SHINY WATER

Rating:
Summary: The horror of child abuse chillingly told in a strong novel.
Review: "Shiny Water" by Anna Salter is not an easy book to read. The violence and horrow of child abuse is not as strongly protrayed as in Andrew Vachss' novels but it's all here. And is it very disquieting. I find the evil and terror or child abuse much more frightening than the horror of Stephen King. Anna Salter has given us a smart, lively character in Michael Stone. This is a tough lady who is easy to admire, retlate to and enjoy.An extremely diffcult job making a good novel out of this unsettling subject but Anna Salter has done so. I'm waiting for the next novel!

Rating:
Summary: engrossing character sketch of a new favorite, Dr. Stone
Review: I thoroughly enjoyed Dr. Michael Stone as a character. Anna Salter's perspective of a "tough" lady is given an important and REAL feeling for the true person - a woman who has known heartache through the loss of a child, but continues to put herself in the noble position of helping other children through her work.

Rating:
Summary: How Did This One Get By Me?
Review: I took this one on a trip and found that airport time flew by as I became engrossed in the mystery of Dr. Michael Stone. From an own experience with issues of child abuse I can say from experience that the author is pretty much on the money about 1) the legal system (in certain places and this was published in 1997) and 2) sexual offenders.

I am definitely going to search out the other books in this series.

The only thing I found somewhat wryly interesting, was that even though the main story is set in the north, why the Southern background of the lead characters in books of this ilk?
Kate Scapetta, Clarice Starling, Tempe Brennan, Deborah Knott come to mind at once and I'm sure there are others. Seems like there is at least a term paper here.