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Needlepoint
Cameron McGill is on a to find out why her sister, who never touched drugs, was fished from a canal with needle marks all down her arm. Tearing through Amsterdam on her Harley-Davidson, Cam encounters radical squatters, evasive drug agencies and a particularly alluring policewoman. But it's hard to know who to trust in a quest that could claim her life as gruesomely as it took her sister's. "A pacy, energetic thriller told in a crisp, direct style.-Manda Scott "Deserves to be read by more than it's niche market an excellently paced, well plotted thriller."- The Guardian
220 pages, Paperback
First published April 1, 2001
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
Did Not Finish
May 2, 2026There really isn't much to say about this novel except that it just isn't very good. But I'll try to come up with reasons why it fails.
The basic plot is this: Cameron McGill's sister is found dead of a drug overdose in Amsterdam. Because Cam is sure that her sister was not a druggie, she decides to investigate the death, even if it means traveling to Amsterdam from her home in England.
So far, so good. In fact, it has the makings of a good thriller. But success or failure of any book lies In its execution and Needle Point has the sloppy amateur feel that a good first novel doesn't.
You can find it everywhere, really; in stiff dialogue, misplaced or unnecessary scenes, and unconvincing motivations. In other words, it feels unpolished. But it is not a reviewer’s job to point out editing mistakes; it is an editor's. And without the careful reading an intelligent editor can provide, any book starts off with a significant disadvantage.
The truth is, I simply don’t believe the emotions that Cam feels at the beginning of the book. I mean, she is a total basket case months after her sister’s death. I don’t believe that the Cam of the first couple of chapters would turn into the one in the next chapters—a motorcycle-riding crusader for truth and justice. I don’t believe that her sister (or Cam herself) would have made friends of a lesbian boarding house owner; I don’t believe that the police cold have acted so stupidly in a murder case (unless, of course, the police are on the take). I simply felt no interest in Cam or her friends. Sorry.
So if I were talking to Jenny; if I had her here in this room, I would say something like this, patronizing as it may sound. Writing a novel is a wonderful accomplishment. Congratulations. You have achieved an artistic endeavor that few have the tenacity and stick-to-itiveness to complete. I just wish it were something that I could connect to.
Final Rating: Did not finish
Note: This review is included in my book The Art of the Lesbian Mystery Novel, along with information on over 1250 other lesbian mysteries by over 400 authors.
The basic plot is this: Cameron McGill's sister is found dead of a drug overdose in Amsterdam. Because Cam is sure that her sister was not a druggie, she decides to investigate the death, even if it means traveling to Amsterdam from her home in England.
So far, so good. In fact, it has the makings of a good thriller. But success or failure of any book lies In its execution and Needle Point has the sloppy amateur feel that a good first novel doesn't.
You can find it everywhere, really; in stiff dialogue, misplaced or unnecessary scenes, and unconvincing motivations. In other words, it feels unpolished. But it is not a reviewer’s job to point out editing mistakes; it is an editor's. And without the careful reading an intelligent editor can provide, any book starts off with a significant disadvantage.
The truth is, I simply don’t believe the emotions that Cam feels at the beginning of the book. I mean, she is a total basket case months after her sister’s death. I don’t believe that the Cam of the first couple of chapters would turn into the one in the next chapters—a motorcycle-riding crusader for truth and justice. I don’t believe that her sister (or Cam herself) would have made friends of a lesbian boarding house owner; I don’t believe that the police cold have acted so stupidly in a murder case (unless, of course, the police are on the take). I simply felt no interest in Cam or her friends. Sorry.
So if I were talking to Jenny; if I had her here in this room, I would say something like this, patronizing as it may sound. Writing a novel is a wonderful accomplishment. Congratulations. You have achieved an artistic endeavor that few have the tenacity and stick-to-itiveness to complete. I just wish it were something that I could connect to.
Final Rating: Did not finish
Note: This review is included in my book The Art of the Lesbian Mystery Novel, along with information on over 1250 other lesbian mysteries by over 400 authors.
June 27, 2020
Sex, drugs and romance feature in this filmic thriller set in Amsterdam.
October 4, 2008
I appreciated that the story followed all the way through, felt like it was planned before the writing started to some degree and that was nice. Mostly I felt like it was "fine". Not in love, don't hate it.
January 1, 2014
NEEDLE POINT is tightly written and mostly fast-paced. The author has some knowledge of the Dutch language, the city of Amsterdam and the squat movement in general.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews