Book Review: Body of a Girl

Reviewed By: Luke Croll - RAM

Body of a Girl     Amazon US PB Amazon US HC Amazon Canada PB Amazon Canada HC
Leah Stewart
Class/Genre:   Mystery   Woman Main Character   Amateur Sleuth   Psychological Suspense
Piatkus; 2000; £6.99; 311 pp

Classification: Adult fiction (Serial killer thriller)

Olivia Dale is a crime reporter and one day, she comes across a body that could easily have been her - she even resembles the corpse. As she chases the story, she finds herself being drawn into the corpse's world, and the world of killers.

The author A. Manette Ansay has said two things about 'Body Of A Girl' that it would be worth echoing here. She mentions that it is Stewart's first novel and that it is a 'literary' one. Both of these are very true. For a first novel, it is an excellent piece of work and it is written with skill. The pages will keep on turning and the plot gets thicker in this, a book written in a literary style, rather than a simple bestseller.

Her main character of Dale is very interesting, at times easy to read and at others, a total enigma. Stewart captures the reader's attention and you will find yourself drawn to Dale as she struggles to discover what happened to the girl in her story.

The ending is also powerful and somewhat unexpected, as Stewart lays a trail of clues throughout, but which she then turns around and throws in some twists and puzzles too. For a first novel, this is well written and articulate. There is no gore, no violence but it still makes a great book. I highly recommend it.

Luke Croll - RAM

Reprinted with permission. Do Not repost without permission from the author, Luke Croll - RAM

Luke Croll - Conference interpreter and translator
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