment