The Offering

by Joanne Clancy

The full moon crept across the sky, spilling light on to the gaps between the trees. The search party pushed their way deeper into the forest. The light from their torches showed them the way.

Laura Kildare walked in a dream-like state, past the barriers and the groups of police officers. The forest was full of strange faces, searching in the wrong direction, oblivious to where Sofia and Ben lay.

She sensed something in the moment before she saw it. A sudden shot of adrenaline pumped through her blood.

Something caught her eye as she pushed her way through the dense undergrowth. It was Sofia’s gold necklace. Then she saw her body. The rust-coloured pine needles had fallen on her like decoration. Laura screamed; her face was the colour of a ghost. It was a gruesome canvas that would haunt her. There was no sign of Ben.

Sofia Sheridan was a French musician who moved to the remotest part of Ireland to forget her past and start again. It was the beginning of everything and also the end...

Genres: Mystery, Ebooks

216 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2013

Reviews

[Sue · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received a free download of "The Offering" by Joanne Clancy in exchange for an honest review. I have read all of Joanne's novels, and this crime mystery thriller set in Ireland was another winner. I couldn't put it down.

Sofia Sheridan was a French musician who moved with her four year old son, Ben, to the remotest part of Ireland to forget her past and start again. It was the beginning of everything and also the end...

They were kidnapped by a monster, a maniac full of anger whose laughter came from the devil. There were voices screaming in his head, telling him what to do. He had had a hard life. After his mother's death, his father had shipped him off to reform school in Dublin. He used to live in Sophie's farmhouse years ago. He grew up there but had been in and out of prison...and everyone in the village was scared of him.

The characters in this novel are true to life, and the suspense level is constantly building, drawing the reader right into the scene. This was a book I couldn't put down until I knew what had happened...but WHY? I definitely will be thinking about this novel for some time to come.

[Colleen Ray · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars....The Offering was a bit confusing at times, jumping from one event to another with no lead in or explanation. Even so, it held my interest until the fourth part of the book ("Victim"), which Ii found totally unnecessary. The plot had already been wrapped up, and the final installment was simply a rambling narrative that served no purpose, other than to extend the length of the book. Worth the read if you can get it while it's a freebie...otherwise I'd give it a pass.

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Made it through

The story was not what I expected but mostly easy to follow. There were no real surprises in the plot and after getting into the story I felt I wanted to finish. It was presented in a way I was not accustomed to. It was like the story was told numerous times almost from the beginning from various perspectives. It was a different style than I have read before.

[Donna · Rating 1 out of 5]

I felt as if I read parts of 3 different books, and I can't say that I would've loved any of them. Once the suspense of the crime story ends, there's really no reason to continue. The characters simply aren't developed well enough to make one care.

[Shylo · Rating 3 out of 5]

The plot was very jumpy and a bit difficult to follow, but in the end most of the confusion was sorted out. It was very unevenly paced though, and the writing style was inconsistent. The latter may have been an intentional plot device, but it was poorly executed.

[Caety · Rating 3 out of 5]

The style of writing for this book is a bit different. You will either love it, like it or hate it. I thoroughly enjoyed the 1st (the crime) and 2nd part (the year prior to the crime) of this book. The 3rd part of this book (the victim), although written well, felt like it was thrown in as a thought that happened apart from the story-telling.

[Michelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good book

You people should just read this book yourselves and write your own review on this novel yourself and I really enjoyed reading this book very much so. Shelley MA

[Maureen Reil · Rating 5 out of 5]

This has got to be one of my all-time favourite Joanne Clancy books so far, seeing as I’m sure there is much more to come from this brilliantly talented writer and I can’t wait to read them, being a huge fan of her work already. The Offering is the captivating and gripping story of a loving mother and child who move to a remote and mystical part of Ireland to start a new life and what happens when they come into contact with the wrong person at the wrong time. As the madman not only takes over their lives for a short while, but ultimately he commits the most heinous of crimes against them that it resonates within your mind and disturbs it slightly so you become entwined with the storyline as much as the vines in the forest. It takes a special author to be able to make you feel the kind of emotion that Joanne Clancy brings out in her characters, for if this skilled author can make you care about what happens to a man that everybody who knows him is literally scared to death of him and rightly so when you find out why he became the monster he turned into, then Joanne Clancy must be doing something right. Along with her vivid descriptions and wonderful writing to bring the whole thing alive and make it breathe of its own accord so it comes across as being very real and it could happen to anyone. Plus the pace of the plot was perfect and the way in which the insanity was portrayed was strongly convincing, while I also particularly liked the way it was broken up into parts and you got to read about how this affected everyone involved. It was at times heartbreaking to take in as you felt the hurt, the horror and eventually, the hope of a peaceful conclusion to this haunting tale that will stay with you long after you’ve finished it. For this is definitely a page turner and then some, so I think you should treat yourself to this fascinating novel and I bet you’ll feel the same way too by the end of it.

[Maria · Rating 5 out of 5]

Joanne Clancy tells the tragic story that is all too common. Darren is a young man whose life was tragically altered when his mother died at a young age. Unable to accept her death, Darren slips into insanity. His abusive father is less than willing to provide a home for his children, and Darren wanders the town until he finds himself in too much trouble. Nobody wants to help Darren, and he is sent to a home for underage criminals, the last place he belongs. When he escapes from the home and returns to his village, his neighbors ignore him and hope that he goes away. Sadly, if just one person had been kind to Darren, perhaps his life would not have been so tragic.

The author details a problem that is too common today. People are so concerned with their own lives that they pay little attention to those in need. This novel shows how just one person could have prevented this young man's sad life.

[Kristina · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought this book was quite interesting! Joanne does an impeccable job of keeping her readers hooked and curiously wondering what detail will come on the next page! Darren is a troubled young lad with a hunting history, far too often people are misunderstood and labeled like he was. You feel his pain, Sofia & her son's pain, her friend Laura's need for resolution as well his family and community affected by Darren's actions. You will find yourself on the edge of your seat wondering what had happened to the women and her young son! Hats of to Joanne for another great read! Off to read another one of Joanne's books!

[Kristina]

I thought this book was quite interesting! Joanne does an impeccable job of keeping her readers hooked and curiously wondering what detail will come on the next page! Darren is a troubled young lad with a hunting history, far too often people are misunderstood and labeled like he was. You feel his pain, Sofia & her son's pain, her friend Laura's need for resolution as well his family and community affected by Darren's actions. You will find yourself on the edge of your seat wondering what had happened to the women and her young son! Hats of to Joanne for another great read! Off to read another one of Joanne's books!

[Ashley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sofia and Ben are a mother and a son who have a strong loving relationship. Within several heart breaking hours of agony, they are torn from each other and from their loved ones. who would do such a thing? why?
As the story unfolds, I was dropped into the story and didn't want to stop until I knew what had happened and why. Joanne Clancy has a way of making the reader feel as if they are inside the story and this book is no exception. I've enjoyed this book as much, if not more, than her last books. Can't wait for the next one!

[Mike · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very interesting book; the way the author broke it up into parts to reflect various characters' point of views At first it took me a bit to adjust to the various places the story skipped around to and the characters that were introduced but then I understood the format. It was interesting how the author made the killer at times seem sympathetic, you could understand where he was coming from and then he'd fly off the handle again and you'd want to see him killed yourself; it's an interesting dichotomy that the author created in this story.

[Sharilyn Dickerson · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was looking for a different kind of book to read and I came across this one. The blurb caught my attention so I thought I would give it a try. It was an okay book. It seemed kind of rushed and I found myself having a hard time following the story at times. It also has an unusual format with the first part describing "The Crime" that happens, the second part going back a year before and then the last part is the aftermath. Personally, for me, it was a bit confusing.

[Michelle Baldwin · Rating 5 out of 5]

WOW....Doesn't even begin to size this book up... I read A LOT and I'm a newish fan of Joanne Clancy and am I glad I am ..... I enjoyed this book from beginning to end the twist I didn't expect AT ALL.... where I read a lot I do need to recap on books as you do forget .... BUT I KNOW that this will stay etched inside me ..... This is a VERY WELL WRITTEN BOOK....Joanne has written a lot of books so I best get stuck in to the next one .... and I'm not going to stop till I've read them ALL......

[Lex · Rating 3 out of 5]

The three sort of vignettes that this book are split into are interesting, but the final section, from one of Darren's victims (Sophie's) viewpoint, seemed a little like it was tacked-on to the last portion of the story. The development of the story held my interest, although the sections could have maybe been integrated a little differently or homogenously throughout the book.

[Lona · Rating 4 out of 5]

Different but good...

Most crime novels are centered around the victim, but Clancy has made the killer the primary focus in "The Offering". This makes for an interesting perspective as the reader is invited inside the mind of a madman. I gave only 4 stars because the ending is a rather strange one but I think it was an effort to provide closure for the victim.

[Anna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Surprisingly good.

I chose this book purely based on the haunting cover photo. I could hardly put this down and was left satisfied with the ending. I would recommend this book for a quick read without blood and violence.

[Sandy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm honestly not sure if I liked this book or not. There were some good things about it and it kept me interested until the end but I wasn't crazy about the way the author writes and it became a bit disappointing after awhile.

[Jennifer Radke · Rating 4 out of 5]

Haunting and emotional. This story is not my typical read, however I enjoyed the writing and the way the story pulled me in. The author did a great job of painting pictures, without needing to e gory or overly graphic. The end was not expected, but provided a nice additional back story.

[Julie Kearney · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really liked this book. Good mystery set in Ireland. I like the way it explored the mental illness of the killer and the ghost of the victim. I enjoyed it.

[Jeanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a real page turner!

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting book. The story is haunting. The style is unique. The story begins with the crime then you learn about the build up and the characters. Good mystery story.

[Pauline · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rather depressing book.

[Alanna · Rating 2 out of 5]

rather different, confusing at times

[mark smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book

Great book

I really enjoyed this book. It kept my interest. There was something happening through the whole book. I would recommend this book.

[Darren · Rating 5 out of 5]

I got this as a free e-nook from the authors website. I enjoyed reading it. It had a good story to it. I liked the variety of characters in it.

[Todd Massie · Rating 3 out of 5]

a bit weird

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Interest

This book was most interesting . I didn't dislike or like. There are a lot of typos. I would try author again

[Janet · Rating 4 out of 5]

very good