Reflections: A Novel of Suspense (Bannister, Jo) [Hardcover]

Jo Bannister (Author)

Book Description

Series: Bannister, Jo | Publication Date: December 12, 2003

Though Brodie Farrell runs a business called "Looking for Something?" she tries to avoid missing people cases. But she can't refuse when her friend in the police asks her to find the long-lost aunt of two girls after their mother is murdered and their father disappears. When an intruder breaks into the girls' home, Brodie must act quickly to save them from a dangerous, elusive murderer.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Set in Northern Ireland, Bannister's third Brodie Farrell suspense novel (after 2002's True Witness) tells the emotionally draining tale of two sisters, 14-year-old Juanita and 11-year-old Emerald Daws, left alone in the world after their father allegedly murdered their mother in revenge for her frequent affairs with local teenagers. In the aftermath of the tragedy, the girls' uncle hires Brodie, who runs the search business "Looking for Something?," to find a missing relative to care for them. Brodie disappears for most of the story, leaving Juanita and Emerald in the custody of her friend, out-of-work teacher Daniel Hood, who soon becomes emotionally attached to his young charges, despite their intense hostility toward anyone older than themselves. Wracked with panic attacks from the misfortunes he suffered in True Witness, Daniel proves ineffective as both an instructor and investigator and is nearly killed several times before Brodie returns to help solve this sordid case. Suspense builds gradually in the uncomplicated plot, which at times could use clearer direction with fewer psychological digressions. Bannister's occasional use of Irish slang and syntax may confuse some readers. A tense final scene redeems an overly drawn-out resolution to a disturbing case of mayhem in the wilds of Ulster.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

*Starred Review* Spooky, sinister, and suspenseful, Bannister's latest is a stunning psychological thriller that will keep readers guessing from page one. When Serena Dawes is found brutally murdered, the evidence points to her husband, Robert, as the killer. Serena loved to taunt Robert by having torrid affairs with teenage boys, and the police figure the poor guy finally snapped. But the real tragedy is that, with Serena dead and Robert nowhere to be found, the two young Dawes girls may wind up in foster care. Cop Jack Deacon, in charge of the case, calls on his friend Brodie Farrell, "finder extraordinaire," to track down Serena's sister Constance, who is the most likely candidate to provide a home for the kids. Brodie's friend Daniel is engaged to tutor the girls, and because he has experienced terrible tragedy in his own life, Brodie figures he'll be able to help the girls deal with their heartbreaking situation. But as Deacon investigates, he finds strange inconsistencies, and when Serena's former lover is nearly killed and Brodie and Daniel are locked in a burning building, Deacon knows he is up against more than he bargained for. White-knuckled suspense, startling twists, and a gut-wrenching climax make for an outstanding read. Emily Melton
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 240 pages
• Publisher: Minotaur Books; 1st edition (December 12, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 031231938X
• ISBN-13: 978-0312319380
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.8 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #928,307 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars superb British amateur sleuth tale, November 26, 2003

By 

Harriet Klausner - See all my reviews
(#1 Hall OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Reflections: A Novel of Suspense (Bannister, Jo) (Hardcover)

In the small English town of Dimmock is located the store, "Looking For Something?" owned and operated by Brodie Farrell. She hunts for things that people want but are unable to find. She makes it a practice to never look for people because the one time she did, she almost got somebody killed. When Hugo Daws comes into her place of business asking to locate his sister in law's sister she almost says no, but realizes if she refuses the request, two young children will be taken into foster care.

Their mother was murdered, knifed thirteen times after a fight with her husband and he disappeared. Brodie agrees to help and when Hugo asked if she knows a teacher who can stay with the girls and his wife she recommends her friend Daniel Hood. He accepts since he needs the money and a place to live but that decision will take him to the edge of his own sanity and force him to make a choice no person should have to make.

Jo Bannister is an excellent storyteller, an author who coaxes her audience to take one step beyond their comfort zone. There is a lot of misdirection and false leads in this British amateur sleuth tale so that readers won't catch on to what is really happening until the author chooses to reveal it. REFLECTIONS will appeal to fans of Alfred Hitchcock.

Harriet Klausner

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A world of hurt, October 1, 2005

By 

Judith Lindenau "dulcie22" (Traverse City, MI USA) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Reflections: A Novel of Suspense (Bannister, Jo) (Hardcover)

"Reflections" is an opportunity to use a mystery novel to do just that--reflect. In the case of this Jo Bannister suspense series featuring Brodie Farrell, our reflection is on the nature of evil--real, true, and perverted evil--and on the price of commitment to justice. Bannister's voice in this series is the voice of Daniel Hood, a voice of prophecy not unlike the Biblical Daniel--Hood sees much, and is blessed and tortured with understanding. Even the pragmatic Brodie cannot fathom the evil that Daniel comes to understand and must dramatically act upon in the blazing last scene of this novel. Perhaps you are thinking that I am failing miserably as a reviewer, because I'm not recounting any of the action and I'm not extending a tantalizing commentary on the plot. But it's a tough reading experience, and a hard moment of reflection onces you've read the last words. And when I put the book down, and stared numbly into space, I could only echo the last words of the book:"Finally Brodie sighed brokenly. "Oh, Daniel."

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars a riveting, dark and suspenseful mystery, September 20, 2004

By 

Gypsi Phillips Bates "bilbiophile" (Tennessee) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Reflections: A Novel of Suspense (Bannister, Jo) (Hardcover)

Serena Daws has been brutally stabbed to death and her husband, the prime suspect has disappeared. Their two daughters, fourteen and eleven, had the misfortune to find the body. With their lives in a turmoil, Brodie Farrell has been hired to find their estranged aunt to look after them, until all is settled and they can leave the country to live with their wealthy uncle.

Brodie is a finder of things, not people and is hesitant to take the case. The gravity of the situation coupled with the request from her friend Superintendent Deacon weights the balance and she agrees.

Brodie recommends her other dear friend, Daniel, as a tutor for the girls. They had been homeschooled by their mother and putting them into school seemed to be an unnecessary addition to their shock.

Brodie and Daniel, despite her best intentions, become involved in the investigation and in the lives of the children, especially after the autopsy shows a surprising find. What follows is a riveting suspense story that kept me firmly hooked until the end. I read it over the course of one evening, as every time I thought I could stop, something new occurred to make stopping impossible.

Barrister keeps the reader guessing as she spins a web of confusion, false clues, and facts so obvious as to be obscure. This is no happy-go-lucky mystery; it is an intense, dark, almost shocking tale that leaves the reader questioning events, despite the fact that the mystery was solved.

My only real quibble with this novel is one that only I can remedy: it is the third of a series, with pertinent references to the preceding novels, that left me confused as this was the first one I have read. It wont, however, be the last.