In much the same way that I've admitted my loyalty to Mark Billingham, I shall do the same here; I am an ardent fan of Sharon (or S.J.) Bolton's writing. Daisy In Chains was no exception; in fact, dare I say it, I think it's probably her best one to date.
I was totally sucked in from the very first letter by Hamish; musing to myself about what a poetical murderer he was - with letters like those no wonder hundreds of people were writing to him in the hope of a response!
Hamish did in turn both enthral and scare me. I wasn't quite sure which emotion was going to win out at each of his appearances in the book, whether he was going to show his charm or the quite chilling coldness which he was capable of.
Initially I found Maggie Rose quite rude and almost verging on the unlikeable; quite a feat considering her debut was rescuing Daisy! Once I put aside her seeming belief that anyone over a size 14 is fat, I actually warmed to her a lot. I liked her feistiness and her apparent inability to appear in any way defenceless or intimidated. The ill-fated friendship that she was building up with DS Pete Weston meant that she managed to show a softer, more accessible version of herself.
Sharon Bolton writes so evocatively about the surroundings that a simple, almost snapshot picture of the area is planted, this enables the events to unfold achingly realistically and organically. It does feel like this is all being played out on your own doorstep.
Obviously I don't like reviews, or even quotes, that give the game away. I mean where is the fun in spoiling it for others? It's like logging on to the internet the day after you've missed the last episode of your favourite TV show, and there's the blooming ending or result - it's infuriating. Anyway, all I shall say is, I was totally hoodwinked regarding the plot of Daisy In Chains - it's glorious.
I feel like every word of this book was carefully measured and considered before it made it through to the final cut. It was like I was taken by a lead and was teased and played with along the way, never maliciously just so I enjoyed the walk more.
The prison felt as claustrophobic as the drains at the start, and each character revealed in the novel felt like they had their own important role to play. Nothing and no-one was wasted.
So where next for Sharon Bolton? It feels like she's reached some sort of heady heights with this book, I'm very excited to see what she offers us next.
Daisy In Chains is a terrific read. For her loyal fans it's a must-have, and for newcomers to this excellent writer, what a brilliant place to start.
