3 Sept 2010

LIVING ON A PRAYER.

LIVING ON A PRAYER by SHEILA QUIGLEY.

A week before Christmas Debbie Stansfield's life falls apart. Her son - her funny, cheeky, kind Richard - has been found hanging from a tree at the Seven Sisters. The police think it's suicide but Debbie won't - can't - accept it. Her son would never kill himself. Not her Richard. no way.

Richard's four friends know something about his death. Detective Inspector Lorraine Hunt can feel it. The teenagers are clearly terrified about something - something that scares them more than the police. But they're not about to tell.....

As the days tick down to Christmas, Lorraine, increasingly overworked and under pressure, can't ignore her suspicions that there's more to Richard's death than meets the eye. And when Richard's friends start going missing, her worst fears are confirmed. Just who is preying on the young people in Houghton-Le-Spring? And will Lorraine be able to stop them, before another vulnerable teenager is found dead?
.... From the outer back cover.

FIRST SENTENCE (From the prologue): Debbie Stansfield's hands trembled furiously as she pressed Richard's pale-blue Nike T-shirt to her face.

MEMORABLE MOMENT: Debbie imagined the teddy waiting patiently for Richard to return, to smile at him one last time, to take him out and play with him, and love him like he used to.

The third outing for the folks of the Seahills Estate (click for my reviews of BOOK 1 and BOOK 2) and I'm still fascinated by the fact that I once lived so very, very close to many of the locations mentioned - yes, the 'Seven Sisters' mentioned in the back cover blurb actually exist.

Still with little swearing (some I can cope with) I really enjoyed Living On A Prayer which as well as dealing with the 'main crime' also tackled some of the other issues concerning modern Britain (and I dare say many other European countries.)

Character wise: Despite the fact that I still cannot bring myself to like 'leading lady' Lorraine Hunt, I find myself warming more and more to many of the other characters - many of them 'salt of the earth types', you know that they are extremely close to breaking the law themselves and yet you cannot help but empathise with the situation some of them find themselves in.

Living On A Prayer was a library book read, my first read for the SEPTEMBER SPECTACULAR READING CHALLENGE. To view the other blogs participating in week/book 1 click HERE.

21 comments:

Steph said...

Thanks for joining the September Spectacular. Great review!

Laurel-Rain Snow said...

Just hopping by!

Here's what I wrote:

Click on my name for URL

Anonymous said...

Hey nice review! Thanks for stopping by to check mine :)

Happy hopping!

Liberty x

brandileigh2003 said...

I am following you now!

R. Ramesh said...

oooff..what a gripping story line boss...for a moment took it for real reading the first para:)

SG said...

Nice review. Will check this out.

Arti said...

Looks like a very nice thriller... The cover page is also great...it would have been spooky for you when the places mentioned were known to you!!

Gina said...

Wow...tragic opening and such a sad image to tie in with a teddy bear. So the 'Seven Sisters' really exists? Huh....
Thanks for the interesting review....will have to look up a bit more about this one... *brings up Google*

chitra said...

I read only reviews, PW and I love it.

MOLLYC said...

Not sure I want to read this one, either. But did I tell you that I read "Little Bee?" Wonderful, but very discouraging. I hope you are all well, and that the sun is shining for your weekend! Love to you, molly

Kelly said...

I found that "memorable moment" quote downright heartbreaking! Like something I would do.

Good review!

BURIED IN BOOKS said...

Read all three review. Can't decide if I'd like the series or not. The reviews are good but I'm not one for a mother having to bury her son. I have two of my own. The places mentioned wouldn't mean a thing to mean, but I'm curious about the "issues concerning modern Britain" you refer to."

Heather

Deepali said...

Read the review - sounds like a good book. Does it fall into your gradin system? Returning the hop!
e-Volving Books

Kristina Barnes♥ said...

First off, thank you for stopping by my blog to check out my review.

Secondly, this is a nice review. It's interesting that you're so close to some of the locations in the book! If I had a book's setting around where I lived, I'd try to go out and see the locations for myself, pay "homage", etc. :P

Thirdly, I agree with Kelly. That IS a heartbreaking memorable moment.

This sounds like a good book! It's made its way into my TBR :P

Lynda R Young as Elle Cardy said...

popping over for a BBQ visit :)
great quirky blog you have here. Good review too.

Lyn
W.I.P. It: A Writer's Journey

Oddyoddyo13 said...

There's a song called Living on a Prayer...little different concept though. LoL

Sounds like an interesting read!

Alison Can Read said...

Sounds like a pageturner!

Jody Hedlund said...

Pleased to meet you! Thank you for swinging by my blog today! :-)

Jessi E. said...

Hello, hello! Just stopping by from the hop! I noticed you are also doing the September Spectacular. So far it's been fun!!

Hope you have a great weekend,
Jessi @ The Elliott Review

Sanand said...

Interesting review!

Jen said...

I quite often find myself choosing books that are set in places I have visited. If I find one set in a place I've lived, I have to buy it.