Book Review 1

Book Title: Hurting Distance
Author: Sophie Hannah
Genre: Fiction, Mystery
Characters: Naomi Jenkins, Robert Haworth, Juliet Haworth, Detective Charlie Zailer, Simon Waterhouse, Colin Seller, Chris Gibbs, Proust, Olivia, Yvon, Graham Angilley.

Summary:
Naomi is having an affair with Robert Haworth, a married lorry driver. The couple meets at a motorway service station every Thursday at Rawndeseley East Services Traveltel, room eleven.
The other part of the book is told from the point of view of Detective Sergeant Charlie Zailer and her team. Charile has a liking for Simon, yet Simon had someone else in his mind already. Charlie encounters Naomi for the first time when Robert does not turn up for his weekly date and Naomi reports him missing. She is convinced that Robert's absence is sinister, probably connected with his promise to tell his wife, Juliet, about his affair. Naomi is too impatient for the police investigation to proceed at a measured pace because she is convinced Robert is in danger. Naomi is desperate to find Robert, thus she dig up her traumatic past and accuse Robert of being the perpetrator of a particularly horrible rape she suffered several years ago to induce some urgency.

The truth turns out ugly for Naomi as she realize that the guy who she loved most, Robert, was a rapist. What makes it more unbelievable for her was that the rapist that have attacked her three years ago was actually Robert’s brother, Graham. Both of them were involved in holding stag nights (live sex shows) where they would kidnap successful business woman and rape her in front of many audience whom they have sold their tickets to on the internet. Charlie finds it hard to accept when she realize Graham, her boyfriend (one that she found herself just to anger Simon, to make him jealous) is a rapist. Through the whole process, Simon realize that he cares for Charlie more than what he knows himself.

Reflection:
This is a beautifully written chiller thriller about the after effects of rape. I was quite confused about the characters and often mix them up at first as they were quite a few of them. However, the story gets more and more interesting and exciting as I read on. Most of the scenes are unexpected and surprising to me.

From this story, I can understand how hurtful and unbearable it is for woman who had once been raped. This is an experience that they can’t forget for their lifetime, even if they tried hard enough. Friends are within hurting distance, strangers are not. Strangers will not be able to hurt you as much as the people who are close to you. The people who are close to you are the ones that can really hurt you the most.

I am quite disappointed with the ending of the story as I didn’t get to know what happen to Charlie Zailer and Simon Waterhouse, if they manage to be together at last. I really admire Charile Zailer and her team as they are able to think reasonably, combining all the clues that they have found into one and solving the mystery.

This is a fantastic book, I wouldn't mind reading it over and over again. (:

Ruifang :D