Stuart MacBride's first novel is a winner. The plot is disturbing because it concerns a subject we all wish would go away – child molestation and murder. However, Mr. MacBride treats this sad subject with intelligence and compassion, not an easy task for any writer of such material. Contrary to the style of so many formula crime writers, he avoids the lead character's expected leap into the bed of the beautiful females with whom he works and, in fact, he creates those characters as real human beings, also. No one is perfect in this novel. Even the Chief Inspector has his share of missed opportunities and errors in judgment. His annual participation in the local community play interferes with his mission to apprehend what might be a serial killer, and he pays for that in the bad press he receives. Better yet, he gives credit where it is due, and admits his mistakes.

The author has given Deputy Sergeant Logan McRae, the non-heroic hero of this book, a caring, sensitive awareness of not only the victims, but of everyone who might be affected by the death of a child. He delves into the backgrounds of the children, shows the reader the character of the parents and other relatives, and he exposes the injustice of the ease in which a lawyer can victimize the victim and exonerate the criminal. It is difficult for anyone to feel compassion for a killer of any kind, particularly a killer of children, and equally difficult to write it. This reader was surprised to find that Mr. Stuart accomplished that compassion at the resolution of the crime, without diminishing its horror.

In short, this is a book with a new take on a familiar plot, peopled by real human beings, and written with a style that makes one eagerly await the next one.
Review by Litera Scripta