Innocence: A Novel

by Karen Novak

When private investigator Leslie Stone's own thirteen-year-old daughter, Molly, attempts to hire her to find a vanished friend, the case stirs memories of one from Leslie's own troubled childhood: a series of abductions of girls who became known as the Nightingales. Five eighth-grade boys are being charged with assaulting Molly's friend. But even as their small town erupts in anger and calls for justice, Molly insists that the boys are innocent, and takes the stand to testify on their behalf.

Leslie's investigations show that although Molly may be right, someone is guilty. As the case draws her own secret knowledge of the Nightingales' history toward the light, she is left uncertain of every instinct except the one that demands she protect her child- even if she has to betray her own childhood by telling everything.

Genres: Mystery, Fiction

320 pages, Paperback

First published June 12, 2003

Reviews

[Laurel · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was fascinating and written in a very clever format with two different plots going on simultaneously. One plot involves the possible sexual assault of a young girl whose friend's mother used to be a cop and now is a private investigator. This plot is told from the point of view of various members involved and affected by the incident.

The other plot, which is told in reverse chronology, involves rapes of children that happened when the private investigator was a young girl and whose father, sheriff at the time, unsuccessfully tried to catch the rapist.

You have to pay attention to this complex book with many twists, turns, and surprises and it is best read without too many interruptions.

Only complaint I have is the amount of typos, especially in one section of the book!

[Dorothy · Rating 3 out of 5]

In the last quarter of the book, the main character has a lot of internal 'oh!' moments and realizations. As the reader follows her reaction, we know that she's figured out everything about what occurred here. The problem is that the reader doesn't actually reside in the Leslie Stone's head. All of these stunning things she's realized don't come all the way together for us because they aren't sufficiently assembled by our narrator. The result is that the end seems rather anti-climactic and disappointing. The monster hasn't been captured because the reader isn't entirely sure what all the monstrosities were in the first place.

[Stacy K B · Rating 4 out of 5]

Once I started reading I fell right back into the lives of Leslie Stone, her husband Greg and their daughters.
The second novel by Karen Novak, is again, a Leslie Stone novel (a female (ex)cop and now PI). In this story Leslie is hired by her eldest daughter, Molly, to help find her friend Lydia.

I do not want to give away any of the story, as it twists and turns, jumps and dives.
A great follow to Five Mile House!!

4 out of 5

[BookAddict · Rating 5 out of 5]

Karen Novak's stories are heartbreaking and uplifting at the same time.

[Taylor · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not a great story, in my opinion, but not horrible by any means either. The crimes it depicts are thought provoking to say the least, and, though it's a bit difficult to connect with the narrator at first, her perspective and emotional distance are all the more real for it.

[Lorraine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Leslie Stone, who was introduced as a character in Five Mile House, has a problem: an adolescent daughter who knows that her mother is a damn good private detective with "special" powers that no one is supposed to know about. So, when one of Molly Stone's classmates goes missing after a summer party gone awry, Molly shows up at Leslie's office and offers to hire her mother to find the troubled young woman who has her own secrets.

Leslie is the daughter of a cop, and twenty years before, she had watched as her father had been thwarted by a serial rapist who had kidnapped and raped several of Leslie's classmates. The girl who is missing now--the one Molly wants her mom to find--is related to one of the previous victims--and as Leslie investigates the new crime, the past comes spiraling back at her.

Novak does a fabulous job with structure in this novel. It at once spirals forward into the present, and backward into the past, and readers will enjoy the way the author has played with time. And for those who love a good mystery, this is one of the best.

[Meredith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another page turner. There is something about this series, almost like a train wreck, you don't want to look but you can't help yourself. The Leslie Stone books keep you on your feet and keep you guessing. While so many novels these days are so predictable, her books are more of a "never saw it coming". I think my family dislikes me a little when I am reading one of her books as I won't put it down and simply can not be bothered when reading a Karen Novak book.

Excellent follow up to Five Mile House.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Like Five Mile House, I found Innocence to be similar to Gone Girl with twists and turns that I just didn't see coming. What I didn't like about this one was the cliffhanger ending. While creepy, I wasn't sure exactly where Novak was going with ending the novel in the way that she did. I would have liked another chapter to tie it together just a bit more.

[Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

Psychological thriller!

[Annie · Rating 4 out of 5]

was so-so..liked others better

[Ammer13]

good mystery

[Megan Walker · Rating 4 out of 5]

Did not like the ending. Left me very confused

[Diane Godbold · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lots of twists, two mysteries, connected in the main character's mind, unraveling at the same time. Somewhat confusing ending - did I miss something?