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Product Description
Amazon.co.uk Review
La Plante has achieved considerable success with a canny balancing act between genres. Initially, her thrillers may appear to be simple, non-reflective blockbusters with strong women characters, but she is a far more subtle writer than this might initially suggest. It takes real skill to produce popular writing as sophisticated as this, however pungent the narratives might seem. The central character in Sleeping Cruelty represents a departure for her. Sir William Benedict is enjoying all the glittering prizes that his wealth and position have granted him. Relishing his reputation as a self-made man (with his own island in the Caribbean), he is particularly keen that his political protégé Andrew Maynard should succeed, and he has been bankrolling Maynard's campaign heavily. But Maynard, who was gay, commits suicide, and Benedict soon finds his reputation falling apart as swiftly as his ordered world. The hellish existence he finds himself in is rendered even more painful by the people who were closest to him. But Benedict is marshalling his forces, and begins to dream of an uncompromising revenge.
In such books as The Legacy, Bella Mafia and Cold Blood, La Plante demonstrated a sure grasp in her delineation of larger-than-life characters. But she has replaced her powerful female protagonists with a richly drawn anti-hero in Benedict. The details of his lifestyle and the cold-blooded betrayals by his nearest and dearest are handled in the usual confident fashion, but it's the characterisation of Benedict that really grips the attention. Initial fears that that he may be a broadly-drawn, one-dimensional creation are quickly allayed, and the reader is cast adrift when La Plante pulls off her principal coup: thoroughly involving us in Benedict's highly dubious activities. --Barry Forshaw --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Product Description
LYNDA LA PLANTE'S FANTASTIC NEW NOVEL OF POLITICS. SCANDAL AND AN ISLAND PARADISE...Fabulously wealthy entrepreneur Sir William Benedict has always dreamed of being accepted amongst society's elite, despite his working class roots. When fast-rising Tory MP Andrew Maynard enters his life, William suddenly finds that he has gained the social status that he has always craved. But when a political scandal erupts around him, William is shunned by the socialites he once called friends, and his reputation is left in tatters. Now the worm is ready to turn...With the help of the wild and enigmatic Justin Chalmers and his exquisite yet reclusive sister Laura, William's island paradise will become the scene of his revenge.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
10 of 10 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Having enjoyed LaPlante's Trial and Retribution TV dramas, I thought I'd give one of her novels a try. I must have chosen the wrong one, for I found Sleeping Cruelty thoroughly disappointing. While the characters are complex and intriguing, they do not come across as realistic, more creations to serve the plot. As for the plot itself, it just about hangs together but it's pretty implausible. Even allowing for that, the story's progression and character reactions are a lot more predictable than T&R. Where were the surprises, the twists, the subtle observations of human behaviour we can all relate to? I persevered to the end because I lived in hope that I would be rewarded for my patience. But I wasn't. If this book hadn't had LLP's name on it, I'd have closed it long before the final page
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
i only just finished reading this book and it had kept me gripped from start to finish. i have read several of her other books and loved cold shoulder, cold blood, cold heart and bella mafia. the storyline of this book is brilliant with only the start being slight hard going (only interesting if ur into ur politics which i unfortunately am not). the characters fascinated me with their lack of any morals and it is hard to decide whether you love or hate them (especially justin and laura). It is pretty hard to relate to any of these characters but in a way that makes the book more interesting.the ending disappointed me slightly as i feel some of the stuff was left unresolved but on the whole this book is fascinating if somewhat disturbing. if you love the other la plante stuff then i would definetly recommend this book and also read all the "cold...." books as lorraine page is a super character!
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Mercifully, the style of this book is easy to read and unpretentious, and the pace and structure of the plot builds seamlessly and enticingly to a gripping finale. The main characters are developed in depth and you do start to think/feel as they do - my only criticism is that just about everyone in the book has some squalid little secret, past demeanour or psychotic tendancy that is just waiting to be exposed, the overlaps just a bit too conicidental - it was all just too unrealistic, just a bit too far fetched, but I still couldn't wait to see what happened at the end!
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
A bit far fetched
read this novel on holiday a few days back.
have never read any La Plante works or seen much of her tv work so read this without having to "judge it " against any other... Read more
have never read any La Plante works or seen much of her tv work so read this without having to "judge it " against any other... Read more
Published 20 months ago by Mr. D. R. Holding
Variable quality
Some of the writing in this book is 5 star and some 1 star. One accepts that thriller/crime books are usually unrealistic and this story is no exception. Read more
Published on 7 Mar 2009 by Bluebell
cracking thriller !!!
I enjoyed this book it was a good old fashioned thriller and kept me guessing to the last page - bit of a shmaltzy ending though -would have liked it to have been left... Read more
Published on 16 Aug 2008 by kermit 333
Sleeping Cruelty....more like cruel reading.
Having been disappointed with Royal Flush.I thought I wouldn't write the author off but would try again. This was a mistake. This book repeats the mistake of the other. Read more
Published on 21 Jan 2008 by owen63
Excellent Read
What you have to remember is this is going to be nothing like Trial and Retribution or Prime Suspect or anything else in that genre, so if you're expecting this book to be like... Read more
Published on 4 Jan 2008 by Mrs Donna Bennett
Very Disappointing
I have been a fan of Lynda La Plante for some time and was really looking forward to reading this book. Read more
Published on 21 April 2007 by S. E. Sewell
Sleeping Cruelty
I totally disagree with the last review. This book was gripping and I couldn't put the book down.
Published on 25 Nov 2003
Politics, Money, Sex, Dream...and more
This is the first book I have read by Lynda La Plante. It opened a whole new world for me. It led me to understand different concepts and today I am eating my way trough more of... Read more
Published on 4 Nov 2003 by Alexis Callus
Extremely disappointing
I have read and enjoyed many of Lynda La Plante`s previous books, but I found this book very disappointing in comparison. Read more
Published on 11 Jan 2003
A spine chilling thriller from the queen of spine chillers.
After The Governor, Prime Suspect, and Trial and Retribution series, all of which were televised, this latest work is more gruesome. Read more
Published on 2 Oct 2001
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