From Library Journal
In this early entry in her series featuring Inspector Luke Thanet and his self-deprecating sidekick, Sergeant Lineham (e.g., A Day for Dying, LJ 5/1/96), the author uses the tension between appearance and reality to underscore the sordid truths of dysfunctional family life. Fifteen-year-old Charity Pritchard apparently hasn't had much of a life. Her parents are strict religious fundamentalists who deny her simple teenage pleasures such as jeans or makeup. When Charity's body is found in a back alley, Thanet begins an investigation that brings to light the dark details of her unhappy, secret life, piece by tantalizing piece. This emotionally charged tale flounders when it strays from the murder investigation to explore, instead, the investigators' personal lives, but narrator Terrence Hardiman gives an intense reading that will have listeners holding their collective breath as the story reaches its horrifying climax. Strongly recommended for mystery and crime collections.-Sister M. Anna Falbo, Villa Maria Coll. Lib., Buffalo, N.Y.Copyright 1996 Cahners Business Information, Inc.