Standing in the Shadows (A Laura Principal Investigation) [Import] [Paperback]

Michelle Spring (Author)

Product Details

• Paperback: 312 pages
• Publisher: Orion (January 19, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0752804502
• ISBN-13: 978-0752804507
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.3 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars CHILD'S PLAY, February 19, 2003

By 

Michael Butts (Berkeley Springs, WV USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Standing in the Shadows (Mass Market Paperback)

This is my first Michelle Spring novel, and it is a very well-done effort. It's heavily "British" in its pacing and characterizations, but Spring's prose has verve and bite, sprinkled with some humorous moments as well. Little Darryl - did he really kill his foster mother so viciously? He says he did, and so he's been incarcerated for two years. His older brother approaches PI Laura Principal to find out not if his little brother did the deed, but WHY? Laura's fascination and dedication involve her in some dark family secrets and some other interesting characters. Principal is a fresh heroine, one with a heart and a sense of commitment. The villain is a surprise in some ways and the rationale in its solution quite believable. A good book; will definitely try the remaining ones in the series.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Sensitive handling of a difficult subject, March 31, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Standing in the Shadows (Mass Market Paperback)

Crimes committed by children are a subject we all naturally find disturbing, but this latest instalment in Michelle Spring's Laura Principal series handles the topic with sensitivity, care and real empathy. There is nothing sensationalistic or superficial about this book, and as with the rest of the series, even minor characters emerge as real, well-rounded people. You find yourself guessing - did Daryll do it? Why did he do it? If not him, then who else might have done it and why? As with human nature, nothing is as simple as it appears on the surface, but you are kept in suspense as the plot is tightly controlled and elegantly resolved. My favorite in a series that just gets better and better.