Joe, struggling to survive his job in a high-powered law firm, is faced with the challenge of finding his childhood friend Jenna, who has been missing for four years. But has she disappeared through choice? Or is she under the influence of her husband, the restless troubled Chetwood? For Joe, the search is a matter of duty, but also of conscience - for he introduced them to each other, he was enthralled by them both...Helped by his prickly girlfriend Sarah, Joe manages to find the beautiful, faded Jenna, only to realise too late that he has set some terrible events in motion...
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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'Francis is adept at creating a mood of suspense' - TIMES RETRO
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Book Description
It's harder to search for someone when they're determined not to be found.... Joe, struggling to survive in a high-powered law firm, is faced with the challenge of finding his childhood friend Jenna, who has been missing for four years. But has she disappeared through choice? Or is she under the powerful influence of her husband, the restless troubled Chetwood? For Joe, the search is a matter of duty, but also of conscience - for he introduced them to each other, he was enthralled by them both . . . Helped by his prickly girlfriend Sarah, Joe manages to find the beautiful, faded Jenna, only to realise too late that he has set some terrible events in motion . . .
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
By A Customer
Format:Paperback
I've read several books by Clare Francis, however this isn't one of her best. It took me a while to get into this novel, as it seemed to take so long to get started. Once I had got about a third of the way through, the story seemed to pick up a little and so did my interest. There were several red herrings in the plot, but some of these were somewhat unconvincing and I found the many one-word responses in the characters' dialogues, very annoying. After what seemed to be the 50th "No", "Sure" and "Right" uttered by the central character, I wanted to shake him! I did enjoy this book to a certain extent, but not as much as the other books by this author.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
By D. Thalmann
Format:Paperback
I have read several of this author's books and thoroughly enjoyed them. This one was, however,a great disappointment. A dragging, boring story, which I was tempted to give up on half-way through. Weak characters and a rather unlikely plot made the whole book seem pointless. I usually keep my books in case I have the urge to read them again (which I often do). This one went straight in the bin! Sorry Ms Francis!
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Having very much enjoyed other books by Clare Francis, this one came as something of a disappointment. As with her other books, the pace is slow, but whereas usually she draws you in to the story, she failed to capture my interest this time. The characters were dull which, given the hints she had given as to their pasts, was surprising. There are a number of red herrings throughout which are just about enough to keep the pages turning, but the ludicrous twist at the end made me want to hurl the book across the room!
I'll read Clare Francis again, but I won't be returning to this book.
I'll read Clare Francis again, but I won't be returning to this book.
12 of 14 people found the following review helpful
By A Customer
Format:Hardcover
I received this book for Christmas but had put off reading it.. I am glad I changed my mind because I thouroughly enjoyed it. Yes, the premise is a bit iffy but it is suspenseful and well written..Ms. Francis' other books are far superior as I have just ordered two more. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes a crime novel with an emphasis on plot-suspense and mystery-without the gore and graphic violence many authors of this genre seem to find necessary.
5 of 6 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Unlike some of the other reviewers here I found this book to be faster moving than some of the other Claire Francis books I've read and I found myself enjoying this one much more as a result.
The premise of the plot, i.e. the hunt for the missing Jenna was rather Robert Goddard-like in construction, with the main character, Joe, having to follow clues up and down the country and it was this part of the novel that was most enjoyable.
Certainly I take the criticism that the plot is rather far fetched in places and does take a couple of leaps of logic on behalf of the reader to keep track of things but it is by no means implausible and doesn't detract from the entertainment value of the book.
Where I felt the book was exceptionally good was in the relationship interplay between the characters. The souring love affair between Joe and Sarah was at the start of the book excellently written and really conjured up the correct feelings of melancholy.
All in all, after a couple of disappointments with other Claire Francis books, this one has decided me to try some of her others.
24 of 30 people found the following review helpful
By A Customer
Format:Hardcover
I enjoyed earlier books by this author, but this one is truly disappointing. A very weak story with implausible, poorly developed characters. The book does not succeed to hold the reader's interest, the dialogues are predictable and unimaginative. The story does not suceed to create any suspense. Really, don't waste your money on this one!
Format:Paperback
The plot starts when Joe, a lawyer struggling to hold his job in a high-powered legal firm, receives a phone call from the father of a childhood friend Jenna, who disappeared four years previously with her husband, a rather mysterious character called Chetwood. Her father has received a card that he believes was sent by Jenna and he wants Joe to find her. The rest of the book is how Joe, with the help of his lawyer lover Sarah, tracks down Jenna and Chetwood. This proves to be remarkably easy, despite several false trails and distractions involving, for example, interactions with Jenna's brother and Chetwood's father, both equally unlikeable. Joe tries to unravels why the couple have chosen to isolate themselves in a remote Welsh cottage, but he is only partially successful until tragedy strikes and details are revealed about the death of a sensitive young man called Sam some years earlier. Up to this point, it is all fairly predictable, and the various interactions of the characters rather dull, but in the final pages Joe realizes the true role of Sarah, which to me was totally unpredictable and to some extent redeemed the novel.
By Mr. Ross Maynard
VINE™ VOICE
Format:Paperback
I recently read Ms Francis' "A Dark Devotion" and very much enjoyed it. Reading this book gave me "déjà vue". Both books have a similar premise - a lawyer; a missing woman; a love that was lost. And, while the plots differ, both feature rather similar characteristics - uneasy relationships; overwrought male characters; and underlying secrets.
Ms Francis writes well and I kept going to find out what those underlying secrets were - unfortunately they turn out to be rather uninteresting. The first half of the book is fairly slow, but it ramps up the tension for the second half as things come out of the woodwork and the accusations fly. Actually I though our "hero" found the missing woman rather easily, and all we are left with are the competing accusations. Who is afraid of who? And why?. What did happen four years ago? Is finding out going to annoy me? In the end it did annoy me. The twist is very clever and (for me) unexpected, but the book closes on a very flat note that really got my blood boiling. Is that it? Is that the secret behind this carefully crafted mystery? Not good enough I'm afraid.
In all then, if you have read "A Dark Devotion" you might want to give this one a miss as it will disappoint compared to that novel. If you haven't read "A Dark Devotion", then this is well written, but just a bit "run of the mill". It has slightly put me off Ms Francis - I don't want to read another variation on the same themes with a disappointing ending.
Ms Francis writes well and I kept going to find out what those underlying secrets were - unfortunately they turn out to be rather uninteresting. The first half of the book is fairly slow, but it ramps up the tension for the second half as things come out of the woodwork and the accusations fly. Actually I though our "hero" found the missing woman rather easily, and all we are left with are the competing accusations. Who is afraid of who? And why?. What did happen four years ago? Is finding out going to annoy me? In the end it did annoy me. The twist is very clever and (for me) unexpected, but the book closes on a very flat note that really got my blood boiling. Is that it? Is that the secret behind this carefully crafted mystery? Not good enough I'm afraid.
In all then, if you have read "A Dark Devotion" you might want to give this one a miss as it will disappoint compared to that novel. If you haven't read "A Dark Devotion", then this is well written, but just a bit "run of the mill". It has slightly put me off Ms Francis - I don't want to read another variation on the same themes with a disappointing ending.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
1.0 out of 5 stars
Unbelievable dialogue, unbelievable plot, unbelievable bore
So the protagonist is a lawyer. Why? It doesn't do anything for the plot. All through you're begging him to make some use of his professional expertise - but he's probably "the... Read more
Published on 24 April 2010 by Matt Westwood
1.0 out of 5 stars
A Death Divided- Claire Francis
I was so disappointed in this book. I have read many of her books but felt this one was written in a hurry based on a poor story line. Read more
Published on 22 Aug 2009 by Mrs. Sarah Hill
1.0 out of 5 stars
Good depiction of bleak life in Britain
Clare Francis paints a good portrait of what it's like to live in 21st century UK - the vandalism and crime, the workaholic culture, the drudgery and bleakness of it at times. Read more
Published on 6 Jan 2009 by Diane of Glasgow
4.0 out of 5 stars
A thriller well written and well read.
A house belongs to Jenna and her brother is to be sold. There is a document to be signed. The problem is: Jenna has been missing for four years. Read more
Published on 15 Feb 2002 by lorna96
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