Forty Words for Sorrow [Mass Market Paperback]

Giles Blunt (Author)

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 400 pages
• Publisher: Seal Books (2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0770428738
• ISBN-13: 978-0770428730
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 4.3 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (44 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,059,170 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Cold Stuff!, April 30, 2004

By 

cyberpsycho "cyberpsycho" (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Forty Words for Sorrow (Paperback)

An excellent police procedural that takes place in one of the most overlooked locales in the genre. Here in the states, we're quite familiar with the top British and American mystery writers, but Australian and Canadian authors tend to be ignored unless they have American or British publishers. Consequently, it's not often that icy, small town Canada is used as a fictional backdrop. Blunt's descriptions are so well done that the climate itself plays a role as an obstacle in the investigations. In addition to the nice character work that the author has accomplished, the ending ties up all of the loose edges quite neatly, thus setting the stage for the next book in the series.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Icy Morality Play, April 30, 2002

By 

sweetmolly (RICHMOND, VA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Forty Words for Sorrow (Paperback)

Algonquin Bay in northern Ontario is not just bitterly arctic---it spends the long winter snowbound and the cold is a living force that invades like a sledge hammer. Could-be, dirty cop John Cardinal has spent a fruitless, expensive five months trying to locate missing 13-year old Katy Pine. His credibility is suspect with his superiors. When Cardinal finds the missing girl brutally murdered in a mineshaft near an isolated lake, he is given the dubious honor of leading the investigation of this clueless, highly publicized crime. He is assigned a partner who may or may not be investigating his background. The killings increase in number along with the frustrations of the police force.

The pace picks up a bizarre momentum when the killer is brought into the narrative. His machinations always are two jumps ahead of the authorities, and he seems hopelessly invincible. This tale is for the steely of heart, for the violence is graphic and horrific. Yet there are light moments as when the police are questioning a well-known burglar and asking him about his known associates. Burglar says in tones of disgust "If I wanted to MEET people, I'd be a mugger." One of Cardinal's fellow detectives is a constant complainer, and his rants about everything from the Mounties to his ex-wife are brilliant, ferocious and unending.

"Forty Words For Sorrow" has an "it's not over till it's over" gambit that enchants me every time. The suspense becomes well nigh unbearable, and entirely unpredictable. I'd nominate this book for best title of the year and certainly one of the very good reads.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Drawn from Homolka/Bernardo, April 24, 2008

By 

MiniDriver - See all my reviews

This review is from: Forty Words for Sorrow (Mass Market Paperback)

To those of you who thought the villains were too black-and-white evil, consider that this story is obviously based on the Homolka-Bernardo killings. Details like the video tapes and sadism are very much the same. And Homolka and Bernardo were much, much worse. Edie is at least pitiful in her low self-esteem and craving for love in whatever ugly form it takes.

And Blunt deals with murderers much more, well, bluntly. Bernardo is still in prison, and Homolka served 12 years before being released. I think Canada is still scarred by the murders and furious over Homolka's release, so the novel serves to tie up loose ends rather neatly.

I liked very much that Cardinal wasn't entirely virtuous, and liked even more the resolution with his wife.

The detective characters and the corruption sub-plot reminded me of Louise Penny's Cruelest Month.