Down Cemetery Road [Hardcover]

Mick Herron (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 31, 2003

'The room shook, not violently, but more than was usual during the average dinner party...' When a neighbouring house is destroyed by what is said to be a gas leak, and a child disappears in the aftermath, Sarah Tucker - a young married woman, bored and unhappy with her life - becomes obsessed with trying to find her. Very soon she's left wondering whether she has really ever known anybody or anything at all as her attempts at investigation, fired initially by frustration and curiosity, reveal that people long thought dead are still among the living, while the living are joining the dead and her own life becomes distinctly less boring. What begins in suburban South Oxford ends on a remote and unwelcoming Scottish island, as the hunt for the missing child takes Sarah out of her marriage and into a journey with a tormented, troubled ex-soldier who himself is being hunted by murderous and apparently official forces.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Mick Herron was born in Newcastle upon Tyne and was educated there and at Balliol College, Oxford, where he took a degree in English literature. Since graduating he made Oxford his home and lives there still, although he now commutes into London - which gives him ample opportunity to write on his laptop. Down Cemetery Road is his first novel.

From AudioFile

When Sarah Tucker witnesses the fire bombing of a neighbor's house, she becomes obsessed with finding the lone survivor, a young girl. Mick Herron skillfully weaves a complex story with interesting snippets of current events, such as the war in Iraq. Narrator Anna Bentinck ably presents the bizarre characters, narrative, and dialogue. She incorporates an appropriate blend of humor and irony as drunks, druggies, police, and ex-military personnel converge to reveal a frightening glimpse of the sometimes gap between appearance and reality. This is the perfect choice for those who like to analyze many layers and false starts as a story unfolds. S.G.B. © AudioFile 2005, Portland, Maine-- Copyright © AudioFile, Portland, Maine --This text refers to the Audio CD edition.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 288 pages
• Publisher: Constable (August 31, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1841196207
• ISBN-13: 978-1841196206
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #9,354,212 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Oxford housewife blunders into complications ..., July 26, 2009

By 

LikeToRead (OLNEY, MD USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Down Cemetery Road (Paperback)

Sarah Tucker, housewife, finds herself in above her head when she looks into the whereabouts of a little girl neighbor who is orphaned by an explosion. A well constructed and nicely written story with a few twists. Action moves from Oxford to the Cotswolds and on to Scotland. On the way Sarah figures out a few things about her life and the bigger picture.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Plot Twists, May 12, 2009

By 

Lady J of CA - See all my reviews

This review is from: Down Cemetery Road (Kindle Edition)

It has a slow start but eventually the plot unfolds. Then the story twists and turns in ways that reminded me of a Harlan Corbin novel. Herron uses too much stream of consciousness and makes Sarah too insecure. The plot twists make it worth reading through the slow beginning.

Lady J of CA