Thursday, June 22, 2017

Mystery Book Review: Dark Saturday by Nicci French


Dark Saturday by Nicci French
William Morrow, Publication: July 11th, 2017
From the publisher:
Thirteen years ago eighteen year old Hannah Docherty was arrested for the brutal murder of her family. It was an open and shut case and Hannah's been incarcerated in a secure hospital ever since.

When psychotherapist Frieda Klein is asked to meet Hannah and give her assessment of her she reluctantly agrees. What she finds horrifies her. Hannah has become a tragic figure, old before her time. And Frieda is haunted by the thought that Hannah might be as much of a victim as her family; that something wasn't right all those years ago.

And as Hannah's case takes hold of her, Frieda soon begins to realize that she's up against someone who'll go to any lengths to protect themselves . . .
 

My thoughts:
I've followed Nicci French since the very beginning; this husband and wife writer team's is always on my to-read list, no matter the title. I will admit that Frieda Klein, the lead character in this day-of-the-week series, is a bit difficult to like at times, but overall the series is strong, atmospheric in its London setting, and generally a good mystery series to read.

Dark Saturday may be the better of the Frieda Klein books, in my opinion. The mystery driving the story is really one of character: is Hannah Docherty the killer everyone things she is? How much is her captivity in a (rather brutal) mental hospital shaping the monster she is depicted to be? Frieda Klein quickly becomes the woman's champion, which drives the story, and her investigation of the murder of Hannah's family.

Though the solution is a bit far-fetched, I loved this book all the same, because of Frieda's character. Recommended--read this series from the beginning.

**Review of an ARC from Goodreads Giveaway**

2 comments:

  1. I think I'd read it for Frieda Klein's character too, though the story sounds dark and rather depressing.

    ReplyDelete
  2. It's not as bad as it sounds. The mystery feels a bit like your typical British detective show, I think.

    ReplyDelete

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