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Half the World Away by Cath Staincliffe (view source)
Revision as of 16:44, 29 August 2020
, 16:44, 29 August 2020no edit summary
If the above sounds at all familiar, it’s because stories like the above are printed in the press on a regular basis. There is no denying that gap years can be a wonderful idea for people to explore new cultures, to gain a sense of independence, and to have one last big hurrah before settling down to either university or work. But, horror stories of kidnap and murder on gap years show up in the press on a fairly regular basis – so it is more than a ripe subject for novelist Cath Staincliffe to have a go at. Hugely prolific, Staincliffe has written twenty-two books, all crime based and mainly set around Manchester. This is the first in which she really goes further afield, and the majority of the story is set in China. Thankfully, this works in Staincliffe’s favour. The China in ''Half the World Away'' is evocative and vivid, but also a confusing, dark world full of unknowns and dangers.
The characters are well -drawn, and having the reader be allowed to see Lori’s blog posts works work well – when she disappears we are as much in the dark as her parents, and it creates both instant empathy, and a desire to find out the answers. Staincliffe then cleverly answers questions as the book goes on, but is constantly creating more – even in the closing pages, which leaves one eager to turn the pages, and a quick read over alloverall.
A fast -paced read with likable likeable characters and a strong sense of mystery, this is an enjoyable read. However, I didn’t feel the sense of fear or thrill that this book was trying to create – perhaps due to my lack of children? Nevertheless, this is an easy read – I’d recommend as a decent airport or holiday read. Although possibly not if you’re going to China…
For further reading – I know most will have read this already, but [[Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn]] is definitely the best thriller of recent years. Chilling, thrilling, and unputdownable.