Lisa goes through it all and Paula Daly twangs your nerves as you read. You don't know that you'd do what Lisa is doing - but you don't know what else you'd do either. Then a third child goes missing It's Daly's debut novel and even from an established author the writing would be top notch and if it's not going to be my book of the year then what beats it will have to be very good indeed.
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Well crafted, a brilliant read, so surprising to find that this is the author's first novel. Can't wait for the next one. Page actions Review Discussion More Tools. Personal tools Log in. Categories Fiction Non-fiction Children's books Authors. We Buy Books. Category: Thrillers. Reviewer: Sue Magee. Summary: A superb psychological thriller.
You may say, perhaps, that a mother's instinct teaches fondness, and there is no need of urging that point; but the difficulty is, mothers are sometimes fond by fits and starts — they follow impulse, not principle.
Perhaps the cares of the world vex, or discourage you — and you do not, as usual, smile upon your babe when he looks up earnestly in your face, — or you are a little impatient at his fretfulness. Those who know your inquietudes may easily excuse this; but what does the innocent being before you know of care and trouble?
And why should you distract his pure nature by the evils you have received from a vexatious world? It does you no good, and it injures him. Do you say it is impossible always to govern one's feelings. There is one method, a never-failing one — prayer. It consoles and strengthens the wounded heart, and tranquillizes the most stormy passions. You will say, perhaps, that you have not leisure to pray every time your temper is provoked, or your heart is grieved. Be still! As the first step in education, I have recommended gentle, but constant efforts to attract the attention, and improve the bodily senses.
I would here suggest the importance of preserving the organs of those senses in full vigor. For instance, the cradle should be so placed that the face of the infant may be in shade. A stream of light is dangerous to his delicate organs of vision; and if it be allowed to come in at one side, he may turn his eyes, in the effort to watch it. Glaring red curtains, and brilliantly striped Venetian carpeting are bad things in a nursery, for similar reasons. THE cultivation of the affections comes next to the development of the bodily senses; or rather they may be said to begin together, so early does the infant heart receive impressions.
The uniform gentleness, to which I have before alluded, and the calm state of the mother's own feelings, have much to do with the affections of the child. Kindness toward animals is of great importance. Children should be encouraged in pitying their distress; and if guilty of any violent treatment toward them, they should see that you are grieved and displeased at such conduct.
Before showing any disapprobation of his conduct, however, it should be explained to a very young child when he really does hurt an animal; for young children are often cruel from the mere thoughtlessness of frolic; they strike an animal as they would strike a log of wood, without knowing that they occasion pain.
I once saw a mother laugh very heartily at the distressed face of a kitten, which a child of two years old was pulling backward by the tail. At last, the kitten, in self-defence, turned and scratched the boy.
He screamed, and his mother ran to him, kissed the wound, and beat the poor kitten, saying all the time, 'Naughty kitten, to scratch John! I'll beat her for scratching John!
There, ugly puss! This little incident, trifling as it seems, no doubt had important effects on the character of the child; especially as a mother, who would do such a thing once, would be very likely to do it habitually. In the first place, the child was encouraged in cruelty, by seeing that it gave his mother amusement.
Had she explained to him that he was hurting the kitten, and expressed her pity by saying, 'Oh, don't hurt kitty — she is a good little puss — and she loves John' — what a different impression would have been made on his infant heart.
In the next place, the kitten was struck for defending herself; this was injustice to the injured animal, and a lesson of tyranny to the boy. In the third place, striking the kitten because she had scratched him, was teaching him retaliation. For that reason, a chair or a footstool, against which he had accidentally hurt himself, should never be struck, or treated in an angry manner.
You know, to be sure, that an inanimate object is not capable of feeling pain; but your infant does not know it; the influence upon him is, that it is right to injure when we are injured. It is a common opinion that a spirit of revenge is natural to children.
No doubt bad temper, as well as other evils, moral and physical, are often hereditary — and here is a fresh reason for being good ourselves, if we would have our children good. First, by the influences of the nursery — those early influences, which, beginning as they do with life itself, are easily mistaken for the operations of nature; and in the second place by the temptations of the world.
Now, if a child has ever so bad propensities, if the influences of the nursery be pure and holy, his evils will never be excited, or roused into action, until his understanding is enlightened, and his principles formed, so that he has power to resist them. The temptations of the world will then do him no harm; he will 'overcome evil with good. But if, on the other hand, the influences of the nursery are bad, the weak passions of the child are strengthened, before his understanding is made strong; he gets into habits of evil, before he is capable of perceiving that they are evil.
Consequently, when he comes out into the world, he brings no armor against its temptations. Evil is within and without. And should the Lord finally bring him out of Egypt, it must be after a dark, and weary bondage.
The mind of a child is not like that of a grown person, too full and too busy to observe everything; it is a vessel empty and pure — always ready to receive, and always receiving. Every look, every movement, every expression, does something toward forming the character of the little heir to immortal life. Do you regard it as too much trouble thus to keep watch over yourself?
Surely the indulgence of evil is no privilege: the yoke of goodness is far lighter and easier to bear, than the bondage of evil. Is not the restraint you impose upon yourself for the good of your child, blessed, doubly blessed, to your own soul?
Does not the little cherub in this way guide you to heaven, marking the pathway by the flowers he scatters as he goes? The rule, then, for developing good affections in a child is, that he never be allowed to see or feel the influence of bad passions, even in the most trifling things; and in order to effect this, you must drive evil passions out of your own heart.
Nothing can be real that has not its home within us. The only sure way, as well as the easiest, to appear good, is to be good. It is not possible to indulge anger, or any other wrong feeling, and conceal it entirely. If not expressed in words, a child feels the baneful influence. Evil enters into his soul, as the imperceptible atmosphere he breathes enters into his lungs: and the beautiful little image of God is removed farther and farther from his home in heaven.
THE first effort of intellect is to associate the names of objects with the sight of them. To assist a babe in this particular, when you direct his attention to any object, speak the name of the object, slowly and distinctly.
After a few times, he will know the thing by its name; and if you say DOG when the dog is not in the room, he will show that he knows what you mean, by looking round in search of him. By degrees, a few words can be added.
He will soon learn to repeat, 'Good little dog;' and though he may not have very exact ideas of what good means, the tone of the voice, and the manner in which you speak, will make him think it is something pleasant.
When you draw a child's attention to a living thing, it is well to accompany it with some endearment to the animal; this will awaken his affections, as well as his thoughts. In teaching a child to talk, low, mild tones should be used. Too much cannot be said on the importance of giving children early habits of observation.
This must be done by teaching them to pay attention to surrounding objects, and to inquire the why and wherefore of everything. No doubt many mothers will say, 'I cannot thus train the minds of my children; for it is my misfortune not to have had an education myself. Good judgment, kind feelings, and habitual command over one's own passions, are necessary in the education of children; but learning is not necessary. The mother, who has had no other advantages than are furnished by a public school in a remote country village, knows a great many more things than a child of three or four years can possibly know.
Early accustom your children to inquire about the things they handle. What if you cannot always answer them? You do them an immense deal of good by giving their minds active habits.
If a spirit of inquiry is once aroused, it will, sooner or later, find means to satisfy itself; and thus the inquisitive boy will become an energetic, capable man.
I will give some familiar instances of what I mean. Generally speaking, when mothers have done superintending domestic concerns for the day, and have seated themselves, to 'take some comfort,' as the phrase is, 'with their children,' they spend the time in trotting them, or shaking the rattle, or dragging about the little cart, or repeating over and over again, 'pat a cake, pat a cake.
But something ought to be mixed with these plays to give the child habits of thought. Toys amuse him for the time; but he grows weary of them, and when he does not hear, or see them, they do not furnish anything for him to think about. But should you, while tossing a ball, stop and say, 'This ball is round ; this little tea-table is square.
Now George knows what round and square means,' — it would give him something to think about. When he has a new toy, he will think to himself whether it is round or square. It is not well to tell him more than one thing at a time, or to enter into any detailed explanations. It is a bad thing to have infant attention wearied. It is enough for him to know that the ball is round and the table square. When he is older, you can explain to him that a square has always equal sides, and that the edge of a round thing is always equally distant from the centre.
Another day, should you show him your ball of yarn, and ask him if it be round or square, the chance is, he will answer correctly. If he does recollect what you have told him, it will make his little heart very happy; and should you reward his answer with a smile and a kiss, you will undoubtedly have done much to awaken his powers of observation.
So much for the first step. If George puts his hand on the dollar, he will feel that it is flat; and if he puts his hand on the ball, he will feel that it is not flat. Now George knows what flat means.
We never remember so well what we do not love to hear; and forced instruction is apt to injure the temper, and give an early aversion to knowledge. We are apt to forget that things long familiar to us are entirely unknown to an infant. There is hardly anything connected with his little wants, which may not be made a pleasant medium of instruction. When eating a piece of bread, the following questions may be asked and answered. The farmers plant it in the ground, and God causes it to grow. When a child is playing with his kitten, it is easy to mix instruction with his enjoyment, by saying, 'Feel of pussy's fur — how smooth it is.
Feel of this piece of coral — how rough it is. Pussy's fur is smooth, and the coral is rough. Now George knows what smooth and rough mean. As he grows older, the information given him may be of a higher character. He can be told, 'The andirons are made of brass. Brass is called a metal; it is dug out of the earth. If he does not know, tell him it is made of a calf's skin. Then ask him whether the cover of his book is a metal. If he say, 'No,' — ask him what is the reason it is not.
If he cannot answer, tell him, 'Because metals are always dug out of the earth. Leather is not dug out of the earth; it is made of calf-skin; therefore it is an animal substance, not a metal. Does George know what an animal is? It is a creature that grows, and can move about from one place to another. Your kitten is an animal; she grows bigger every day; and she moves about. The brass andirons are not animals. They do not grow any larger, and they cannot move. If he bring you a rose, you can say, 'Thank you, George, for this rose.
Now, can you tell me what it is? Is it a metal? It is a vegetable. Vegetables grow out of the earth. They are not like metals, because they grow larger and larger; and they are not like animals, because they cannot move of themselves.
What are you, George? I am not a vegetable, for I can walk. I think I am an animal. Now you know the meaning of metals, animals, and vegetables. Such conversations as these will make his thoughts busy; and when he takes a book he will probably ask, 'What are the leaves of books made of?
Cotton grows in a pod, and linen is made from a plant called flax. I dare say the preceding hints will sound silly enough to many mothers; but they are nevertheless founded in reason and sound sense.
It is a fact that children, thus early accustomed to observe, will have a wonderful power of amusing themselves. They will examine every figure in the carpet, and think to themselves whether it is round, or square; and will sit, by the half hour, quietly watching the figures on copper-plate, or calico. Arithmetic may very early be made a source of amusement; for children can very soon learn to count sticks or marbles, and tell you how many they should have left, if you should take away any given number.
With regard to the kind of information conveyed, as well as the quantity, that should depend upon the child's age, intelligence, and progress; things which no person can have an opportunity to observe and know, so well as a mother. The system of making use of all the common incidents of life to convey knowledge, and improve the heart, may be begun in the earliest childhood, and continued even until youth ripens into manhood.
I will give a simple instance: Quite a large boy, when sailing in a boat, may be asked to observe how the hills and the trees seem to move from him, while in fact the boat alone is moving. The simple fact may not be of much consequence to him; for if he is a bright boy, he would have noticed it himself, without being asked to attend to it: but you can make it the means of illustrating another idea, by saying, 'Just so the sun seems to move round the earth; but it does not move.
The sun stands still, as the hills and trees do; but the earth is moving all the time. I am aware that these habits of inquiry are at times very troublesome; for no one, however patient, can be always ready to answer the multitude of questions a child is disposed to ask. But it must be remembered that all good things are accompanied with inconveniences.
The care of children requires a great many sacrifices, and a great deal of self-denial; but the woman, who is not willing to sacrifice a good deal in such a cause, does not deserve to be a mother. Besides, the thoughtless, indolent parent, who is not willing to make sacrifices, and take trouble, does in fact have the most trouble; for the evils she would not check at first, when it might easily have been done, grow too strong for her management.
But to return to the subject of asking questions. It is a spirit which should not be discouraged; but at the same time, children should be taught that they cannot always be attended to. If you are otherwise occupied, and their inquiries distract you, think a moment, and collect yourself, lest you should answer pettishly.
Do not say, 'How you plague me, Jane! I wish you would go away, and keep still! I cannot attend to you. If you will remember to ask me by and by, when I can attend to you, I will talk with you about it.
I cannot attend to you now; and if you teaze me, I shall be very sorry; for I shall be obliged to put you out of the room. In order that your child may be easily satisfied with these kind, but firm refusals, when you are busy, you should try to bear in mind the question she has asked, and take the first leisure moment to reply to it.
This will give her confidence in what you have said; and she will know it was not done merely to put her off. Perhaps another difficulty may occur; your children may ask questions that you do not know how to answer. In that case, as in all others, the honest truth should be told.
The reply should be, 'I do not know. When father comes home, we will ask him; perhaps he can tell us. If, as is often the ease, a child asks an explanation, which would be altogether above his powers of comprehension, the answer should be, 'If I were to tell you, you could not understand it, now.
You must wait till you are older. Some children, being too much praised for their quickness, or their wit, ask a number of' useless, pert questions. This disposition should be promptly and decidedly checked; for it is the germ of vanity and affectation.
To avoid exciting this evil in the mind of a bright child, a very intelligent question, or remark, should never be quoted as anything remarkable, nor should he be at all encouraged to show off before company. The habit of reciting verses, and displaying other acquirements before strangers, seems to me the worst of all possible things for children.
They should be taught to love knowledge for the sake of the good it will enable them to do others, not because they will gain praise by it. An inordinate love of reputation is always a powerful temptation to active minds; and the more the evil is fostered in the nursery, the harder it is to overcome.
Children should hear learning, and wealth, and all other external gifts, spoken of according to their true value — that is, their usefulness. They should be told, 'The more knowledge you gain, the more useful you can be, when you become a man. I readily allow that the knowledge itself is of very little consequence to them; but the habits of attention and activity of mind , which you give them, are worth everything. If you take the trouble to observe, you will find those who are the most useful, and of course the most successful, in any department, are those who are in the habit of observing closely, and thinking about what they observe.
Why is it that a botanist will see hundreds of plants in a field, which the careless stroller may pass again and again without perceiving? It is because his attention has been fixed upon plants. How is the great novelist enabled to give you such natural pictures of life and manners?
A close attention to all the varieties of human character, enables him to represent them as they are. You will find that a smart, notable housewife is always an ' observing woman. One pays attention to what she is about, and the other does not. The slut's hands may be very dirty, but she does not observe it; every time she takes hold of the door, she may leave it covered with black prints, but she does not observe it.
One educated to attend to things about her, would immediately see these defects and remedy them. We often hear it said, 'Such a person has good sense, and good feelings; but, somehow or other, he has no faculty.
Those who give their attention exclusively to one thing, become great in that one thing; and will in all probability be careless and unobserving about everything else. This sort of character is not desirable; for if it makes a man greater in one particular branch, it much impairs his general usefulness.
In a woman it is peculiarly unfortunate; for, whether she be rich or poor, the sphere allotted her by Providence requires attention to many things.
Literary women are not usually domestic; not because they cannot easily be so — but because they early acquired the habit of attending to literary things, and of neglecting others. It is not true that intellectual pursuits leave no time to attend to the common concerns of life. A fashionable woman spends more time and thought about her dress, than the most learned woman spends about books. It is merely attention that is wanted to make the belle literary, and the learned lady domestic.
All the faculties of a child's mind should be cultivated, and they should early acquire a power of varying their attention, so as to be able to bestow it easily upon any subject whatsoever. Some think it a sign of good sense to despise good taste; hence the universal complaint that scholars are awkward and slovenly. Unquestionably this is better than the silly pursuit of ever-varying fashion; but there is no need of either extreme — extremes always lie on one side or the other of truth and nature.
Some, seeing the disastrous effects of an over-heated imagination, think that any degree of imagination is inconsistent with good judgment. This is a mistake. A great writer has said, 'In forming the human character, we must not proceed as a statuary does in forming a statue, who works sometimes on the face, sometimes on the limbs, and sometimes on the folds of the drapery; but we must proceed and it certainly is in our power as nature does in forming a flower, or any other of her productions; she throws out altogether and at once the whole system of being, and the rudiments of all the parts.
To a woman, the power of changing attention is peculiarly valuable. I have said that an exclusive attention to learning was a fault, as well as an exclusive attention to fashion; but while I condemn the excessive love of books, I must insist that the power of finding enjoyment in reading is above all price, particularly to a woman.
A full mind is a great safeguard to virtue and happiness in every situation of life. Multitudes of people do wrong from mere emptiness of mind, and want of occupation. Children should be early taught by example to listen attentively to intelligent conversation, and should afterward be encouraged in referring to it. This will occasion a thirst for information, which will lead to a love of reading. But while you try to encourage a love of books, remember to direct their attention to other things at the same time.
For instance, show your daughter at which end you begin to grate a nutmeg, and explain to her that if you began at the end once fastened to the branch, it would grate full of holes; because the fibers which held it together were fastened at that place, and being broken, they fall out. When sewing, you can call attention to the fact that sewing-silk splits much better for being first drawn through the wax; and that a wristband is put on before the sleeve is sewed, because it can be managed more conveniently.
I mention these merely as familiar instances how the attention may be kept awake, and ready to devote itself to little things, as well as great. If a girl feels interested in nothing but books, she will in all probability be useless, or nearly so, in all the relations dearest to a good woman's heart; if, on the other hand, she gives all her attention to household matters, she will become a mere drudge, and will lose many valuable sources of enjoyment and usefulness.
This may be said in favor of an over-earnest love of knowledge — a great mind can attend to little things, but a little mind cannot attend to great things.
THIS phrase is a very broad and comprehensive one. Under it I mean to include all that relates to rewards, and punishments, and the adaptation of education to different characters and dispositions. The good old fashioned maxim that 'example is better than precept,' is the best thing to begin with. The great difficulty in education is that we give rules instead of inspiring sentiments. It is in vain to load the understanding with rules, if the affections are not pure. In the first place, it is not possible to make rules enough to apply to all manner of cases; and if it were possible, a child would soon forget them.
But if you inspire him with right feelings , they will govern his actions. All our thoughts and actions come from our affections; if we love what is good, we shall think and do what is good. Children are not so much influenced by what we say and do in particular reference to them, as by the general effect of our characters and conversation. They are in a great degree creatures of imitation.
If they see a mother fond of finery, they become fond of finery; if they see her selfish, it makes them selfish; if they see her extremely anxious for the attention of wealthy people, they learn to think wealth is the only good. Those whose early influence is what it should be, will find their children easy to manage, as they grow older.
An infant's wants should be attended to without waiting for him to cry. At first, a babe cries merely from a sensation of suffering — because food, warmth, or other comforts necessary to his young existence, are withheld; but when he finds crying is the only means of attracting attention, he soon gets in the habit of crying for everything.
To avoid this, his wants should be attended to, whether he demand it or not. Food, sleep, and necessary comforts should be supplied to him at such times as the experience of his mother may dictate. If he has been sitting on the floor, playing quietly by himself a good while, take him up and amuse him, if you can spare time, without waiting for weariness to render him fretful. Who can blame a child for fretting and screaming, if experience has taught him that he cannot get his wants attended to in any other manner?
Young children should never be made to cry by plaguing them, for the sake of fun; it makes them seriously unhappy for the time, and has an injurious effect upon their dispositions. When in any little trouble, they should be helped as quick as possible. When their feet are caught in the rounds of a chair, or their playthings entangled, or when any other of the thousand-and-one afflictions of baby-hood occur, it is an easy thing to teach them to wait by saying, 'Stop a minute, and I will come to you.
Children, who have entire confidence that the simple truth is always spoken to them, are rarely troublesome. A silent influence, which they do not perceive, is better for young children than direct rules and prohibitions. For instance, should a child be in ill humor, without any apparent cause, as will sometimes happen — should he push down his playthings, and then cry because he has injured them — chase the kitten, and then cry because she has run out of his reach — it is injurious to take any direct notice of it, by saying, 'How cross you are to-day, James!
What a naughty boy you are! I don't love you to-day. The better way is to draw off his attention to pleasant thoughts by saying, 'I am going in the garden' — or, 'I am going out to see the calf. Does James want to go with me? A few flowers, or a little pleasant talk about the calf, will, in all probability, produce entire forgetfulness of his troubles.
The habit of assisting others, excites the benevolent affections, and lays the foundation of industry. When a little child has been playing, and perhaps quarrelling, out of doors, and comes in with his face all of a blaze, sobbing and crying, it is an excellent plan to take him by the hand and say, 'What is the matter, my dear boy? Tell me what is the matter. But, how dirty your face is!
Let me wash your face nicely, and wipe it dry, and then you shall sit in my lap and tell me all about it. Then seat him in your lap, encourage him to tell you all about his troubles, comb his hair gently in the mean time, and in a few minutes the vexation of his little spirit will be entirely soothed.
This secret of calling off the attention by little kind offices is very valuable to those who have the care of invalids, or young children. Bathing the hands and feet, or combing the hair gently, will sometimes put a sick person asleep when he can obtain rest in no other way. An experienced and very judicious mother told me that, in the course of twenty years' experience, she had never known washing the face and combing the hair, fail to soothe an angry and tired child.
But then it must be done gently. The reason children frequently have an aversion to being washed is that they are taken hold of roughly, and rubbed very hard. If you occasion them pain by the operation, can you wonder they dread it? By such expedients as I have mentioned, ill-humor and discontent are driven away by the influence of kindness and cheerfulness; 'evil is overcome with good.
I have said that example and silent influence were better than direct rules and commands. Nevertheless, there are cases where rules must be made; and children must be taught to obey implicitly. But whenever it is possible, restraint should be invisible. The first and most important step in management is, that whatever a mother says, always must be done.
For this reason, do not require too much; and on no account allow your child to do at one time, what you have forbidden him at another. Sometimes when a woman feels easy and good-natured, and does not expect any company, she will allow her children to go to the table and take lumps of sugar; but should visiters be in the room, or she out of humor with the occurrences of the day, she will perhaps scold, or strike them, for the self-same trick.
How can a mother expect obedience to commands so selfish and capricious? What inferences will a child draw from such conduct? You may smile at the idea that very young children draw inferences; but it is a fact, that they do draw inferences — and very just ones too. We mistake, when we trust too much to children's not thinking, or observing.
They are shrewd reasoners in all cases where their little interests are concerned. They know a mother's ruling passion; they soon discover her weak side, and learn how to attack it most successfully. I will relate a little anecdote, to show that children are acute observers of character. A wealthy lady, fond of dress and equipage, was the mother of a thoughtless little rogue.
One day, he seized hold of a demijohn of wine, which a larger boy had placed upon the side-walk of a secluded alley, while he joined his companions in play; the little fellow persisted in striking the demijohn on the pavement, for his amusement. He was repeatedly warned that he would break the bottle and spill the wine; and at last this did happen. His mother, being told of the mischief he had so wantonly done, immediately paid for the wine, and ordered him to he undressed and put to bed, although it was then in the middle of the day.
While this operation was performed by the nursery maid, he said, 'Betsy, it is my private opinion, that I should have had a whipping if mother hadn't had her best gown on. To return to my subject. If children see you governed by a real wish for their good, rather than by your own selfishness, or capricious freaks, they will easily acquire this excellent habit.
Wilful disobedience should never go unpunished. If a little child disobeys you from mere forgetfulness and frolic, it is best to take no notice of it; for his intention is not bad, and authority has greater effect when used sparingly, and on few occasions. Should he forget the same injunction again, look at him very seriously, and tell him that if he forgets it again, you shall be obliged to punish him. Should he commit the offence the third time, take from him the means of committing it; for instance, if you tell him not to tear his picture-book, and he does tear it, take it away from him.
Perhaps he will pout and show ill humor; — will push off with his little chair, and say, 'I don't love you, mother. Do not laugh, for that would irritate him, without performing the least use; do not seem offended with him, for that will awaken a love of power in his little mind. It excites very bad feelings in a child to see that he can vex a parent, and make her lose her self-command.
In spite of his displeasure, therefore, continue your employment tranquilly, as if nothing had happened. If his ill humor continue, however, and show itself in annoyances to you, and others around him, you should take him by the hand, look very seriously in his face, and say, 'James, you are such a naughty boy, that I must punish you.
I am very sorry to punish you; but I must, that you may remember to be good next time. When a child is punished in anger, he learns to consider it a species of revenge; when he is punished in sorrow, he believes that it is done for his good. The punishment for such peevishness as I have mentioned should be being tied in an arm-chair, or something of that simple nature. View all 5 comments. Apr 08, Erin rated it liked it.
The debut novel from Paula Daly was a page turner, but not because of the mysterious disappearance of a friend's teenage daughter. No, the true highlights of a Paula Daly story is how completely screwed up her characters are.
Marital problems abound in this novel -affairs, divorce, suicide, bigamy. Not to mention a police detective obsessed by her breast size. Having read three books by the author, I am not sure what genre Paula Daly wants us to know her by. Family drama? Whatever The debut novel from Paula Daly was a page turner, but not because of the mysterious disappearance of a friend's teenage daughter. Whatever the case may be, I'll continue reading her books to find out.
Jul 08, Taylor rated it did not like it Shelves: mystery , first-reads. Paula Daly's debut novel has much to recommend it. The writing style is engaging, the characters are well drawn, and she shifts well between the first and third person in her narrative. The problem, for me, was in the story itself. I did not find it at all suspenseful and the ending was woefully predictable, if not somewhat bizarre.
In fact, the whole story was just not believable. Nor was the mystery solved by either the police or by the amateur sleuth.
It just all came together through a singl Paula Daly's debut novel has much to recommend it. It just all came together through a single tip from the public, coincidence, and the good fortune of being in the right place at the right time. I might have rated it higher, given that it's a first novel, but the whole book came off as a preachy morality piece about the dangers inherent in being a working mother and the apparent impossibility of having a successful career and home life.
The men in the story appeared to be exempt from any responsibility for their children and marriages, and the blame for failures in these areas was placed solely on the women. The whole thing just left a very bad taste.
View all 6 comments. Mar 24, Sharon Bolton rated it really liked it. At least Lisa is. She has three children, a full time job and a home to run. Joe is a self-employed taxi driver. Importantly, this couple are not posh. But their lives nudge up against those who are, the much wealthier, more successful Kate and Guy. Kate is everything Lisa is not. Organised, competent, in control, stick-thin, beautifully dressed we all know the type! Surprisingly, Kate and Lisa are best friends. The girl disappears.
In the run up to Christmas, an ice-bound community organizes search parties through the snow, most of them trying, with varying degrees of success, not to make their blame of Lisa too apparent.
I really enjoyed this book. The first person chapters were a joy to read. Lisa sparkles off the page, with a crisp, engaging voice, enviable self-awareness and a genuine sense of warmth. But I found myself looking forward to them less.
It was Lisa, and her near crippling sense of guilt, that fascinated me. In her debut novel, Paula Daly has hit upon a theme that will resonate instantly with working mothers the length and breadth of the land. I nearly gave this 4 stars but I found the ending a bit weak, like the author was tired so just had to wrap it up quickly. So it's 3. Aside from that it's a good, easy to read book, I read it in a few hours travelling in a coach across England.
Young girls are going missing, one of those girls is Lisa's best friends daughter. The plot weaves around a few characters as suspicions are aroused and everybody starts to look a bit guilty at one point. I think more grit and crime thril I nearly gave this 4 stars but I found the ending a bit weak, like the author was tired so just had to wrap it up quickly.
I think more grit and crime thrills - insights into the girls that were taken also would have been good to have. It was a book that seemed to lack that touch of darkness I was expecting around it all. But hey, I've read worse books and it was entertaining and I didn't guess the ending though I found it too wishy washy.
A good easy read that you can get through in one sitting. Favourite character? Bluey the dog. Working full-time at the local animal shelter to barely pay the bills while trying to raise three children and remain a decent wife.
I hate reviewing books that are just okay. None of the characters are likeable and the story drags a bit. Plus, the title and cover had me thinking it was a self-help book that had been filed in the wrong location until I read the book jacket. I was given this book to read to read by Random House via Net Galley. This is the authors debut novel. You would not have known this as its expertly written, just like a pro.
I read the epilogue of how this story came about, I found it fascinating how an author can see or hear something, or in this case, watch something and the impact be so great that it tunes into a thought, then an idea then a book which came from fact but written as fiction.
Truly fascinating. Loved the entire book. It had me fooled, I really thought I knew what was going to happen, the ending was a shocker to me.
Throughout reading this its left me sitting on the edge of my seat. The twist at the end was professional and I would rate this with any authors best seller. I don't want to give spoilers as its not my style, read the blurb, but remember my review as its much much more than it seems.
I understand she is working on her next novel, well, I am in line for that one! Taut debut thriller that's hard to put down. Overwhelmed and distracted mom, Lisa, forgets that her daughter's year-old friend, Lucinda, is supposed to be having a sleepover at their house. When Lisa and Lisa's mother realize Lucinda is missing, she has been gone for a day - and Lisa is at fault. Suspenseful with an engaging cast of characters that will keep you turning the pages - I enjoyed it very much.
I just wish the ending had been more believable; a bit of a let-down for me. View all 3 comments. It's the sort of novel where there's nothing special about the characters. The writing is mediocre at best, and the plot is so-so. I was curious enough to want to know the outcome, but I won't remember much about this book a month from now. Nov 11, Karen rated it it was amazing. This was such an accomplished and confidently written novel that it was difficult to believe it was a debut.
What makes this novel so compelling is the knowledge that this scenario could happen to anybody — and just that one time you make a mistake could have such drastic consequences — as Lisa Kallisto discovered. Lisa is a busy mum of three, managing a struggling animal rescue home and overwhelmed with the stresses of daily life.
As her 13 year old daughter Sally had been off school sick, Lisa This was such an accomplished and confidently written novel that it was difficult to believe it was a debut. Lucinda goes missing! This was a chilling read — made even more so because the person we believe to be the perpetrator of the crimes has their own voice throughout the book. We have no idea who it is but we see their preparations, their anticipation and then the disclosure that another child has gone missing.
The characters are just so well executed and realistic. I really felt for Lisa as the consequences of her mistake hit home and she had to deal with her feelings of anguish and guilt. Her husband Joe is supportive but you know that secretly he feels she is to blame too. DC Joanne Aspinall was a great character who I would love to see more of.
The tension and suspense was sustained throughout the book. I now have another author to add to my list of favourite thriller writers. So, of course, there's more than one mother in the cast of characters. Lisa and Joe have a harried life with three kids, dogs, jobs, and the usual commitments. Lisa works in a pet rescue center, and that makes her more likeable, but I felt she had too much involvement in her best friend's life.
She was also a little envious of the life her friend had. Then the daughter of Lisa's best friend disappears, Lisa is blamed and she feels guilty, and everything goes haywire. I found this to be an enjoyable book, and it kept me wondering who, what, and why. I was surprised when I learned the answer to the title question. View all 8 comments. Jun 25, Rose rated it liked it Shelves: audiobooks , psychological , better-than-i-expected , multi-povs , contemporary , quick-read , mystery , tough-subjects , realistic-fiction , drama.
Quick review for a somewhat quick read. It kept me reading avidly to see where the disappearance would go, though I honestly predicted what would happen early on and who the villain s turned out to be. I found most of the characters to be insufferable to follow save for the detective, Quick review for a somewhat quick read.
I found most of the characters to be insufferable to follow save for the detective, who was more than apt to call out people - I liked reading her POV the most though it wasn't featured as often. I'll admit it was a read that kept me guessing in places, though. Audiobook was very well narrated and that factored into me enjoying the overall read, but I felt a bit underwhelmed by the dashed off ending and that it really didn't dig as much into the overarching issues behind Kate ' s experience and the disappearance of her child.
Oct 08, Bookread2day rated it it was amazing. Believe me this novel just takes hold of you from the very first page, right up until the very last page. Paula Daly got the idea for her first novel after watching an episode of The Oprah Winfrey Show and being heartbroken by a woman's story.
It deserves to be on the best sellers list. Paula Daly deserves high - flying awards. I just can't wait for Paula to have her next book published. The story is set in the Lake District.
Married Lisa has three children with leading a hectic busy life style working in a an animal rescue centre. Lisa is feeling guilty that her best friend kate her daughter Lucinda had ment to of stayed the night at Lisa's house with her daughter Sally. But Lucinda has gone missing, she went to school but disappeared after school and has not been seen since.
It is so easy to identify with the character of Lisa, a woman trying to do it all and who occasionally slips up. In her case it causes a terrible incident, that she is blamed for not only by herself but by others in the town. I could really see this happening and so this novel seemed very realistic. There are a few twists and turns that I didn 3. There are a few twists and turns that I didn't see coming.
This was good, quickly paced suspense novel with an interesting plot and very fascinating characters. View 2 comments. Set in the Lake District, with economic hardship, and busy families, centered on two mothers of teenage girls.
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