It was in a hurricane in the Florida Keys that Madeleine Frank lost her husband who was drowned when the storm hit their houseboat. She would have been happy to die herself, but when she survived she fled the Keys and sought refuge in the Georgian splendour of Bath. As a psychotherapist she realised that there were some tragedies that you could never completely overcome but she has worked hard to try and put that part of her life behind her. It's only with the appearance of a strange and troubled young woman as a patient that her own darkest secret is forced to the front of her mind.
| Bloodprint by Kitty Sewell | |
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| Category: General Fiction | |
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Reviewer: Sue Magee
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| Summary: Unusual and contrasting locations with vivid characters make for an interesting read. Recommended. | |
| Buy? Maybe | Borrow? Yes |
| Pages: 448 | Date: February 2009 |
| Publisher: Simon and Schuster | |
| ISBN: 978-1847372659 | |
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Madeleine's background is unusual. Her mother is of Cuban descent but fled to the Florida Keys where she continued to practice her religion – Santeria. She married Madeleine's father, the wealthy artist Neville Frank and returned home with him to Bath. She was out of place and unhappy and the marriage foundered and at time of difficulty in her own life Madeleine left her mother in Bath and returned to the Keys.
It's many years one when Rachel becomes one of Madeleine's patients. Rachel's background is troubled – she's barely escaped the clutches of an Eastern European family who are involved in sex trafficking, prostitution and illegal drugs, but for the sake of her young son she's determined to try and make a new life for herself. Her ex-boyfriend is equally determined that she's not going to escape that easily. Madeleine finds herself involved in an increasingly complex and dangerous situation which neither she nor Rachel can control.
Most thrillers follow well-worn paths, but the locations in Bloodprint ensure that there's nothing tired in this book. The contrast of the lushness of the Florida Keys and the Georgian tranquillity of Bath works well particularly when Madeleine's mother continues to practice her religion whilst her daughter continues with her fascination for ants, both in the flesh and in art. The central section of the book lacked a little pace, but the twists and turns in the plot made up for this and I certainly didn't anticipate the ending.
I'd like to thank the publishers for sending a copy to the Bookbag.
If this type of book appeals to you then we can also recommend No Time For Goodbye by Linwood Barclay.
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You can read more book reviews or buy Bloodprint by Kitty Sewell at Amazon.co.uk Amazon currently charges £2.99 for standard delivery for orders under £20, over which delivery is free.
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