Book Reviews : Hurting Distance

I have just put this book down and was so impressed that I felt compelled to promote it! It’s been a while since I’ve read such an original, disturbing, and superbly choreographed psychological thriller. The character development is brilliant, with ‘baddies’ who are chillingly understated, and ‘goodies’ who are, quite frankly, a bit of a mess! You would be too if you’d been in their shoes! The complexity of the plot makes the book fascinating and difficult to put down, as you’re constantly wondering where it will take you next. I’m usually quite good at guessing the ending, however I couldn’t see through this one! Even if you got the main thread there are so many layers to the story that the fallout was just as interesting. I also found the concept that created the title thought-provoking… you’ll have to read the book to find out why.

The story starts with a survivor’s story on a rape web site, a survivor’s story with a difference! Fundamentally it is about a vulnerable woman being deceived by a truly evil man with motives that are unbelievably warped. The character Naomi is cleverly developed, as she isn’t that likeable and it’s hard to find sympathy for her until you realise the full extent of what’s happened to her. There is a great twist involving one of the main police characters too, one that leaves her reeling and demonstrates how people in authority can be just as vulnerable as the rest of us.