Strictly speaking,
this novel is a “whodunnit” but it takes an unusual form. The
deceased is not the victim: the suspects are his victims. Claire
Allan has done a lot of research for this novel, but I believe it
also draws on her journalistic experience of reporting what happens
in secret in the real world -as it finally comes out, usually in
court. So, in this novel, quite a lot has to happen before ANY of the
characters admit what actually has happened, even when they are not
to blame. They also spend a lot of time focusing anger and blame in
the wrong directions -and this tallies very well with my own
knowledge of what abuse victims do: not through any fault of theirs,
but as a consequence of the manipulation they have invariably been
subjected to. Manipulation leaves its own scars and since abuse
almost never occurs without manipulation of the victim, investigators
need to understand that even when the victims come forward and
attempt to tell their story, their actual abuser may still be holding
the reins and what comes out at first may be skewed to their
advantage. This is not the same thing as fabrication -even though
victims may have been prosecuted for perjury- and a wise investigator
would persist awhile and try to untwist things rather than dismiss
the whole story as false, if some bit of it does not ring true.
This book is at
times confusing, because it is painting an accurate picture of
victims not being able to communicate what has happened, even to each
other. This book also paints a picture where the manipulation and
emotional and psychological abuse that accompany sexual abuse do more
lasting harm than the sexual abuse itself.
This is a very good
book, but reading it is not a picnic and it is not as entertainment
that I recommend it.
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