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The Girl in the Box
Caitlin Shaughnessy, a Canadian journalist, discovers that Inez, a traumatized young Mayan woman originally from Guatemala, has killed Caitlin's psychoanalyst partner, Dr. Jerry Simpson. Simpson brought the girl, who may be autistic, back to Canada as an act of mercy and to attempt to treat her obvious trauma. Cailin desperately needs to find out why this terrible incident occurred so she can find the strength to forgive and move on with her life.
Inez, whose sense of wonder and innocence touches all who meet her, becomes a focal point for many of the Canadians who encounter her. As Caitlin struggles to uncover the truth about Inez's relationship with Jerry, Inez struggles to break free of the projections of others. Each must confront her own anger and despair. The doctors in the north have an iciness that matches their surroundings, a kind of clinical armour that Caitlin must penetrate if she is to reach Inez.
The Girl in the Box is a psychological drama of the highest order and a gripping tale of intrigue and passion.
Inez, whose sense of wonder and innocence touches all who meet her, becomes a focal point for many of the Canadians who encounter her. As Caitlin struggles to uncover the truth about Inez's relationship with Jerry, Inez struggles to break free of the projections of others. Each must confront her own anger and despair. The doctors in the north have an iciness that matches their surroundings, a kind of clinical armour that Caitlin must penetrate if she is to reach Inez.
The Girl in the Box is a psychological drama of the highest order and a gripping tale of intrigue and passion.
384 pages, Paperback
Published December 23, 2011
5 people are currently reading
362 people want to read
About the author
Sheila Dalton
16 books46 followersI love to read more than I love to write, but I love both. I was born in England, but have lived in Canada, with small breaks, since I was six.
I currently live in Newmarket, a town near Toronto, Ontario, where I spend my days gardening, meditating, taking care of two cats, cooking (I love to cook)and cooking up stories!
I've worked as a barmaid in England, an art gallery assistant, a freelance editor and writer, and a reference librarian in Toronto. I had a wild and woolly youth, but I was married to the same man for thirty-five years, before his untimely and sudden death in 2012. I still miss him.
Behaving myself has not always been easy.
I've spent many years studying and practising Vipassana (Insight) Meditation, which has taken me places I would never have dreamed existed.
I've traveled to France, lived and studied in England, spent time in Latin America and Morocco. Travel is where many of my story ideas come from.
My husband was half Cree, and was the inspiration for my YA mystery, Trial by Fire.
I don't know what else to tell you about me. Oh, yes, I studied English Language and Literature at the University of Toronto and the University of London,England, and I love to sing and dance.
I currently live in Newmarket, a town near Toronto, Ontario, where I spend my days gardening, meditating, taking care of two cats, cooking (I love to cook)and cooking up stories!
I've worked as a barmaid in England, an art gallery assistant, a freelance editor and writer, and a reference librarian in Toronto. I had a wild and woolly youth, but I was married to the same man for thirty-five years, before his untimely and sudden death in 2012. I still miss him.
Behaving myself has not always been easy.
I've spent many years studying and practising Vipassana (Insight) Meditation, which has taken me places I would never have dreamed existed.
I've traveled to France, lived and studied in England, spent time in Latin America and Morocco. Travel is where many of my story ideas come from.
My husband was half Cree, and was the inspiration for my YA mystery, Trial by Fire.
I don't know what else to tell you about me. Oh, yes, I studied English Language and Literature at the University of Toronto and the University of London,England, and I love to sing and dance.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 40 reviews
February 24, 2012
LOVED IT!!!! I had no idea what this book was going to be about when I started. (which is often a fun way to read a good book or go see a good movie). To not know 'anything' about the topic before reading this ---was an ADDED pleasure!!!!
.... I just knew I wanted to read Sheila's book. It was a 'page-turner'. I liked the blend of each of the characters. This was a book that while reading it ---I had so many clear 'visuals' ---
What do *YOU* think of when you think of "A GIRL in a BOX"??? huh????? (and cute cover on the book). I read this story on my kindle ---so I didn't see any other reviews about our BOX girl ----so what did I think....before I started reading this book???----
NOT what I read. This book was much more sophisticated than I had thought it was going to be.
GREAT SURPRISE! (enjoyed the characters --enjoyed the story)!
.... I just knew I wanted to read Sheila's book. It was a 'page-turner'. I liked the blend of each of the characters. This was a book that while reading it ---I had so many clear 'visuals' ---
What do *YOU* think of when you think of "A GIRL in a BOX"??? huh????? (and cute cover on the book). I read this story on my kindle ---so I didn't see any other reviews about our BOX girl ----so what did I think....before I started reading this book???----
NOT what I read. This book was much more sophisticated than I had thought it was going to be.
GREAT SURPRISE! (enjoyed the characters --enjoyed the story)!
August 23, 2011
A psychoanalyst visiting Guatemala accepts a desperate plea to visit the makeshift shelter of a native couple. In broken Spanish, the man and woman beg for help for a girl they say is their daughter.
When Jerry Simpson arrives, he finds Inez locked inside a windowless shed no larger than a box and tethered to a chain. She appears autistic. She is semi-feral. She likely was abused by Marxist guerrillas and government soldiers who are fighting in the hills. And she is mute.
The couple also believe Inez is cursed.
Jerry brings Inez to Canada with him and begins treatment. Four months later, Jerry’s long-time lover, journalist Caitlin Shaughnessy, receives a call. Jerry has been murdered, and Inez was found covered in his blood.
In a gripping series of flashbacks, Sheila Dalton’s The Girl in the Box takes readers on a twisting journey of drama and psychological mystery as Caitlin seeks to understand how Jerry was killed—and why.
With a well-researched, fast-paced plot and powerful descriptions, Dalton deftly weaves Guatemalan customs and shamanism with glimpses into the inner workings of the human mind. Readers will be as compelled as Caitlin to discover the mystery that is Inez.
Complex, fascinating, subtle and intensely emotional, this is a book that, like Patricia McCormick’s Sold, will profoundly impact its readers.
When Jerry Simpson arrives, he finds Inez locked inside a windowless shed no larger than a box and tethered to a chain. She appears autistic. She is semi-feral. She likely was abused by Marxist guerrillas and government soldiers who are fighting in the hills. And she is mute.
The couple also believe Inez is cursed.
Jerry brings Inez to Canada with him and begins treatment. Four months later, Jerry’s long-time lover, journalist Caitlin Shaughnessy, receives a call. Jerry has been murdered, and Inez was found covered in his blood.
In a gripping series of flashbacks, Sheila Dalton’s The Girl in the Box takes readers on a twisting journey of drama and psychological mystery as Caitlin seeks to understand how Jerry was killed—and why.
With a well-researched, fast-paced plot and powerful descriptions, Dalton deftly weaves Guatemalan customs and shamanism with glimpses into the inner workings of the human mind. Readers will be as compelled as Caitlin to discover the mystery that is Inez.
Complex, fascinating, subtle and intensely emotional, this is a book that, like Patricia McCormick’s Sold, will profoundly impact its readers.
March 26, 2013
Sheila Dalton’s novel, The Girl in the Box, begins as Jeremy (Jerry) Simpson, a somewhat idealistic, Canadian psychoanalyst in his early forties, visits civil war torn Guatemala in the early 1980’s on a quest to research psychogenic drugs used by Mayan Shamans. By chance, he is led to a severely abused, mute, quasi- autistic, young Mayan woman, Inez, chained in a box in the jungle. Inez’s parents are refugees in the jungle trying to avoid massacre by the government and manipulation from the guerillas. Jerry’s heart goes out to the beautiful but tortured young woman. When her parents ask him to take her back to Canada with him, he does.
Jerry’s long-term love interest, Caitlin Shaughnessy, a free-lance, investigative reporter, apprehensively supports Jerry’s decision. Caitlin and Jerry maintain separate residences. Inez lives with Jerry who hires a psychiatric nurse to help manage Inez until a proper long-term treatment facility can be found. Inez is an enigma, displaying emotions from pure love to intense anger and rage. Caitlin becomes concerned. One morning Jerry is found dead in his library. Inez, covered in blood, is seated beside him.
The crux of the novel is Dalton’s superb character development of Caitlin. This is literary fiction at its finest. I am a big fan of using the first person point of view in character development—Dalton is a master at this. So profound was the introspection upon which Caitlin embarked to solve the mysteries surrounding her lover’s murder, that I found myself developing a deep empathy for her. I even began musing about points in my life where I had to make similar decisions about myself. Dalton uses third person for all the other characters, focusing mainly on Jerry’s character development. The choice of third person for Jerry somehow makes him more remote than Caitlin, restricting my empathy towards him.
Dalton has a gift with words, managing to arrange them in breath-taking sentences: “Blood and the sun were the pattern of her days and nights; pain and despair, interrupted by beauty—the soft pull of the scarlet sun; islands of cloud punctuating the run-on blue of the sky; huge scarlet blooms gashing the old wooden fences, brick walls mad with colour, and shadows, like black hands, moving.” Although her dialogue is vivid and believable, I found myself craving for more of her beautiful narrative descriptions. In Dalton’s case, less is most definitely not better when it comes to narrative, and I hope she provides us with a plethora of beautiful images in future novels.
The plot of the mystery was believable, but not complicated. Mystery readers probably would like a bit more challenge. I was a bit disappointed that the bad guy was a predictable dandy and a wimp. Nevertheless, this novel is not meant to be a production-type mystery-vacation read. The Girl in the Box is a true examination of the human heart and Dalton delivers it brilliantly.
Jerry’s long-term love interest, Caitlin Shaughnessy, a free-lance, investigative reporter, apprehensively supports Jerry’s decision. Caitlin and Jerry maintain separate residences. Inez lives with Jerry who hires a psychiatric nurse to help manage Inez until a proper long-term treatment facility can be found. Inez is an enigma, displaying emotions from pure love to intense anger and rage. Caitlin becomes concerned. One morning Jerry is found dead in his library. Inez, covered in blood, is seated beside him.
The crux of the novel is Dalton’s superb character development of Caitlin. This is literary fiction at its finest. I am a big fan of using the first person point of view in character development—Dalton is a master at this. So profound was the introspection upon which Caitlin embarked to solve the mysteries surrounding her lover’s murder, that I found myself developing a deep empathy for her. I even began musing about points in my life where I had to make similar decisions about myself. Dalton uses third person for all the other characters, focusing mainly on Jerry’s character development. The choice of third person for Jerry somehow makes him more remote than Caitlin, restricting my empathy towards him.
Dalton has a gift with words, managing to arrange them in breath-taking sentences: “Blood and the sun were the pattern of her days and nights; pain and despair, interrupted by beauty—the soft pull of the scarlet sun; islands of cloud punctuating the run-on blue of the sky; huge scarlet blooms gashing the old wooden fences, brick walls mad with colour, and shadows, like black hands, moving.” Although her dialogue is vivid and believable, I found myself craving for more of her beautiful narrative descriptions. In Dalton’s case, less is most definitely not better when it comes to narrative, and I hope she provides us with a plethora of beautiful images in future novels.
The plot of the mystery was believable, but not complicated. Mystery readers probably would like a bit more challenge. I was a bit disappointed that the bad guy was a predictable dandy and a wimp. Nevertheless, this novel is not meant to be a production-type mystery-vacation read. The Girl in the Box is a true examination of the human heart and Dalton delivers it brilliantly.
April 21, 2013
With a compelling premise and an electric start, Shelia Dalton’s The Girl in the Box, is a great read. Dalton skillfully examines the complexities of perception as her protagonist embarks on a journey for the truth about her husband’s death. As insightful as thrilling, Dalton’s smooth writing made this a one-sitting read.
September 11, 2011
Amidst the war and genocide in the jungles of Guatemala, a visiting Psychoanalyst discovers a young teen chained inside a wooden box. The girl is mute and appears to be mentally damaged. After the pleas of her parents to take her with him, Dr. Jerry Simpson takes the girl back to his home in Canada. Enlisting the help of his close friends and colleagues, he attempts to unlock the mystery of her past.
When the doctor is later found murdered by the girl, Jerry's long- time friend and lover, Caitlin, sets out to find out why it happened and what went wrong.
I found this book to be very well researched, as evidenced by the author's thorough knowledge of the mental health community and the vivid descriptions of the settings used in the book. The question of "why" will keep you turning the pages in this well-written psychological mystery.
When the doctor is later found murdered by the girl, Jerry's long- time friend and lover, Caitlin, sets out to find out why it happened and what went wrong.
I found this book to be very well researched, as evidenced by the author's thorough knowledge of the mental health community and the vivid descriptions of the settings used in the book. The question of "why" will keep you turning the pages in this well-written psychological mystery.
August 15, 2012
I really liked this book. It is quite unusual, featuring both an exotic setting [Guatemala and later northern Labrador] and a familiar one [Toronto] with the titular character who is mute, because of past trauma, perhaps exacerbated by mental illness. It's a mystery, but a whydunnit, rather than a whodunnit. Jerry Simpson is a psychoanalyst who is murdered (not a spoiler, it's the first line of chapter 2) by the young woman he has rescued from the box. The book is mostly told from the point of view of his girlfriend, who struggles to understand why it happened.
October 18, 2011
When psychoanalyst Jerry Simpson rescues a young girl from an abusive existence and takes her home with him to Canada it soon becomes apparent that the girl is suffering from more than trauma. She is mute, locked in an autistic world that Jerry and his colleagues find impossible to infiltrate. They quickly stop seeing her as a fascinating case study and fall beneath the spell of her child like innocence. But when Inez is found leaning over Jerry Simpson’s dead body and is accused of his murder, Jerry’s partner, Caitlin, is motivated to discover not who killed him but why he was killed. Caitlin is forced to confront and overcome uncomfortable suspicion, damaged trust and inner emotional conflict to penetrate Inez’ psyche to discover why her lover died.
When I began to read this book I had no idea what to expect. It is not my genre of choice and I am unfamiliar with both the setting and the psychological problems that Inez suffers. As a consequence it was a real adventure for me; a journey into a world that I soon found totally absorbing and it was immediately apparent that I was in very capable hands.
The Girl in a Box is an intelligent read. I don’t usually enjoy flashbacks but here they serve to illustrate the perplexed state of Caitlin’s mind. Sheila Dalton’s characters are fascinatingly complex and interact so naturally that you forget you are reading a book at all. The narrative is beautiful, her descriptions delicately evocative yet she never shies away from the truth of any situation. The violence is harsh, the love making sensuous and at times the narrative is uncompromising but what makes it wonderful for me is the way Sheila reveals Caitlin and Inez’s inner trauma. Their pain is understated, the scenes lightly but powerfully written providing total credibility and heightening the stunning impact of the final chapters.
I highly recommend this book whether you enjoy psychological drama or not. The characters linger long after the turn of the final page. Like people that you have met once and may never meet again, you worry about them and wonder how they are. This is not a book that you will want to give away, put it on your book shelf and read it again and again.
When I began to read this book I had no idea what to expect. It is not my genre of choice and I am unfamiliar with both the setting and the psychological problems that Inez suffers. As a consequence it was a real adventure for me; a journey into a world that I soon found totally absorbing and it was immediately apparent that I was in very capable hands.
The Girl in a Box is an intelligent read. I don’t usually enjoy flashbacks but here they serve to illustrate the perplexed state of Caitlin’s mind. Sheila Dalton’s characters are fascinatingly complex and interact so naturally that you forget you are reading a book at all. The narrative is beautiful, her descriptions delicately evocative yet she never shies away from the truth of any situation. The violence is harsh, the love making sensuous and at times the narrative is uncompromising but what makes it wonderful for me is the way Sheila reveals Caitlin and Inez’s inner trauma. Their pain is understated, the scenes lightly but powerfully written providing total credibility and heightening the stunning impact of the final chapters.
I highly recommend this book whether you enjoy psychological drama or not. The characters linger long after the turn of the final page. Like people that you have met once and may never meet again, you worry about them and wonder how they are. This is not a book that you will want to give away, put it on your book shelf and read it again and again.
March 26, 2012
Originally reviewed at Christa's Hooked on Books
The Girl in the Box was a book that wasn't even on my radar before I was contacted by the author. But the promise of mystery, references to Guatemala and a mostly Canadian setting, made me sit up and pay attention.
Dropping you right into the heat of Guatemala, Sheila Dalton proves from the first few pages that she has an incredible eye for detail. The story moves around to a number of diverse locations, but Dalton handles them all beautifully, adding in small details which really enhance the imagery. From the sweltering heat of Guatemala, to the frozen wasteland of Northern Newfoundland, I constantly found myself being sucked into her settings.
I also found the mystery within The Girl in the Box to be well plotted and paced. I felt the same level of adrenaline pretty much from beginning to end. I was also in a pretty solid state of suspense for most of the book. I had no idea what to come or what the answer to the big mystery would be. Despite the fact that I am constantly guessing what the ending will be when I read a mystery I don't really want to know. I like the surprise at the end and so I was happy to find this book quite unpredictable.
Finally, I want to mention this book is told from multiple points of view and the story doesn't move along in an exact linear time line. I felt this was a gutsy move to use this method but it definitely paid off. The shifting timeline helped add to the suspense and the multiple POVs allowed for a really well rounded story, where very little was left up in the air. Yay for no loose ends!
I get ridiculously happy when I can recommend Canadian fiction. What can I say? I'm a proud Canadian. I know that we've got some AMAZING writers here and I love being able to share that knowledge with the world. The Girl in the Box has definitely been added to my list of great Canadian fiction and I will definitely be reading more work from Sheila Dalton in the future.
The Girl in the Box was a book that wasn't even on my radar before I was contacted by the author. But the promise of mystery, references to Guatemala and a mostly Canadian setting, made me sit up and pay attention.
Dropping you right into the heat of Guatemala, Sheila Dalton proves from the first few pages that she has an incredible eye for detail. The story moves around to a number of diverse locations, but Dalton handles them all beautifully, adding in small details which really enhance the imagery. From the sweltering heat of Guatemala, to the frozen wasteland of Northern Newfoundland, I constantly found myself being sucked into her settings.
I also found the mystery within The Girl in the Box to be well plotted and paced. I felt the same level of adrenaline pretty much from beginning to end. I was also in a pretty solid state of suspense for most of the book. I had no idea what to come or what the answer to the big mystery would be. Despite the fact that I am constantly guessing what the ending will be when I read a mystery I don't really want to know. I like the surprise at the end and so I was happy to find this book quite unpredictable.
Finally, I want to mention this book is told from multiple points of view and the story doesn't move along in an exact linear time line. I felt this was a gutsy move to use this method but it definitely paid off. The shifting timeline helped add to the suspense and the multiple POVs allowed for a really well rounded story, where very little was left up in the air. Yay for no loose ends!
I get ridiculously happy when I can recommend Canadian fiction. What can I say? I'm a proud Canadian. I know that we've got some AMAZING writers here and I love being able to share that knowledge with the world. The Girl in the Box has definitely been added to my list of great Canadian fiction and I will definitely be reading more work from Sheila Dalton in the future.
August 21, 2011
Sheila Dalton's THE GIRL IN THE BOX leaps right into the tangled emotions of Canadian journalist Caitlin Shaughnessy, whose life partner, psychiatrist Jerry Simpson, has just been murdered by Inez, a mysterious, beautiful, and mute Mayan teenager he found in the jungles of South America and brought back to his home in Canada for treatment.
In a departure from most novels involving a murder, the question is never who did it but why. The extremely unorthodox method Jerry uses of having this damaged beauty live in his house while he treats her, and the subsequent murder, forces Caitlin to question the purity of Jerry's motives and actions, and to launch an investigation into Jerry's past, their relationship, and the enigma that is Inez, all the while terrified she'll discover that the Jerry that she loved was an illusion that masked a sexual predator.
Dalton moves the story along at a good clip and weaves compelling flashbacks into the narrative that illuminate the present tale, adding richness, and most importantly, relevant, information to both the plot and the emotional landscapes of the characters.
Recommended for those who enjoy both psychological dramas and literary mysteries.
In a departure from most novels involving a murder, the question is never who did it but why. The extremely unorthodox method Jerry uses of having this damaged beauty live in his house while he treats her, and the subsequent murder, forces Caitlin to question the purity of Jerry's motives and actions, and to launch an investigation into Jerry's past, their relationship, and the enigma that is Inez, all the while terrified she'll discover that the Jerry that she loved was an illusion that masked a sexual predator.
Dalton moves the story along at a good clip and weaves compelling flashbacks into the narrative that illuminate the present tale, adding richness, and most importantly, relevant, information to both the plot and the emotional landscapes of the characters.
Recommended for those who enjoy both psychological dramas and literary mysteries.
November 24, 2011
How would you treat a girl who killed your boyfriend? What if she had mental issues? Inez is a young Mayan girl who was held captive in the Guatemalan jungle. When Jerry hears of her plight, he knows he must help her. Inez is not really innately "wild." She will come off as more reserved, afraid, and a bit like a puppy-unsure of herself or her surroundings. The author makes her character very different from the norm. Jerry is portrayed as the sometimes grumpy often helpful psychoanalyst. Caitlin, Jerry's girlfriend, is possibly the easiest character to like; she can be kind, funny, and intelligent.
The reader will follow Inez's journey from Guatemala to Canada. Jerry's careful care of her is interesting to read about. How would you take care of a mute Mayan girl with potential mental disabilities? Caitlin remains connected to Jerry and, through him, Inez. When the disaster happens and Jerry is found dead, Caitlin must reconcile her feelings with this momentous event.
Overall, this book is very interesting and will hold the reader's attention throughout the novel. The characters were easy to connect with, very "real." This book is recommended to adult readers.
The reader will follow Inez's journey from Guatemala to Canada. Jerry's careful care of her is interesting to read about. How would you take care of a mute Mayan girl with potential mental disabilities? Caitlin remains connected to Jerry and, through him, Inez. When the disaster happens and Jerry is found dead, Caitlin must reconcile her feelings with this momentous event.
Overall, this book is very interesting and will hold the reader's attention throughout the novel. The characters were easy to connect with, very "real." This book is recommended to adult readers.
March 26, 2012
Wow, this book was so different from what I'm use to reading! Sheila did a wonderful job telling this wonderful and disturbing story. I was drawn in from the first chapter and I couldn't stop till I found out the mystery of Jerry death, and Inez's afflicted past.
The story is about Caitlyn, a journalist who is putting the pieces back together to the horrible death of her lover Jerry, who was murdered by a mute Mayan teen name Inez. Jerry rescued Inez from Guatemala who was brutally chained and held in a box. Jerry then takes Inez back to the United States in order to seek therapy for her. Caitlyn's certainties that the man she loved would never hurt Inez is put to the test to find out the truth about what happened the day he died.
This book was most definitely a page turner, I honestly couldn't stop reading it. The ending was not what I expected and had an unexpected twist to Jerry's death. Sheila Dalton did a wonderful job in describing the horrible and difficult times of the genocide in Guatemala. This book was beautifully written and had a lot of suspenseful moments that just keeps you on your toes till the end. I recommend this book for anyone that loves suspense or mystery novels.
Thanks to the Author who was so kind for letting me read this book, I really enjoyed it!
The story is about Caitlyn, a journalist who is putting the pieces back together to the horrible death of her lover Jerry, who was murdered by a mute Mayan teen name Inez. Jerry rescued Inez from Guatemala who was brutally chained and held in a box. Jerry then takes Inez back to the United States in order to seek therapy for her. Caitlyn's certainties that the man she loved would never hurt Inez is put to the test to find out the truth about what happened the day he died.
This book was most definitely a page turner, I honestly couldn't stop reading it. The ending was not what I expected and had an unexpected twist to Jerry's death. Sheila Dalton did a wonderful job in describing the horrible and difficult times of the genocide in Guatemala. This book was beautifully written and had a lot of suspenseful moments that just keeps you on your toes till the end. I recommend this book for anyone that loves suspense or mystery novels.
Thanks to the Author who was so kind for letting me read this book, I really enjoyed it!
December 25, 2011
Pull an easy chair up to the crackling fire on your day off and settle in with The Girl In
The Box – you won’t be able to put it down. This emotionally compelling story of a Guatemalan girl chained and confined in a box lets us glimpse the horrors of civil war and genocide as a back drop to the attempts to free Inez psychologically as well as physically.
She is brought back to the United States by Jerry, a psychologist who seeks therapy for her. She is befriended by Jerry’s partner Caitlin. Caitlin must fight to maintain that friendship after it appears Inez has killed Jerry and is confined to a mental institution.
Inez appears to be autistic as well as psychologically damaged and is unable to speak so the puzzle of why she would kill her savior becomes even more complicated when characters with possible motives appear.
Told primarily from Caitlin’s point of view, significant flash-backs make Jerry another well developed character. The well drawn characters in this apparent mystery keep us turning pages until the satisfying conclusion.
The Box – you won’t be able to put it down. This emotionally compelling story of a Guatemalan girl chained and confined in a box lets us glimpse the horrors of civil war and genocide as a back drop to the attempts to free Inez psychologically as well as physically.
She is brought back to the United States by Jerry, a psychologist who seeks therapy for her. She is befriended by Jerry’s partner Caitlin. Caitlin must fight to maintain that friendship after it appears Inez has killed Jerry and is confined to a mental institution.
Inez appears to be autistic as well as psychologically damaged and is unable to speak so the puzzle of why she would kill her savior becomes even more complicated when characters with possible motives appear.
Told primarily from Caitlin’s point of view, significant flash-backs make Jerry another well developed character. The well drawn characters in this apparent mystery keep us turning pages until the satisfying conclusion.
December 22, 2011
This compelling novel begins with violent death and ends with hope of healing. The story told by journalist Caitlin Shaughnessy and her long time amour psychoanalyst Jerry Simpson, moves skillfully back and forth before and after Jerry’s rescue and aborted rehabilitation of a mute Mayan girl. The plot reveals the unpredictability of human nature, how events change and torment characters. Dalton’s polished writing style and extensive knowledge of psychoanalysis create a fascinating and believable tale. Her poetic sensibilities bring alive the Guatemalan jungle and the unforgiving Labrador North. The impressionistic book cover is a question mark drawing the reader into the realities of human oppression, the pain of loss and the long journey toward understanding and forgiveness. Dalton’s skill as a storyteller will keep you reading until the unexpected truth concerning Jerry’s death is finally revealed.
February 9, 2012
Excellent and captivating book!
Please visit my blog for the complete review:
http://thejoyofthewrittenword.com/201...
Enjoy!
Patricia
November 3, 2011
Check out this review on my site http://www.UFReviews.com
Synopsis: Former bar singer and Buddhist meditator Caitlin Shaughnessy, a Canadian journalist, discovers that Inez, a traumatized young Mayan woman from Guatemala, has killed Dr. Jerry Simpson, her partner of many years. Caitlin struggles to understand what happened, and why. In the process, she confronts her own demons, as well as the innocence and wonder within Inez which seem to belie the young woman's violent actions.
Review: When I picked up The Girl in a Box I was not really sure what to expect. Most titles give an idea of what the book is about but this book is really literal when it comes to the title. The author clearly did a lot of research when choosing a location for her book to be based in. The book starts off with Jerry, and how he found the girl in the box, Inez. Jerry has a long history with the country of Guatemala, in fact it’s where he met Caitlin, the woman he loves. The parts where Jerry is on this trip are very sad to read, and unfortunately probably very accurate.
Inez is kept in a wooden box, away from her family’s home, and she is kept in this box with a chain and a lock. It is clear she is a disturbed girl, most likely with some kind of mental issue that her family just doesn’t know how to treat; and so they lock her up for her own well being. Ultimately Jerry brings Inez home with him back to Canada to live with him, as a way for him to help her. The situation ends as tragically as it began. Inez kills Jerry.
The story is mostly told from Caitlin’s point of view. As the woman who loved Jerry, and had even come to bond with Inez, she is shocked and traumatized at the sudden and violent death of her partner. This turn of events for Caitlin causes her to search for answers as well as take a look at her and Jerry’s past.
This book is definitely a book for people who are looking for psychological mystery. Most mysteries that involve murder involve a lot of build up into finding out who the killer is and then catching them and bringing them to justice. This book is not about that, the killer is known from the beginning and is tried in a court of law. This book is about the inner workings of people’s lives, motivations, and a search for truth. I enjoyed the journey and the search for what happened, even though it dealt with very sad subject matter and pulled at your heart strings when the reader reads it.
Synopsis: Former bar singer and Buddhist meditator Caitlin Shaughnessy, a Canadian journalist, discovers that Inez, a traumatized young Mayan woman from Guatemala, has killed Dr. Jerry Simpson, her partner of many years. Caitlin struggles to understand what happened, and why. In the process, she confronts her own demons, as well as the innocence and wonder within Inez which seem to belie the young woman's violent actions.
Review: When I picked up The Girl in a Box I was not really sure what to expect. Most titles give an idea of what the book is about but this book is really literal when it comes to the title. The author clearly did a lot of research when choosing a location for her book to be based in. The book starts off with Jerry, and how he found the girl in the box, Inez. Jerry has a long history with the country of Guatemala, in fact it’s where he met Caitlin, the woman he loves. The parts where Jerry is on this trip are very sad to read, and unfortunately probably very accurate.
Inez is kept in a wooden box, away from her family’s home, and she is kept in this box with a chain and a lock. It is clear she is a disturbed girl, most likely with some kind of mental issue that her family just doesn’t know how to treat; and so they lock her up for her own well being. Ultimately Jerry brings Inez home with him back to Canada to live with him, as a way for him to help her. The situation ends as tragically as it began. Inez kills Jerry.
The story is mostly told from Caitlin’s point of view. As the woman who loved Jerry, and had even come to bond with Inez, she is shocked and traumatized at the sudden and violent death of her partner. This turn of events for Caitlin causes her to search for answers as well as take a look at her and Jerry’s past.
This book is definitely a book for people who are looking for psychological mystery. Most mysteries that involve murder involve a lot of build up into finding out who the killer is and then catching them and bringing them to justice. This book is not about that, the killer is known from the beginning and is tried in a court of law. This book is about the inner workings of people’s lives, motivations, and a search for truth. I enjoyed the journey and the search for what happened, even though it dealt with very sad subject matter and pulled at your heart strings when the reader reads it.
May 26, 2012
"Was it possible to keep loving someone who had destroyed my life?"
I've done really badly with review copies from LibraryThing in the past - I had two thrillers turn out to be uber-religious proselytising. However, this one (which I wasn't all that convinced by on the blurb) was a revelation - it was the cause of failing-to-go-to-bed-because-of-book, which is always a good sign for a book.
Psychoanalyst Jerry goes to Guatemala to track down some shamans and talk to them about the use of drugs in therapy. What he finds is an abused Mayan girl, to whom he could give a better life in Canada. His partner Caitlin is very understanding and co-operates with his plan to bring Inez back to Canada for political refuge and therapy, but when Inez is found holding a marble lamp over Jerry's dead body, Caitlin's world is shattered. She can't figure out why sweet, mute Inez would kill Jerry so violently. And thus Caitlin's story begins...
The characters in this novel were far better constructed than I had expected. Both Caitlin and Jerry are deeply intellectual, sympathetic people, although Jerry is quite free-spirited and Caitlin more given to unpredictable bouts of anger. Inez is a terrific creation - sweet tempered and loving but with a terrible past which flares in nervous outbreaks. The supporting characters (Margaret, Inez's live-in nurse; Michael, Jerry's fellow analyst; Molly, Caitlin's confidante) are kept to a minimum in number and thus also developed strongly.
As a murder mystery, this one does not play by the rules - we know who the victim and perpetrator are right at the start. The mystery is the motive - and the suspense is kept up throughout the novel; we get an idea of the villain pretty early on but the explanation comes very late.
Definitely worth a read - not a book I would have bought but one I am very glad to have read!
I've done really badly with review copies from LibraryThing in the past - I had two thrillers turn out to be uber-religious proselytising. However, this one (which I wasn't all that convinced by on the blurb) was a revelation - it was the cause of failing-to-go-to-bed-because-of-book, which is always a good sign for a book.
Psychoanalyst Jerry goes to Guatemala to track down some shamans and talk to them about the use of drugs in therapy. What he finds is an abused Mayan girl, to whom he could give a better life in Canada. His partner Caitlin is very understanding and co-operates with his plan to bring Inez back to Canada for political refuge and therapy, but when Inez is found holding a marble lamp over Jerry's dead body, Caitlin's world is shattered. She can't figure out why sweet, mute Inez would kill Jerry so violently. And thus Caitlin's story begins...
The characters in this novel were far better constructed than I had expected. Both Caitlin and Jerry are deeply intellectual, sympathetic people, although Jerry is quite free-spirited and Caitlin more given to unpredictable bouts of anger. Inez is a terrific creation - sweet tempered and loving but with a terrible past which flares in nervous outbreaks. The supporting characters (Margaret, Inez's live-in nurse; Michael, Jerry's fellow analyst; Molly, Caitlin's confidante) are kept to a minimum in number and thus also developed strongly.
As a murder mystery, this one does not play by the rules - we know who the victim and perpetrator are right at the start. The mystery is the motive - and the suspense is kept up throughout the novel; we get an idea of the villain pretty early on but the explanation comes very late.
Definitely worth a read - not a book I would have bought but one I am very glad to have read!
August 29, 2012
I actually do not know how this book got published. The premise of the novel is ok, but it needs an editor asking some serious questions. Like why, if Jerry had a car, was he ever on a bus to meet Inez's Mayan parent? How he could drive into the jungle to rescue Inez, drive to Guatemala City, get a visa for Inez, drive back to Lake Atitlan to see a doctor, drive back to Guatemala City and be at the airport before dark. Why Caitlin and Jerry are a couple who have been together for years and stool don't live together because they never found a house, yet he lives in a house with at least three bedrooms. There's more, but it is too tiresome to list.
All that aside, the beginning of the book is quite a page turner. Jerry, a psychiatrist, is in Guatemala to explore native drugs used by shamans (crazy premise) and he discovers Inez, a mute, possibly autistic girl anywhere between the age if 13 and 18, being kept in chains in a box at the back of her parents house. He rescues her and takes her home to Canada with him. She lives with him and one day kills him. His long time girlfriend, Caitlyn, tries to discover why Inez had turned on Jerry. The middle of the book is mainly about Caitlyn's personal search as to why. It includes her going out alone on some soul searching retreat where she decides to become a stand up comedian. Sound stupid? Well yes it is! Her friend convinces her to keep looking for the answer and to see Inez, who is in a mental hospital in the north of Canada. And so on. By this point I seriously nearly put the book down, but didn't.
Right at the very end there is a bizarre twist and all is revealed, it's an untidy ending at best.
Read this only if it is the only book available. It's eight hours of your life that you will never get back.
All that aside, the beginning of the book is quite a page turner. Jerry, a psychiatrist, is in Guatemala to explore native drugs used by shamans (crazy premise) and he discovers Inez, a mute, possibly autistic girl anywhere between the age if 13 and 18, being kept in chains in a box at the back of her parents house. He rescues her and takes her home to Canada with him. She lives with him and one day kills him. His long time girlfriend, Caitlyn, tries to discover why Inez had turned on Jerry. The middle of the book is mainly about Caitlyn's personal search as to why. It includes her going out alone on some soul searching retreat where she decides to become a stand up comedian. Sound stupid? Well yes it is! Her friend convinces her to keep looking for the answer and to see Inez, who is in a mental hospital in the north of Canada. And so on. By this point I seriously nearly put the book down, but didn't.
Right at the very end there is a bizarre twist and all is revealed, it's an untidy ending at best.
Read this only if it is the only book available. It's eight hours of your life that you will never get back.
December 23, 2011
Every once in a while you read a book that mimics real life, the stuff you hear in the news, the stuff you never think can happen to you or someone you love. This is that kind of book. Sheila Dalton tells us the story of Jerry Simpson, a Canadian psychoanalyst on vacation in Guatemala; Of Inez, a young mute Mayan girl who he found chained up and locked up in a shed that resembled something like a box (thus the title) and whom he rescues and brings to Canada with him; And of As Caitlin, Jerry's partner back in Canada, who after getting close with Inez and caring for her, one day finds out that Jerry has been murdered and Inez is the likely culprit.
Dalton has a way with the written word and with telling this heart-gripping story about hope, love, and doing what's right. What would you do if you suddenly found out your loved one was killed by another person you cared for who is mentally unstable? Would you condemn the killer or would you try to understand him/her condition? Caitlin is torn between helping Inez get the help she needs or get justice for Jerry, the love of her life.
I was a bit hesitant when I started reading this book, mostly because the issues it deals with (murder, autism, immigrant status) seemed too somber and difficult to read about, but as I kept progressing through the book, I realized this book is about more than that. It is about compassion and the human condition, about loving someone unconditionally, and about doing what's right. This book is an absolute great read.
(Originally reviewed at JJiReads.blogspot.com)
Dalton has a way with the written word and with telling this heart-gripping story about hope, love, and doing what's right. What would you do if you suddenly found out your loved one was killed by another person you cared for who is mentally unstable? Would you condemn the killer or would you try to understand him/her condition? Caitlin is torn between helping Inez get the help she needs or get justice for Jerry, the love of her life.
I was a bit hesitant when I started reading this book, mostly because the issues it deals with (murder, autism, immigrant status) seemed too somber and difficult to read about, but as I kept progressing through the book, I realized this book is about more than that. It is about compassion and the human condition, about loving someone unconditionally, and about doing what's right. This book is an absolute great read.
(Originally reviewed at JJiReads.blogspot.com)
October 30, 2011
To be totally honest I was unsure as to how I would get on with this book, but I was almost instantly drawn in to the mystery of the tragic life of Inez. Jerry is on a trip, a journey of discovery, however what he actually discovers ends up changing his life forever and ultimately leads to his death.
I am trying not to give away spoilers as such but I will say things are not always as they seem in the book. People are also not always what they seem either. Jerry's death ends up turning the journalist love of his life Caitlin into a type of detective. The first thing Caitlin has to do is accept the death of her lover. Next she has to slowly piece together what she knows, and what information she can glean from others until all the pieces fall into place. During her fact finding she comes up against officials some corrupt,others that turn a blind eye and those who are true to their professions as jerry had been to his very end. I couldn't help but love the character of Inez and when you learn her full story your heart breaks for her, she has seen so much and been through so much in her relatively short life. Its such a shame she start out being locked in a box and ends up being "locked up" again, though in different circumstances. I wish to thank Sheila for sharing this book with me, and her instinctively knowing even before I did myself that I would enjoy this book immensely. I truly wondered at the end of the book if this was actually a true story?
I am trying not to give away spoilers as such but I will say things are not always as they seem in the book. People are also not always what they seem either. Jerry's death ends up turning the journalist love of his life Caitlin into a type of detective. The first thing Caitlin has to do is accept the death of her lover. Next she has to slowly piece together what she knows, and what information she can glean from others until all the pieces fall into place. During her fact finding she comes up against officials some corrupt,others that turn a blind eye and those who are true to their professions as jerry had been to his very end. I couldn't help but love the character of Inez and when you learn her full story your heart breaks for her, she has seen so much and been through so much in her relatively short life. Its such a shame she start out being locked in a box and ends up being "locked up" again, though in different circumstances. I wish to thank Sheila for sharing this book with me, and her instinctively knowing even before I did myself that I would enjoy this book immensely. I truly wondered at the end of the book if this was actually a true story?
January 9, 2012
The Girl in the Box follows the story about Jerry Simpson, a Canadian psychoanalyst on vacation in Guatemala. He rescues Inez, a young Mayan girl who was chained and locked up in a windowless shed by her parents because they believed there was an animal in her.
As a paranormal reader, I usually don’t read these types of literary psychological novels. And the biggest surprise is. I liked it. The novel was researched and written beautifully. It was somewhat dark, very realistic and definitely movie dram potential. It was written in different point of views, mostly focusing on Caitlin Shaughnessy, a Canadian journalist and life partner of Jerry.
Inez is mute, possibly autistic, and has murdered Jerry, and Caitlin does everything in her power to find out what really happened and in the process writes a book about it. The Girl in the Box follows leads of many different types of people that I found amazingly well written and narrated.
Dalton is an amazing writer with skills way beyond any other author I have read and The Girl in the Box is a perfect specimen to showcase her epic skills that left me enlightened. This is definitely a read for the fiction lovers but not for the paranormal young adult readers.
As a paranormal reader, I usually don’t read these types of literary psychological novels. And the biggest surprise is. I liked it. The novel was researched and written beautifully. It was somewhat dark, very realistic and definitely movie dram potential. It was written in different point of views, mostly focusing on Caitlin Shaughnessy, a Canadian journalist and life partner of Jerry.
Inez is mute, possibly autistic, and has murdered Jerry, and Caitlin does everything in her power to find out what really happened and in the process writes a book about it. The Girl in the Box follows leads of many different types of people that I found amazingly well written and narrated.
Dalton is an amazing writer with skills way beyond any other author I have read and The Girl in the Box is a perfect specimen to showcase her epic skills that left me enlightened. This is definitely a read for the fiction lovers but not for the paranormal young adult readers.
August 11, 2013
This book did not work for me on several levels. The premise - a crime committed by an autistic and abused Mayan refugee - was well worth exploring but Dalton created a more sensational tale than was necessary. I do not want to give any of the plot away, so I will write in generalities here. Why does the author choose Labrador as her setting for part of the story? Why are there so many dreams in the book? Why is Margaret presented to us initially as a sort of predator? Why is the initial crime investigated so poorly? And why does the revelation at the end come about in the manner that it does? In my opinion, Dalton's plotting is suspect for all these reasons, and more. The stand-up comedian moment was the absolute worst plotting decision in the book. Unbelievable!
As well, Dalton's style lacks effective description, although we are presented with some rather exotic locales and unique characters; and some of the dialogue does not quite flow, maybe because I was not convinced that any of the characters were realistic, so what they said did not ring true either.
I thought this would have been an easy read, but it was difficult to motivate myself to finish the book. If it were not a book club choice, I probably would have not read it all.
As well, Dalton's style lacks effective description, although we are presented with some rather exotic locales and unique characters; and some of the dialogue does not quite flow, maybe because I was not convinced that any of the characters were realistic, so what they said did not ring true either.
I thought this would have been an easy read, but it was difficult to motivate myself to finish the book. If it were not a book club choice, I probably would have not read it all.
September 29, 2011
Shelia Dalton’s THE GIRL IN THE BOX is a wonderfully constructed and intricately woven tale of a mute, seemingly autistic teenage girl who is rescued from a deplorable existence in the Guatemalan jungle. Chained and made to live in a windowless shed by her parents, Jerry, a Canadian psychoanalyst on vacation, rescues the girl by bringing her back home with him to Canada.
The novel begins with Jerry’s murder at the hands of the girl, Inez. This story is not a who dunnit, but instead delves into the why of it. After Jerry’s murder, his life partner, Caitlin is compelled to explore the workings of the damaged girl’s mind in an attempt to put the pieces together. Did the beautiful teenager kill Jerry because of something he did? This question haunts Caitlin and drives her to find answers.
Dalton takes us from Guatamala to Toronto to Labrador and we go willingly, unable to put the book down until we discover, along with Caitlin, the truth behind the murder.
THE GIRL IN THE BOX is a wonderful read. Dalton possesses genuine literary talent and I was greatly impressed. A five star read that I can’t recommend highly enough.
The novel begins with Jerry’s murder at the hands of the girl, Inez. This story is not a who dunnit, but instead delves into the why of it. After Jerry’s murder, his life partner, Caitlin is compelled to explore the workings of the damaged girl’s mind in an attempt to put the pieces together. Did the beautiful teenager kill Jerry because of something he did? This question haunts Caitlin and drives her to find answers.
Dalton takes us from Guatamala to Toronto to Labrador and we go willingly, unable to put the book down until we discover, along with Caitlin, the truth behind the murder.
THE GIRL IN THE BOX is a wonderful read. Dalton possesses genuine literary talent and I was greatly impressed. A five star read that I can’t recommend highly enough.
April 12, 2012
Amidst all the noise on the web, it's often hard to find the quiet treasures that lie beneath the hubbub of tweeting and tooting of marketing horns. The Girl in the Box is the best literary discovery I've stumbled upon in a long time. The story focuses on a therapist (Jerry), who rescues a young girl from Guatemala (Inez), who has been confined in a box for years. The author adeptly tells the story from different points of view, but after Inez is charged with murdering Jerry, the story primarily becomes Caitlin's, who is Jerry's long-time girlfriend and Inez's friend. The book has all the elements I crave in a great novel: strong characterization, mystery (both of the whodunnit and spiritual varieties), skillful use of language, and real insight into some of life's thorniest problems, ranging from the ordinary (keeping romantic love alive) to the truly daunting (recovering from unspeakable abuse).
Sheila Dalton is a Canadian writer who has written a number of other books, but primarily books for children and young adults. With her talent and psychological insights, I truly hope we'll get more of her adult fiction.
Sheila Dalton is a Canadian writer who has written a number of other books, but primarily books for children and young adults. With her talent and psychological insights, I truly hope we'll get more of her adult fiction.
November 23, 2011
Beautifully researched and emotionally suspenseful, The Girl in the Box is a book which at heart is a psychological suspense novel. So many books rely on Die Hard action to push the plot forward or gore like the stuff you find in movies like Saw.
This book is subtle. It's all about the why in this book.
Jerry rescues mute, damaged Inez and brings her to the the United States to try to heal her. But something goes wrong and Inez murders Jerry.
Caitlyn can't live without knowing why? Why did Inez do it?
Secrets will be uncovered, Inez's past will be uncovered.
But will the secrets be something Caitlyn can live with?
It's a beautiful book. One that will be a classic someday. Although it's technically literary fiction, this book at heart is a psychological mystery.
If you enjoy dramatic suspense such as movies like Six Degrees of Separation, American Beauty or The Virgin Suicides ...this might appeal to you. It's a movie of secrets and psychological suspense. If you like movies like Saw...this is not your book.
This book is subtle. It's all about the why in this book.
Jerry rescues mute, damaged Inez and brings her to the the United States to try to heal her. But something goes wrong and Inez murders Jerry.
Caitlyn can't live without knowing why? Why did Inez do it?
Secrets will be uncovered, Inez's past will be uncovered.
But will the secrets be something Caitlyn can live with?
It's a beautiful book. One that will be a classic someday. Although it's technically literary fiction, this book at heart is a psychological mystery.
If you enjoy dramatic suspense such as movies like Six Degrees of Separation, American Beauty or The Virgin Suicides ...this might appeal to you. It's a movie of secrets and psychological suspense. If you like movies like Saw...this is not your book.
December 31, 2011
Wow. A beautifully written, original story.
Sheila Dalton is a master of words; this book delivered passages that pulled my mind completely into the story. Her writing captures the fundamental reason that I read: to be transported to another place and time–totally removing myself from the day-to-day realities of my own life.
The combination of her prose with a story of a psycho-analyst who rescues a girl from the Guatemalan jungle is a win-win. As the story unfolds, the doctor is found dead at the hands of the girl. This leaves the doctor's girlfriend, Caitlin, to find out what really happened, as she struggles to understand her own feelings and relationships with both the doctor and the girl.
Caitlin's journey follows a path of both introspection and close examination of the behavior of others. I highly recommend that you take the journey with her.
Sheila Dalton is a master of words; this book delivered passages that pulled my mind completely into the story. Her writing captures the fundamental reason that I read: to be transported to another place and time–totally removing myself from the day-to-day realities of my own life.
The combination of her prose with a story of a psycho-analyst who rescues a girl from the Guatemalan jungle is a win-win. As the story unfolds, the doctor is found dead at the hands of the girl. This leaves the doctor's girlfriend, Caitlin, to find out what really happened, as she struggles to understand her own feelings and relationships with both the doctor and the girl.
Caitlin's journey follows a path of both introspection and close examination of the behavior of others. I highly recommend that you take the journey with her.
August 30, 2011
From the first chapters of The Girl in the Box, Sheila Dalton's skillful hand draws the reader through a story that is intriguing, haunting and rich with detail. Journalist Caitlin Shaughnessy is dealing not only with the violent death of her partner, Psychoanalyst, Dr. Jerry Simpson, but with layers of questions about why and how it happened. Simpson's death, at the hands of a damaged but seemingly gentle teen he rescued from captivity in Maya, forces Caitlin to examine everything she believed she knew about the man she loved. An exceptionally well-written novel that will stay with you long after you turn the final page!
May 23, 2012
I would actually rate the book 4.5 Stars.
When I received Sheila Dalton's book, The Girl in the Box, I was not certain what to except and I am pleased to report that Dalton's book exceeded my expectations. The Girl in the Box takes the reader to Guatemala and Canada and into the lives of a mute Mayan girl, Inez, and a Caitlin, journalists whose lives are intricately woven together and must be unraveled for healing to begin. Dalton weaves together an exceptional plot with twists and told through flashbacks in such an expertly executed manner as to keep the reader thoroughly engaged until the very end. I highly recommend The Girl in the Box to all readers.
When I received Sheila Dalton's book, The Girl in the Box, I was not certain what to except and I am pleased to report that Dalton's book exceeded my expectations. The Girl in the Box takes the reader to Guatemala and Canada and into the lives of a mute Mayan girl, Inez, and a Caitlin, journalists whose lives are intricately woven together and must be unraveled for healing to begin. Dalton weaves together an exceptional plot with twists and told through flashbacks in such an expertly executed manner as to keep the reader thoroughly engaged until the very end. I highly recommend The Girl in the Box to all readers.
September 27, 2013
It wasn't that I didn't like the book, it was just that I felt there were mistakes such as:
I don't believe that a strange man, even though he is a doctor, would be allowed to bring a teenaged girl with autism to Toronto from Guatamala without written permission from the family and a whole lot of things. Doctor or no, he was a man and I firmly believe that the Canadian government would not allow this.
Since this happened early in the book, it tainted my enjoyment of the rest of the story.
It was an interesting "who done it" but you had to listen to the hints along the way or you would be completely in the dark.
I don't believe that a strange man, even though he is a doctor, would be allowed to bring a teenaged girl with autism to Toronto from Guatamala without written permission from the family and a whole lot of things. Doctor or no, he was a man and I firmly believe that the Canadian government would not allow this.
Since this happened early in the book, it tainted my enjoyment of the rest of the story.
It was an interesting "who done it" but you had to listen to the hints along the way or you would be completely in the dark.
Read
August 16, 2011I wanted to add this to my list of authored books but I couldn't figure out how!
January 13, 2012
I haven't read this one yet but it's written by a friend of mine -- and I can't wait until it becomes available so I can jump in and enjoy!
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