The Other Child

Description

In the northern seaside town of Scarborough, a student is found cruelly murdered. For months, the investigators are in the dark, until they are faced with a copy-cat crime. The investigation continues apace, yet they are still struggling to establish a connection between the two victims. Ambitious detective Valerie Almond clings to the all too obvious: a rift within the family of the second victim. But there is far more to the case than first appears and Valerie is led towards a dark secret, inextricably linked to the evacuation of children to Scarborough during World War II. Horrified at her last-minute discovery, Valerie realises that she may be too late for action. . .

Charlotte Link is one of Europe's bestselling commercial writers. Her psychological detective novels are set in England. Her novel, Am Ende des Schweigens was nominated in 2004 for the Fiction category of the Deutsche Bucherpreis (German Book Prize), while her 2000 book, Die Rosenzuchterin remained for several weeks at the top of the Spiegel Bestseller list. Her work has also been adapted for German TV.

Every well-built psychological suspense narrative involves a thorough, methodical dissection of characters we've been led to believe we already know. It's a delicate skill, and authors like Ruth Rendell have made it into something of an art form... Link demonstrates the same subtle touch, keeping the reader's eye trained on Fiona and the guilty secret she shares with Chad, while distracting us from the innocent- looking characters standing quietly in the shadows. * NEW YORK TIMES *