Little Face: A Novel [Paperback]

Sophie Hannah (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 30, 2008

Every mother?s nightmare . . .

When Alice Fancourt leaves her newborn daughter at home with her husband for the first time since becoming a new mother, she comes home to a horrifying discovery: her child has been swapped with another baby. I n near hysterics, Alice rushes to call the police, but soon discovers that no one?not even her husband, David?believes her. When the police are called in, Detective Simon Waterhouse is drawn to the lovely Alice but doubts her story and suspects that she is suffering from postpartum depression. Meanwhile, David is growing increasingly hostile and Alice begins to fear that her baby?s disappearance may be linked to his previous wife?s untimely death. Little Face is a chilling look at the lengths to which a mother will go to protect her child and is the remarkable debut of a hugely talented writer.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

British author Hannah (Hurting Distance) weaves together two narrative voices to create this complex and occasionally forced thriller set in rural England. Excitable new mother Alice Fancourt calls the police, claiming her baby girl has been replaced by a nearly identical infant. Alice believes her husband, David, is responsible, but it soon appears that David's mother, the rich and formidable Vivienne, is up to no good. Det. Simon Waterhouse has a soft spot for the possibly delusional Alice, with whom he alternates narration, but his undeveloped character renders their relationship, or lack thereof, of little interest. More engrossing is Waterhouse's complicated friendship with his boss, Sgt. Charlie Zailer, a feisty, appealing woman with a major crush on her subordinate. When Alice and the baby disappear and the police reopen the murder investigation of David's first wife, some interesting discoveries are made, but readers enticed by the intriguing opening will find the payoff ultimately unsatisfying. (Oct.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From School Library Journal

Adult/High School–Alice Fancourt knows the baby in her nursery is not her daughter, Florence, but everyone else is not so sure. Her husband thinks she is crazy; her domineering mother-in-law is reserving judgment but treating her like an infant herself; and the cops, for the most part, do not believe her. This psychological mystery exposes itself slowly. Careful readers are given the clues to Alice's dilemma and the motivations of the characters, but it is easy to engage fully in the drama, be surprised by the occasional twist, and close the book completely satisfied. The suspense is more atmospheric than overt, and the mystery is in the tension of the relationships. Alice is a flawed character who presents herself almost as a child. Simon, the one detective who believes her, has his own torments to which teens can relate. A solid addition to mystery collections.–Mary Ann Harlan, Arcata High School, CA
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 18 and up
  
• Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: Penguin (Non-Classics); Reprint edition (September 30, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0143114085
• ISBN-13: 978-0143114086
• Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 5.4 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 2.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (38 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #89,593 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Sophie Hannah is an award-winning poet and crime fiction writer whose novels are international bestsellers.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Nearly perfect!, February 24, 2009

By 

Yolanda S. Bean (Chicago, IL) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Little Face: A Novel (Paperback)

This was an interesting book - in all facets, really - a neat structure, fascinating premise, surprising twists and turns to the plot... the only thing really lacking were the characters. Not anything terribly specific, but... I guess they seemed more like characters from a film than from a book. They were a bit two-dimensional, which is odd considering the book is labeled as "psychological thriller." Some actions were rather unbelievable. I do think it would make a good movie, though - perhaps even better than the book. There was just something film-like about reading the book. Maybe because some actors jumped to mind as being perfect to play parts (e.g., Judi Dench as Vivienne). It was a solid story and quite entertaining and if only the characters had that certain je ne sais quoi, I would have truly loved it.

24 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Disturbing But Involving Read, September 30, 2008

By 

Jackie Blem (Denver, CO) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Little Face: A Novel (Paperback)

If you like crime drama and psychological suspsense, don't miss this book. This is a magical onion kind of book--the surface is nothing like the center and there are hundreds of layers making it up. The complexity of the plot will take awhile to hit you, but when it does, you won't be able to put the book down. I literally finished the last 20 pages walking around my apartment because I was too exhausted to stay awake if I sat down but I HAD to see how things wrapped up. The premise: new mother Alice Fancourt leaves her two week old daughter for the first time for a quick outing, only to discover, when she gets home, that the baby in the crib is not hers. But she can't convince anyone else of that. Very British, very dark, very much full of surprises and very very much recommended by me!

25 of 30 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Disappointing, September 20, 2007

By 

I LOVE BOOKS (Italy) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Little Face (Hardcover)

The ingredients for a good psychological thriller are all there: Alice, the mother who's convinced that her newborn baby daughter Florence has been switched with another baby in her own home of all places. David, her husband, who's convinced his wife has gone mad with post-natal depression and refuses to even acknowledge Alice's doubts. Vivienne, David's mother, perfect organizer of his and Alice's lives, after the tragic murder of David's first wife, Laura, whom he had divorced some time before. Felix, David's and Laura's child, is now living with them all at The Elms, Vivienne's huge and stately home.
The alleged kidnapping/switch takes place at The Elms and the police get involved. This starts off a series of considerations for all involved, including the two police detectives assigned to this peculiar case, Simon and Charlie. Psycological twists & turns ensue, which also lead to the reopening of Laura's murder case, despite the confession of her killer, now serving a sentence. A gripping start.

Why the 2 stars then? I admit I was hooked from the very beginning of this book, which is written in two "voices": Alice's, self-describing her actions and anguish, whereas the rest of the characters and circumstances are reported as seen from the outside.

Up to a certain point, I would have given this book 4 stars. What disappointed me was that, upon approaching the end, I realised that the facts had not been fairly and truthfully presented from the beginning. True, one could still guess and make assumptions -after all, isn't that the... thrill of thrillers?- but in my opinion this book was deceiving for the way it started and ended. I could tell you in more detail what I refer to specifically, but that would give the story away. If you buy it, you'll find out.