Our Score: ★★★★★★★✩✩✩
GENRE: Thriller
Selected by Emma - March 2008
SYNOPSIS:
Joseph Vaughan's life has been dogged by tragedy. Growing up in the 1950s, he was at the centre of series of killings of young girls in his small rural community. The girls were taken, assaulted and left horribly mutilated. Barely a teenager himself, Joseph becomes determined to try to protect his community and classmates from the predations of the killer. Despite banding together with his friends as ' The Guardians', he was powerless to prevent more murders - and no one was ever caught. Only after a full ten years did the nightmare end when the one of his neighbours is found hanging from a rope, with articles from the dead girls around him. Thankfully, the killings finally ceased. But the past won't stay buried - for it seems that the real murderer still lives and is killing again. And the secret of his identity lies in Joseph's own history...
(Synopsis taken from Goodreads)
LINKS: https://vimeo.com/5976578
R.J.Ellory interview discussing the synopsis of his book.
https://www.readinggroupguides.com/reviews/a-quiet-belief-in-angels/guide
Discussion questions
http://www.rjellory.com/books/english/quiet-belief-angels/
Author's website with information about this book and others he has written.
REVIEW:
Gemma's Thoughts:
This was an enjoyable read right from the beginning. I liked the fact it was dedicated to Truman Capote. It had a mixture of newspaper articles and 'diary' extracts within the novel, which gave it an interesting spin on the more traditional structure. This novel definitely kept me guessing.
Emma's Thoughts:
The story was meant to be about a young group of boys who band together to discover who's killing little girls in their home town. Sounds exciting, but it wasn't actually about a young group of boys banding together to find a killer and 'The Guardians' aren't in it much. It was promising at the beginning, but a bit mediocre in the middle and at the end.
THE SCORES:
Emma: 5
Gemma: 8
Nic: 5
Maria: 8
Average 7
Let us know what you thought about this book. We would love to read your reviews and know what you would score it.
If you enjoyed this book why not try:
The Cairo Diary by Maxim Chattam
No Time For Goodbye by Linwood Barclay
Case Histories Review by Kate Atkinson
Never Coming Back by Tim Weaver
Second Life by S.J. Watson
Happy reading!