The author of the stunning debut "All Fall Down" follows up with another psychological thriller that has "enough suspenseful plot twists and surprises to keep pages turning" ("Publishers Weekly"). Someone with an unfathomable motive has invaded Kate's life with her infant son. Surviving the torment means delving deep into the shadowy resources of her own past.
--This text refers to the
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Book Description
Editorial Reviews
From Publishers Weekly
The latest psychological thriller by the author of All Fall Down deftly spins together terrifying elementsAchild abuse, kidnapping, mysterious illnesses and a deranged stalkerAto create the ultimate nightmare for a new mother. Kate McDonald is a social worker at an L.A. hospital; her husband, Paul, is a deputy district attorney. The couple are ecstatic about their eight-month-old son, Alex, but when the boy suffers one mishap after anotherArats in his crib, a case of swine flu, evidence of ligature marksAthe Mcdonalds are suspected of abusing him. At the same time, Kate suffers dizziness and blackouts, and she receives frightening messages on her computer. To complicate things, she discovers Paul has been unfaithful and threatens divorce; he retaliates by trying to prove her mentally ill, accusing her of Munchausen's syndrome. When someone kidnaps Alex, Kate accepts the help of policeman Nick Cerovic to try to find her baby. Their hunt for clues means digging into Kate's tragic past, a saga that includes another failed marriage and a dead child. Though she was cleared of wrongdoing, her husband now is convinced of her guilt in both cases. To add to the nightmare, Kate is further plagued by a bizarre stalker obsessed with making her suffer. Kate is so pugnacious and defensive throughout her ordeal, however, that readers may find her difficult to care for. Her plight is horrifying, demanding much emotional and mental strength, yet Fox chooses to foreground her beauty as her defining trait, effectively limiting the reader's emotional involvement. The story is briskly told, however, and there are enough suspenseful plot twists and surprises to keep pages turning until the high-voltage denouement. (Aug.)
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From Kirkus Reviews
An overblown suspenser about a madwoman stalking a thoroughly good woman in ways you wouldn't believe. Kate McDonald is married to a rising young deputy D.A. with whom she shares 3,500 square feet in upscale Brentwood, California, and leads the good life. Deservedly. Kate is a devoted social worker at demanding Midtown Memorial Hospital, a picture-perfect helpmate, and, above all, the very model of a modern mother to eight-month-old Alex. But suddenly the good life takes a nauseating turn, and Katebewildered, helplessfinds herself witnessing the piece-by-piece dismantling of her world. The process begins with the awful threat that comes scrolling across her computer screen one day: ``Your baby is going to diea message that disappears so fast she's not even sure she's seen it. But the appalling messages keep coming, as do the threatening phone calls. And then theres the thing with the rats. And the other thing with swine fever. And the herpes, the poison, the infidelity (her husband's), the conspiracy (her boss's). And on and on. Whos doing this to her? Who hates her enough? Why is everyone convinced she's lying? She has no answers. It's a particularly unkind cut when a quack of a psychologist diagnoses something called ``Munchausen's syndrome by proxy''meaning that in his view she's been making up stories because she's starved for her attention. So her marriage ends. She's threatened with arrest. She's fired. Alex is kidnaped. And even then the blows continue to rain on Job-like Kate while, for the reader, the suspension of disbelief gets harder and harder. Less would have been more for Fox (When the Wind Blows, 1998, etc.), a writer of the school of plot-till-you-drop. -- Copyright ©1999, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars
Kept hoping it would get better.,
By A Customer
This review is from: Cradle and All (Mass Market Paperback)
"Suspension of disbelief" is an understatement with this book. I found every aspect impossible to find believable. There is no way any semi-intelligent woman with any self-respect or common sense would make half the mistakes the main character makes. And to think that an antagonist can torture a woman for the length of time without ever making a mistake as the story claims is simply too far-fetched to be real. Beyond that, the other characters are simply sign-posts inserted at the right moment to lend the next piece of dialogue at the appropriate time. When the book finally does seem to go somewhere (three quarters of the way through) are we really to believe the number of plot twists that seem to pop up at the end that keep tying themselves up in neat little packages to move the story along? The further I read the less and less I found it to be compelling or believeable. The final pages are a particularly sugary sweet Hollywood ending that I couldn't stomach. Those that gave this book such high marks are either die-hard fans or simply easily entertained. By all counts when it's all said and done EVERYONE who survives should be in counseling for life. Overall, a completely unsatisfying read with undeveloped characters, plot twists that simply move the story along, and an ending that is too good to be true.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
THIS BOOK DESERVES TO WIN A PULITZER PRIZE!!,
This review is from: Cradle and All (Mass Market Paperback)
If anyone likes any kind of mystery novels whatsoever, then you will absolutely love CRADLE AND ALL! I just couldn't put it down! The author described Kate, the main character, in such great detail, that I could visualize her emotions and her problems with every word. The author paints a picture of one of the characters being the murderer, but the ending shocked me to death! The way the author tied the ending with the story was amazing. All of the characters were likeable, none to bossy. Chills and thrills around every corner. If you liked ALL FALL DOWN and WHEN THE WIND BLOWS, his earlier novels, then you will devour and love CRADLE AND ALL, because it is definitely the best of three. I hope Mr. Fox continues to write all of his next books this good because I am greatly awaiting his next one.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
This book was one of the best books I have ever read!,
By Milissa "jewelhound@aol.com" (Roseville, Michigan USA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Cradle and All (Mass Market Paperback)
This book was one of the best books I ever read! I love psychological suspense thrillers and this book is definetly one of those. Once I started reading this book, I couldn't put it down till I was finished reading it. This is the first book I have read by this author but definetly not the last. I intend to buy his other books in the near future.
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