Harum Scarum by Felicity Young
Written: May 05 '08
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Strong balance of fast moving storyline and developing relationship
Cons: Very little sense of place.
The Bottom Line: The second book in the Stevie Hooper police procedural series which is set in Western Australia
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| damieng's Full Review: Felicity Young - Harum Scarum |
Felicity Young’s 3rd novel is also the 2nd book in her police procedural series set in Perth, Australia and featuring Detective Sergeant Stevie Hooper. The book follows on from where the first book, An Easeful Death, finishes off.
The book deals with the sensitive topic of cyber-stalking and paedophilia. DS Stevie Hooper has moved to the Sex Crimes Division from the Serious Crime Squad and, when the book opens, is concentrating her attention on the Cyber Predator Team, entering chat rooms attempting to catch the stalkers who prey on vulnerable children by posing as children themselves.
The first body is found in a dumpster, a young girl who had been lured to a meeting with a man she had met online. The dead girl had been bound, gagged and raped before she asphyxiated due to the tape covering her mouth. The crime scene is overseen by Inspector Monty McGuire, Stevie’s lover and childhood friend. He and his Serious Crime Squad team waste no time in identifying the girl who had already been reported missing.
Stevie Hooper becomes involved in the case when it becomes clear that there is a strong possibility that the girl had been befriended online by a cyber stalker.
Stevie is not only a police detective, she’s also a mother to a 6 year old girl, Izzie, who occasionally needs after school minding. During a presentation to a class about the dangers of on-line
Cyber stalkers at the local school, Stevie comes across Emma Breightling, an extremely intelligent 13 year old who lives nearby. She seems to be the perfect choice in babysitters for Izzie, so Stevie goes ahead and ask Emma if she would like the job. Although Emma is a very bright girl, she is also a competent liar and is hiding a dark secret about her family life.
But Emma Breightling isn’t the only one keeping secrets. Stevie and Monty’s relationship is about to be tested in ways that neither want to consider. With a 6 year old daughter to care for and the two of them living in separate houses while both juggling extremely demanding jobs, something has to change. The pressures of work, though, will strain even the strongest of partnerships.
Apart from the young girl in the dumpster, the Serious Crimes Squad are also weighed down by two more murders, completely separate incidents, except that the murder weapon is the same. As one of the detectives reminds his colleague, this is Perth, not downtown LA, murders aren’t that common and to suddenly have so many murders piling on top of one another is highly unusual. The possibilities are real that everything could be connected.
Throughout the book, chapters are begun with internet chatroom excerpts that have taken place in the past between two young girls. From these brief exchanges a picture slowly forms revealing a great deal of stress and emotion over domestic situations that are far from ideal. We are only told the chatters’ monikers: Harum Scarum and Bettybo, but their identities gradually become obvious, as does their respective roles in how this involving thriller will eventually play out.
What is done particularly well by author Felicity Young is she successfully gets us involved in the continuing development of the relationship between Stevie and Monty without losing focus of the tight investigation that they are involved with. It strikes a great balance that helps to bring the characters to life while keeping you guessing about the intricacies of the case.
The city of Perth in Australia’s hot, dry state of Western Australia provides a unique backdrop to the story. However, if there is a flaw to the book it’s the fact that you never really get a sense that the story is taking place in such an exotic location. In fact, I never really formed a mental image of the city of Perth at all, which I think is a bit of a shame.
From the murder scene that opens the book to the dramatic final couple of chapters Harum Scarum features a devious series of interconnections that border on the sublime. Felicity Young has taken the absorbing, yet slightly raw, characters from An Easeful Death and given them significant depth and vitality. She also closes the story with a few disturbing question marks hanging around, so much so that you should be anticipating the publication of book number three.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
damieng
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Location: Sydney, Australia
Reviews written: 427
Trusted by: 94 members
About Me:
Stop thanking me for my patience...I don't have any.
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