Little Girl Blue: A Novel of Crime

Rating:
Summary: Formulaic and Predictable
Review: Ugh. That's my feeling at the end of the book. Never a good sign, I was skimming the last pages so I could see that I had indeed correctly predicted the "terrifying" last sequence of events.

I can understand why the author writes under a pseudonym--this stuff is two dimensional; and I have to disagree with some of the other reviewers here, the characters are so trite! I really believe someone gave David Cray an outline of the usual police procedural/serial killer story.

The brash-yet-secretly-sensitive woman detective is boss over the men. She is attractive and quite young for her elevated position in the police heirarchy. She is rearing a top-notch child even though she's never home and living in a dangerous city.

The melancholy, attractive, forty-something man who "breaks the rules" and is permitted into the aforementioned woman's realm. He dedicates his life to righting the wrongs of a mysterious past...blah blah blah.

So predictable is the serial killer's wanting to kidnap the detective's husband, wife, child, etc. at the end of the novel. This was so boring! There are so many authors who breathe excitement and depth into their plots and characters! Don't settle for this tripe! This would bore you even on a short airline flight!

This book would be interesting and gripping to someone who reads a book a year--usually when she or he is unable to watch television. If you read more than that, you're bound to recognize just how similar the plot devices and characters are to many other medium-grade books being written! Unflatteringly, we North Americans have to read UK authors to see some quality writing and psychological suspense. Word to the wise--skip this one.