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Path of Needles
Some fairy tales are born of dreams . . . and some are born of nightmares.
Chrissie Farrell is young, beautiful and about to be crowned Queen of the Dance. But on the evening of her triumph she is abducted and murdered, her body left for the police to find.
With no other clues, the disturbing way in which Chrissie's body has been posed has PC Cate Corbin at a loss - until university lecturer Alice Hyland is called in. An expert on fairy tales, Alice quickly notices a connection between the murder and an obscure version of Snow White .
When a second body is found, Alice is dragged further into the investigation - and only then realises that she is becoming a suspect.
Now Alice must fight, not just to prove her innocence, but to protect because the body count is growing and it's looking like she might be next . . .
"I loved Path of Needles . Dark but satisfying, like the best chocolate" --Elly Griffiths, bestselling author of The Dark Angel
Chrissie Farrell is young, beautiful and about to be crowned Queen of the Dance. But on the evening of her triumph she is abducted and murdered, her body left for the police to find.
With no other clues, the disturbing way in which Chrissie's body has been posed has PC Cate Corbin at a loss - until university lecturer Alice Hyland is called in. An expert on fairy tales, Alice quickly notices a connection between the murder and an obscure version of Snow White .
When a second body is found, Alice is dragged further into the investigation - and only then realises that she is becoming a suspect.
Now Alice must fight, not just to prove her innocence, but to protect because the body count is growing and it's looking like she might be next . . .
"I loved Path of Needles . Dark but satisfying, like the best chocolate" --Elly Griffiths, bestselling author of The Dark Angel
384 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2013
10 people are currently reading
1401 people want to read
About the author
Alison Littlewood
119 books170 followersAlison Littlewood was raised in Penistone, South Yorkshire, and went on to attend the University of Northumbria at Newcastle (now Northumbria University). Originally she planned to study graphic design, but “missed the words too much” and switched to a joint English and History degree. She followed a career in marketing before developing her love of writing fiction.
Her first book, A Cold Season (2011), was selected for the Richard and Judy Book Club and described as ‘perfect reading for a dark winter’s night.’
Alison's latest novel is The Crow Garden (2017), is a tale of obsession set amidst Victorian asylums and séance rooms.
You can find her living with her partner Fergus in deepest Yorkshire, England, in a house of creaking doors and crooked walls. She loves exploring the hills and dales with her two hugely enthusiastic Dalmatians and has a penchant for books on folklore and weird history, Earl Grey tea and semicolons.
She is on Twitter as @Ali__L
Her first book, A Cold Season (2011), was selected for the Richard and Judy Book Club and described as ‘perfect reading for a dark winter’s night.’
Alison's latest novel is The Crow Garden (2017), is a tale of obsession set amidst Victorian asylums and séance rooms.
You can find her living with her partner Fergus in deepest Yorkshire, England, in a house of creaking doors and crooked walls. She loves exploring the hills and dales with her two hugely enthusiastic Dalmatians and has a penchant for books on folklore and weird history, Earl Grey tea and semicolons.
She is on Twitter as @Ali__L
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 78 reviews
February 6, 2016
Littlewood debuted with horror and then in a natural progression came to a mystery thriller. Mainly I was drawn in by the concept, a serial killer motivated by fairy tales, the way fairy tales were originally intended, dark and scary. Even Grimm's originals are rainbow happy comparing to these versions, or variants as they are referred to in the story. So why didn't I love the book? Well, it just wasn't that great. Much like Littlewood's debut, it's perfectly decent, but struggles to elevate itself above that comfortable level. The main characters are predictably female, one a police officer, one a professor specializing in fairy tales. The latter promptly become the chief suspect, due to what seems like sheer lack of imagination on behalf of the men in charge of the investigation, It's almost sexist in a way, the female cop being overlooked and/or dismissed, the female professor labeled suspicious...and yet, the murders might have been solved so much quicker had those characters properly communicated and had one of them had the good sense and prudence to snap out of her dreamlike existence long enough to mention what/whom she came across in her walks. It's a quick read, if not particularly challenging, which might be almost entirely due to the arrogance of outside perspective. Having read a good amount of psychological thrillers recently, this falls short by comparison through lackluster characters and certain slackness of tone, although does have a good original angle. It lacks a wow factor, but is still a perfectly serviceable and fairly entertaining read in its own right. For wow factor refer to the original fairy tales behind this book.
September 8, 2022
Drei Frauen werden ermordet und ihre Leichen bizarr in Pose gesetzt. Eine junge Polizistin und eine Literaturdozentin mit Schwerpunkt Märchen kommen dem Muster auf die Schliche: Der Serienmörder hat die Körper der Toten so arrangiert, dass sie Figuren aus Märchen entsprechen.
Warum diese absurde Mischung aus Mord und Märchen? Es dauert, bis sich die Hinweise verdichten, und erst ganz zum Schluss klärt sich der Fall auf.
Märchen sind brutal, besonders in ihrer ursprünglichen, noch nicht kindgerecht bereinigten Form. Märchen & Mord: Was zuerst vielleicht überraschend wirken mag, geht doch ohne Verrenkungen zusammen - auch wenn die junge Polizistin ihre Vorgesetzten davon zunächst nicht überzeugen kann.
Märchen werden erzählt und sind auch sinnstiftend. Wären die ermordeten Frauen nicht wie Märchenfiguren arrangiert, hätte dann ihr (sinnloser) Tod überhaupt so viel Aufmerksamkeit erregt? PATH OF NEEDLES stellt unter anderem auch diese Frage, und damit verbunden: Ab wann leben wir unser eigenes Leben, unterwerfen uns vorgegebenen Narrativen nicht mehr?
Gefallen hat mir sehr gut, dass Alison Littlewood Märchen wirklich liebt und sich mit ihnen auseinandersetzt. Das spürt man deutlich beim Lesen. Auch das starke Naturelement, das mir für britische Schauerliteratur zentral scheint, ist prominent vertreten. Alice, die Märchenforscherin, und Cate, die Polizistin, sind sehr unterschiedliche, starke Protagonistinnen, die mir sympathisch sind.
Was mir nicht so gut gefallen hat: Die ersten 100 Seiten lasen sich flott weg, aber danach beginnt sich der Roman zu ziehen und auf der Stelle zu treten. Erst zum Ende hin nimmt er wieder Fahrt auf. Alison Littlewood hätte den Stoff ein wenig straffen können, ich jedenfalls hätte es ihr gedankt.
Warum diese absurde Mischung aus Mord und Märchen? Es dauert, bis sich die Hinweise verdichten, und erst ganz zum Schluss klärt sich der Fall auf.
Märchen sind brutal, besonders in ihrer ursprünglichen, noch nicht kindgerecht bereinigten Form. Märchen & Mord: Was zuerst vielleicht überraschend wirken mag, geht doch ohne Verrenkungen zusammen - auch wenn die junge Polizistin ihre Vorgesetzten davon zunächst nicht überzeugen kann.
Märchen werden erzählt und sind auch sinnstiftend. Wären die ermordeten Frauen nicht wie Märchenfiguren arrangiert, hätte dann ihr (sinnloser) Tod überhaupt so viel Aufmerksamkeit erregt? PATH OF NEEDLES stellt unter anderem auch diese Frage, und damit verbunden: Ab wann leben wir unser eigenes Leben, unterwerfen uns vorgegebenen Narrativen nicht mehr?
Gefallen hat mir sehr gut, dass Alison Littlewood Märchen wirklich liebt und sich mit ihnen auseinandersetzt. Das spürt man deutlich beim Lesen. Auch das starke Naturelement, das mir für britische Schauerliteratur zentral scheint, ist prominent vertreten. Alice, die Märchenforscherin, und Cate, die Polizistin, sind sehr unterschiedliche, starke Protagonistinnen, die mir sympathisch sind.
Was mir nicht so gut gefallen hat: Die ersten 100 Seiten lasen sich flott weg, aber danach beginnt sich der Roman zu ziehen und auf der Stelle zu treten. Erst zum Ende hin nimmt er wieder Fahrt auf. Alison Littlewood hätte den Stoff ein wenig straffen können, ich jedenfalls hätte es ihr gedankt.
April 14, 2017
This started off a bit slow for me and never really took off. The idea is interesting and the gruesome murders make for intriguing reading but there are a lot of tangled threads that never really get tied up. The story is all over the place and the entire police force (and profiler) seem essentially useless. The Big Boss writing everything off as 'you're imagining things' was completely unbelievable, and while the fairy tale theme is a unique take on the typical murder mystery, the whole thing with the bird/s was too much. A lot of the finer details left questions unanswered and the ending was a huge disappointment, lacking the dark, intelligent villain that this story so desperately needed. Great idea, poorly executed.
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September 2, 2016This copy is signed by Alison Littlewood.
July 31, 2013
When the body of a young girl is discovered in the woods, the strange way that the corpse has been arranged reminds PC Cate Corbin of a fairytale. On a hunch she contacts Alice Hyland, a lecturer in folk tales at the local university, to see if she can shed any light on her suspicions. Then another body turns up, laid out in a similar manner, and it becomes clear that a serial killer is at work in the small town. As suspicions begin to fall on Alice, Cate is forced to make decisions that could not only impact her career, but may put the lives of both women at risk.
Path of Needles is, at its heart, a police procedural thriller, and it’s a very good one. After a fairly slow start, the tension builds nicely and the plot has plenty of twists that keep the reader guessing as to who the identity of the killer is, right up to the end.
Added to the standard “police hunting a murderer” plot, are a number of fantasy elements, such as a bluebird that seems to foreshadow the murders and has some kind of link with Alice, drawing her deeper into a world that may or may not exist largely in her own mind.
Littlewoods writing is exquisite. The characters are fully fleshed out, flawed and interesting. Alice in particular is a fascinating character, who’s personality undergoes some subtle changes during the course of the novel that leave the reader wondering whether she really is an innocent bystander in these murders, or if she has a darker side to her personality. Similarly the locations are described in just enough detail to provide a vivid picture to the reader, without overdoing things and slowing down the plot. The murders themselves are at times, quite vicious and gruesome, while the fantasy elements provide a level of intrigue that elevates Path of Needles far above your standard serial killer fare.
Path of Needles is a truly gripping novel, that keeps the reader guessing right up to the final pages. It’s a must read for fans of police procedural novels, or anyone that wants to read an intelligent, fast paced and satisfying thriller.
Path of Needles is, at its heart, a police procedural thriller, and it’s a very good one. After a fairly slow start, the tension builds nicely and the plot has plenty of twists that keep the reader guessing as to who the identity of the killer is, right up to the end.
Added to the standard “police hunting a murderer” plot, are a number of fantasy elements, such as a bluebird that seems to foreshadow the murders and has some kind of link with Alice, drawing her deeper into a world that may or may not exist largely in her own mind.
Littlewoods writing is exquisite. The characters are fully fleshed out, flawed and interesting. Alice in particular is a fascinating character, who’s personality undergoes some subtle changes during the course of the novel that leave the reader wondering whether she really is an innocent bystander in these murders, or if she has a darker side to her personality. Similarly the locations are described in just enough detail to provide a vivid picture to the reader, without overdoing things and slowing down the plot. The murders themselves are at times, quite vicious and gruesome, while the fantasy elements provide a level of intrigue that elevates Path of Needles far above your standard serial killer fare.
Path of Needles is a truly gripping novel, that keeps the reader guessing right up to the final pages. It’s a must read for fans of police procedural novels, or anyone that wants to read an intelligent, fast paced and satisfying thriller.
July 31, 2015
I will be honest and say this is my first contact with the author, having never jumped on the ‘Cold Season’ bandwagon. I guess, at least, it gives you a perspective which is not misted by her prior work.
The police are dealing with a serial killer who appears to be leaving their crimes scenes as fairy-tale tableaux thus they call in a fairy-tale specialist. The story mainly comes in the perspectives of one of the officers and the specialist, taking you through the events which transpire. It is certainly an interesting take on crime, something I have never seen before, something that certainly grabbed my attention throughout. Well-paced, it was an easy read to work through. I managed to work out early on who was behind the crime yet it wasn’t until the end that the reasoning was made clear.
Certainly an interesting quick read.
The police are dealing with a serial killer who appears to be leaving their crimes scenes as fairy-tale tableaux thus they call in a fairy-tale specialist. The story mainly comes in the perspectives of one of the officers and the specialist, taking you through the events which transpire. It is certainly an interesting take on crime, something I have never seen before, something that certainly grabbed my attention throughout. Well-paced, it was an easy read to work through. I managed to work out early on who was behind the crime yet it wasn’t until the end that the reasoning was made clear.
Certainly an interesting quick read.
March 17, 2015
Review soon.
May 18, 2019
I was intrigued with this book - murders based on fairy tales. Now that's a bit different. Right from the start there is a sense that a beautiful blue bird is involved. The bird remains throughout the book and I have to admit I really didn't like this aspect because I was thinking how the hell is a bird going to be of use in the story line. Is it trained by the killer to assist him? This would be a little far fetched!
So when the police discover the first body our budding young detective Cate Corbin who is still a constable sees a fairy tale connection. She draws in a professor, Alice Hyland, whose specialty are fairy tales . As more killings happen it is clear that fairy tales are involved.
So right now let me complain about the fact that the author pays no detail to the killings themselves, just the aftermath of how the bodies are found and the clues associated to the bodies. To me as a reader of horror this aspect of just coming up with dead bodies and not delving into the aspects of the kill - thrill aspects, reasons why, for the murderer, fear and terror for the victim, fear and worry for the family and those associated to the victims - is disappointing to me.
My second main complaint is the fact that the author is basically steering you to the unknown perpetrator of these crimes and it is clear as hell that you are being steered to think it's someone when it clearly will not be. Alison Littlewood is a little to obvious as she tries to steer the reader - it is overdone and therefore anyone with some intelligence can see through this!
So I think it's clear that I was not overly impressed with this book. It could be do to the fact that my reading time is not of the quality it used to be and I think a few of the books I have read of late have suffered do to this and this is clearly on me. Yet with this book the read was about three weeks long versus my usual ten days or so which is not that bad and this has to factor into what I think of the book.
But let me emphasize that the last 80 pages really brought this book together and had me change my mind about it. The ending was exciting but again it played out like a TV crime story where the one character who is introduced very briefly is the perpetrator. (My wife thinks she is a great detective because she solves all the tv crime shows but I point out the simplistic formula that proves correct about 90% of the time and she concurs. Ps I don't consider this a spoiler as there are a few fringe characters in the book).
Now I will get back to where I started which is this magical blue bird. At the end there is a chapter titled Author's Notes which is basically an epilogue. These notes helped greatly understand the significance of the bird as does the ending of the book as well. When I first read the notes it brought closure to this issue for me and I immediately thought well this should have been the damn prologue. But as I wait a few days before reviewing the book on goodreads I started thinking that if the notes were in a prologue it may have spoiled things. I think that the damn bird issue does intrigue you throughout because it is such a different aspect.
So as mentioned this book and its first three quarters would have gotten a fail from me. However it all came together at the end. The perpetrator and his jealousy towards his family rings very true to me. I have seen childhood jealousies carry over into adulthood and destroy families like my wife's. I mean isn't there simply a time to get over it? Parenting is tough! Mistakes are made and I can assure you as a parent you try your best but you can't always make the right decision. Yet so many times one child thinks that the other child/children were favoured - LIKE GET OVER IT!! lol.
So I don't know what to rate this. It's not four stars and three seems a little low but I think that's what I have to give it - about 65/100. Also, this book had its moments all along - good ones and I think I owe it to the author to try another of her novels. A Cold Season looks interesting and sometimes your best idea - what inspired you to write may not be your best work as an author but often it is one of your best ideas and so I will take a peek at A Cold Season down the road.
I'm not sure I would recommend this book and hopefully the review helps and in reality I guess 65% is a recommendation though not the strongest one.
So when the police discover the first body our budding young detective Cate Corbin who is still a constable sees a fairy tale connection. She draws in a professor, Alice Hyland, whose specialty are fairy tales . As more killings happen it is clear that fairy tales are involved.
So right now let me complain about the fact that the author pays no detail to the killings themselves, just the aftermath of how the bodies are found and the clues associated to the bodies. To me as a reader of horror this aspect of just coming up with dead bodies and not delving into the aspects of the kill - thrill aspects, reasons why, for the murderer, fear and terror for the victim, fear and worry for the family and those associated to the victims - is disappointing to me.
My second main complaint is the fact that the author is basically steering you to the unknown perpetrator of these crimes and it is clear as hell that you are being steered to think it's someone when it clearly will not be. Alison Littlewood is a little to obvious as she tries to steer the reader - it is overdone and therefore anyone with some intelligence can see through this!
So I think it's clear that I was not overly impressed with this book. It could be do to the fact that my reading time is not of the quality it used to be and I think a few of the books I have read of late have suffered do to this and this is clearly on me. Yet with this book the read was about three weeks long versus my usual ten days or so which is not that bad and this has to factor into what I think of the book.
But let me emphasize that the last 80 pages really brought this book together and had me change my mind about it. The ending was exciting but again it played out like a TV crime story where the one character who is introduced very briefly is the perpetrator. (My wife thinks she is a great detective because she solves all the tv crime shows but I point out the simplistic formula that proves correct about 90% of the time and she concurs. Ps I don't consider this a spoiler as there are a few fringe characters in the book).
Now I will get back to where I started which is this magical blue bird. At the end there is a chapter titled Author's Notes which is basically an epilogue. These notes helped greatly understand the significance of the bird as does the ending of the book as well. When I first read the notes it brought closure to this issue for me and I immediately thought well this should have been the damn prologue. But as I wait a few days before reviewing the book on goodreads I started thinking that if the notes were in a prologue it may have spoiled things. I think that the damn bird issue does intrigue you throughout because it is such a different aspect.
So as mentioned this book and its first three quarters would have gotten a fail from me. However it all came together at the end. The perpetrator and his jealousy towards his family rings very true to me. I have seen childhood jealousies carry over into adulthood and destroy families like my wife's. I mean isn't there simply a time to get over it? Parenting is tough! Mistakes are made and I can assure you as a parent you try your best but you can't always make the right decision. Yet so many times one child thinks that the other child/children were favoured - LIKE GET OVER IT!! lol.
So I don't know what to rate this. It's not four stars and three seems a little low but I think that's what I have to give it - about 65/100. Also, this book had its moments all along - good ones and I think I owe it to the author to try another of her novels. A Cold Season looks interesting and sometimes your best idea - what inspired you to write may not be your best work as an author but often it is one of your best ideas and so I will take a peek at A Cold Season down the road.
I'm not sure I would recommend this book and hopefully the review helps and in reality I guess 65% is a recommendation though not the strongest one.
June 4, 2013
It is, I think, good to expand your horizons on a regular basis. That applies in all aspects of life, but especially (in my opinion at least) with reading and writing. It's all too easy to box ourselves in to what is comfortable, what we know we like, and before we know it we end up stagnated in -- to use a rather clichéd example -- Tolkeinesque high fantasy.
Path of Needles then, being a crime novel, is a bit of a departure from previous form and favour for both myself, as the reader, and Alison Littlewood.
I read, and rather enjoyed, her debut novel A Cold Season over a year ago. It was a horror novel both easily accessible and eschewing the easier monster-based paths of horror for a creeping and lingering chill. But Path of Needles is cut from a different mould, so even as I opened the cover I knew that I would have to put my preconceptions aside to see what waited within
Path of Needles utilises that classic cornerstone of mystery crime fiction, the themed serial killer. To the best of my knowledge, this doesn't tend to happen in the real world, but since "random homicidal nutter kills for no obvious reason" doesn't lend itself naturally to exciting fiction. Here the theme is fairytales.
There seems to be something of a trend towards fairy tales lately. It was clear with the spate of Snow White films last year, but now it seems to be getting a major hat tip from the fiction world -- Sarah Pinborough's Poison comes to mind. I'm not completely sold, but even I have to admit that it makes a welcome change from brooding teenaged vampires.
Anyway, the novel centres around a series of murders in West Yorkshire, where the bodies have been staged to resemble fairy tale dioramas. Fresh-faced policewoman Cate Corbin and folklore teacher Alice Hyland are brought together in the effort to decipher the killer's messages and motives and bring the murder spree to an end.
The power of Littlewood's writing in this novel clearly stems from her horror background. She weaves the fairy tales right into the fabric of the story. There's no tipping of hands, no showing of cards, and it remains a possibility that the plot could take a sharp turn off the path, and the supernatural explanations hinted at -- and scorned by the characters -- could turn out to be the reality. That blurring of this line between natural and supernatural is what gives Path of Needles its edge, and takes it beyond the usual crime fare.
And a lot of work has gone into it. No Disney princesses grace these pages, Littlewood has done her research into the histories of fairytales. The variations she brings out -- older and necessarily more brutal than modern interpretations -- are different, interesting and in a number of places surprised me with content and ideas which I hadn't encountered elsewhere. Throughout, there is a pervading sense that a lot of work has gone into this novel.
However -- and there always, it seems, has to be a however -- it is still crime fiction, and I still had some of the issues with it that I tend to with that genre. It's all so...by the numbers. A whistle-stop reveal of evidence, clue by clue in exacting order, which though undoubtedly superior to your average Midsommer Murders episode still has the dread touch of formula on it. The backstory of the killer, for example, felt like a time-worn simplification lifted from the pages of too many other novels within the genre. It was tailored to fit this story, granted, but I was left wanting something more.
Littlewood is a very competent writer. Her prose rolls of the page with a light and easy-to-read touch -- I read most of it in the sun on holiday -- and she has a gift for creative story-telling. By the final act, I was hoping for a sea-change in the story's direction comparable to A Cold Season to really knock my socks off. So whilst the novel was a perfectly good crime novel -- better than average, I would even chance -- I was ultimately left feeling a little unfulfilled.
Path of Needles then, being a crime novel, is a bit of a departure from previous form and favour for both myself, as the reader, and Alison Littlewood.
I read, and rather enjoyed, her debut novel A Cold Season over a year ago. It was a horror novel both easily accessible and eschewing the easier monster-based paths of horror for a creeping and lingering chill. But Path of Needles is cut from a different mould, so even as I opened the cover I knew that I would have to put my preconceptions aside to see what waited within
Path of Needles utilises that classic cornerstone of mystery crime fiction, the themed serial killer. To the best of my knowledge, this doesn't tend to happen in the real world, but since "random homicidal nutter kills for no obvious reason" doesn't lend itself naturally to exciting fiction. Here the theme is fairytales.
There seems to be something of a trend towards fairy tales lately. It was clear with the spate of Snow White films last year, but now it seems to be getting a major hat tip from the fiction world -- Sarah Pinborough's Poison comes to mind. I'm not completely sold, but even I have to admit that it makes a welcome change from brooding teenaged vampires.
Anyway, the novel centres around a series of murders in West Yorkshire, where the bodies have been staged to resemble fairy tale dioramas. Fresh-faced policewoman Cate Corbin and folklore teacher Alice Hyland are brought together in the effort to decipher the killer's messages and motives and bring the murder spree to an end.
The power of Littlewood's writing in this novel clearly stems from her horror background. She weaves the fairy tales right into the fabric of the story. There's no tipping of hands, no showing of cards, and it remains a possibility that the plot could take a sharp turn off the path, and the supernatural explanations hinted at -- and scorned by the characters -- could turn out to be the reality. That blurring of this line between natural and supernatural is what gives Path of Needles its edge, and takes it beyond the usual crime fare.
And a lot of work has gone into it. No Disney princesses grace these pages, Littlewood has done her research into the histories of fairytales. The variations she brings out -- older and necessarily more brutal than modern interpretations -- are different, interesting and in a number of places surprised me with content and ideas which I hadn't encountered elsewhere. Throughout, there is a pervading sense that a lot of work has gone into this novel.
However -- and there always, it seems, has to be a however -- it is still crime fiction, and I still had some of the issues with it that I tend to with that genre. It's all so...by the numbers. A whistle-stop reveal of evidence, clue by clue in exacting order, which though undoubtedly superior to your average Midsommer Murders episode still has the dread touch of formula on it. The backstory of the killer, for example, felt like a time-worn simplification lifted from the pages of too many other novels within the genre. It was tailored to fit this story, granted, but I was left wanting something more.
Littlewood is a very competent writer. Her prose rolls of the page with a light and easy-to-read touch -- I read most of it in the sun on holiday -- and she has a gift for creative story-telling. By the final act, I was hoping for a sea-change in the story's direction comparable to A Cold Season to really knock my socks off. So whilst the novel was a perfectly good crime novel -- better than average, I would even chance -- I was ultimately left feeling a little unfulfilled.
September 28, 2017
This book was so disappointing for me - the premise, a murder mystery where the state of the victims are reminiscent of fairy tales, was intriguing, but the execution was seriously lackluster. The characters were all bland, with little to no backstories and zero character development, and there was so little differentiation between their personalities that if names were replaced by pronouns it’d be hard to tell which character was speaking. The plot itself plodded along until the end, at which point I couldn’t find myself caring what happened to who, or why, which was just as well because the last few chapters seemed rushed and almost unfinished in comparison to the rest of the book (some questions were answered by the killer, but not all, and they are important enough that I almost feel gypped for sticking it out). Overall, very underwhelming.
August 23, 2017
As a twelve-year old I developed a taste for fairy tales & folklore from around the world & was forever scouring the library for more books, so a crime thriller where the murderer makes up tableaus from fairy tale deaths sounded right up my street! And I did enjoy hearing of the different versions of Snow White, Little Red Riding Hood etc, how the stories developed over the years.
On the downside the murderer & the "reason" for the killings wasn't very credible...in fact it's a few days since I finished it & the why eludes me completely! Neither did I like the appearance of the L'Oiseau Bleu, which, despite my loving the fairy tale connections, simply struck me as a bit silly & I initially wondered whether the story was going to veer into a supernatural/fantasy vein.
Overall I really enjoyed it but think it could have been improved with a more convincing ending.
On the downside the murderer & the "reason" for the killings wasn't very credible...in fact it's a few days since I finished it & the why eludes me completely! Neither did I like the appearance of the L'Oiseau Bleu, which, despite my loving the fairy tale connections, simply struck me as a bit silly & I initially wondered whether the story was going to veer into a supernatural/fantasy vein.
Overall I really enjoyed it but think it could have been improved with a more convincing ending.
March 10, 2019
Fairy tales where evil wins. Murder is staged to portray Snow White, Little Red Riding Hood and others. An inexperienced cop connects the parallels and brings in a college professor to help solve the crimes. Both entangle themselves without support with the criminal. Full of turns and twists with a explosive ending.
March 16, 2024
This started out promising, but there really wasn't much in the way of a mystery to solve - with such a small cast of characters, if you don't peg the murderer the moment they're introduced, I'd be shocked.
Cate is kind of a boring, flat character. Alice is clearly intended to be the main character but she's very difficult to find relatable, since she seems to always be walking around in a daze, with only oblique references to her life outside of fairy tales and folklore.
The ending doesn't really make sense, either. The motive behind the murders really makes me want to ask if someone stretched before that reach. The fairytales are mashed up into this sort of mythic ideology held by the murderer, but none of it makes any sense nor does it gel together. Just typical mommy issues with a lot of extra steps.
Also, the thing with the birds is super weird, and I know it's supposed to be ambiguous as to whether or not the bluebird really was the dead sister, and whether the murderer turned into a bird in the end, but Alice clearly believed it, even when she insists at the end she didn't believe it.
Cate is kind of a boring, flat character. Alice is clearly intended to be the main character but she's very difficult to find relatable, since she seems to always be walking around in a daze, with only oblique references to her life outside of fairy tales and folklore.
The ending doesn't really make sense, either. The motive behind the murders really makes me want to ask if someone stretched before that reach. The fairytales are mashed up into this sort of mythic ideology held by the murderer, but none of it makes any sense nor does it gel together. Just typical mommy issues with a lot of extra steps.
Also, the thing with the birds is super weird, and I know it's supposed to be ambiguous as to whether or not the bluebird really was the dead sister, and whether the murderer turned into a bird in the end, but Alice clearly believed it, even when she insists at the end she didn't believe it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 1, 2013
When the body of a young girl is discovered in local woods, the peculiar way the corpse has been arranged reminds PC Cate Corbin of a fairytale. Quickly being drafted onto the investigation team, she contacts Alice Hyland, a lecturer in folk tales at a nearby university, to see if she can shed any light on her suspicions. Then another body turns up, similarly adhering to the imagery of a fairy tale and it becomes clear that there is a serial killer operating in the small Yorkshire town. I loved Alison’s previous novel “A Cold Season”, a spooky, ghostly tale set in a snowbound Yorkshire and was keen to read this follow-up, trying to get to it knowing as little as possible beforehand. I’m glad I did. Branching off into a whole new direction - vaguely supernatural in a couple of key elements but mainly a police procedural/crime thriller - but highlighting her innate grasp of suspense and beautiful writing, “Path Of Needles” works very well indeed. The story works because of the unusual concept (with Sarah Pinborough’s earlier ‘Poison’, I haven’t had as much contact with fairy tales since I was a kid) and Alison’s research serves the plot and characters well, keeping the reader guessing and throwing in plenty of red herrings (and some clever uses of nature) before the climax slots into place and we fear for the leads. The pace is brisk (it’s a quick read), the writing is fluid and elegant, even in the brutal sequences and she never shys away from the grim reality of this kind of thing, as a result making them all the more powerful. Interestingly, the characterisation is very broadbrush - we know virtually nothing of Cate out of uniform and although you get the sense that Alice is more flightly, the only thing we really know is that she has a dementia-riddled mother, a situation that is perhaps pushing her further into her beloved fairy stories - but it works perfectly in context. A great crime-thriller, “Path Of Needles” shows Alison Littlewood as a first class writer who - if she continues the level of quality and skill she’s so far shown - will go a long, long way and I, for one, couldn’t be happier to see that. Beautifully written, this is an excellent read and highly recommended.
October 9, 2014
PATH OF NEEDLES was an exciting and engaging mystery. Told from two viewpoints - young police officer Cate Corbin and college lecturer Alice Hyland - gives us two unique views of the events of this story. Cate is eager to make her mark as a police officer. She is dedicated and practical. Alice Hyland is an expert on fairy tales and lives a life that seems open to the possibilities of magic.
There lives intersect when Cate is one of the first on the scene of the murder of a young woman. Cate immediately notices things that remind her of Snow White and decides to find an expert on fairy tales to consult. Alice lives near the scene of the crime and is the logical choice. The two women hit it off. When a second victim is found and the fairy tale is Little Red Riding Hood, Alice's insights are helpful. Cate's superior officer Heath is suspicious that they are too helpful and that Alice herself might be involved. When a third victim is found mimicking still another fairy tale, things heat up. Cate is torn between her liking for Alice and her superior's suspicions.
I liked the way the author contrasted the characters of Cate and Alice. I liked the potentially magical aspects of the story in the recurring appearances of the blue bird. The author also managed to keep me in the dark about the identity of the murder until very late in the story. I had decided that another character was the criminal.
Mystery fans, fairy tale fans, and fans of police procedurals will all find something to enjoy in the well-written mystery.
There lives intersect when Cate is one of the first on the scene of the murder of a young woman. Cate immediately notices things that remind her of Snow White and decides to find an expert on fairy tales to consult. Alice lives near the scene of the crime and is the logical choice. The two women hit it off. When a second victim is found and the fairy tale is Little Red Riding Hood, Alice's insights are helpful. Cate's superior officer Heath is suspicious that they are too helpful and that Alice herself might be involved. When a third victim is found mimicking still another fairy tale, things heat up. Cate is torn between her liking for Alice and her superior's suspicions.
I liked the way the author contrasted the characters of Cate and Alice. I liked the potentially magical aspects of the story in the recurring appearances of the blue bird. The author also managed to keep me in the dark about the identity of the murder until very late in the story. I had decided that another character was the criminal.
Mystery fans, fairy tale fans, and fans of police procedurals will all find something to enjoy in the well-written mystery.
December 20, 2014
I won this book from Goodreads and Hachette Publishing. This was my first time reading a Littlewood book. I actually enjoyed the fairy tale theme. I thought it was a nice mix of mystery and fantasy. I am defintely going to read her first book A Cold Season and I look forward to checking out what else she writes next. I think as she evolves as an author and polishes her stories a little more she'll be a really good author!
June 11, 2022
I have to admit to a bias before beginning this review. I'm not a fan of fairy tales being used as the basis of other stories (this probably rules out every single Disney/Pixar film, but I tend to give them some leeway as they are usually aimed at children). So, for example, I didn't enjoy Angela Carter's "The Bloody Chamber", and most often other uses are too derivative and/or hackneyed for my taste.
Against this bias, "Path of Needles" does stand up quite well. The writing is fluid and engaging (I read this over the course of a few days), the plot sustains itself, and the element of fantasy is dialled down to be (possibly) non-existent (which does chime with the realist aspect of most of the original tellings). I do have issues with the madness of serial killers in stories being totally at odds with their ability to kill in conjunction with their narrative, and there is a villain-tells-the-back-story element towards the end which is far too explanatory, however overall this is a solid, well-constructed story which I felt compelling enough to keep reading even if it won't linger in the mind afterwards. And bonus points for keeping the reality/fantasy aspect blurred. Is that what our lives are really about?
Against this bias, "Path of Needles" does stand up quite well. The writing is fluid and engaging (I read this over the course of a few days), the plot sustains itself, and the element of fantasy is dialled down to be (possibly) non-existent (which does chime with the realist aspect of most of the original tellings). I do have issues with the madness of serial killers in stories being totally at odds with their ability to kill in conjunction with their narrative, and there is a villain-tells-the-back-story element towards the end which is far too explanatory, however overall this is a solid, well-constructed story which I felt compelling enough to keep reading even if it won't linger in the mind afterwards. And bonus points for keeping the reality/fantasy aspect blurred. Is that what our lives are really about?
June 15, 2017
Thank you to Alison Littlewood and PS Publishing for giving me this book to read.
A murderer is on the loose and PC Cate Corbin has found the murder site reminds her of something. Acting on a thought she asks fairy tale expert Alice Hyland for her opinion and help.
From here we are taken on an amazing story about death, murders, murderers and fairy tales.
Doesn't everyone know a fairy tale or two. Some I tried to work out and like PC Corbins I got it a bit wrong, but I do think that was an amazing written trick to keep you guessing and intrigued.
This novel once it got to the top of my reading pile was so hard to put down. I just kept wanting to know more. What was going to happen, any more murders, what could they find and mostly who did it. I liked how through the story you could guess at who it could be but you could be wrong.
Such a captivating read that will have you wanting more time to read just to find out more.
So cleverly crafted with fairy tales as the killers theme and done in a way that doesn't disappoint. You'll be rethinking what you knew about fairy tales long after reading the book.
A murderer is on the loose and PC Cate Corbin has found the murder site reminds her of something. Acting on a thought she asks fairy tale expert Alice Hyland for her opinion and help.
From here we are taken on an amazing story about death, murders, murderers and fairy tales.
Doesn't everyone know a fairy tale or two. Some I tried to work out and like PC Corbins I got it a bit wrong, but I do think that was an amazing written trick to keep you guessing and intrigued.
This novel once it got to the top of my reading pile was so hard to put down. I just kept wanting to know more. What was going to happen, any more murders, what could they find and mostly who did it. I liked how through the story you could guess at who it could be but you could be wrong.
Such a captivating read that will have you wanting more time to read just to find out more.
So cleverly crafted with fairy tales as the killers theme and done in a way that doesn't disappoint. You'll be rethinking what you knew about fairy tales long after reading the book.
October 27, 2018
Liebe Krimi- und Märchenfreunde, dieses Buch wird euch begeistern!
Ich bin ein sehr großer Märchenfan und begeisterter Krimi- und Thriller- Leser und als ich dieses Buch, auf einem Wühlstapel zwischen allerlei Liebes- und Science-Fiction- Romanen fand, war ich schon von der kurz und bündigen Inhaltsangabe sehr interessiert.
Was erwartete mich nun in diesem Buch, dessen Cover bereits auf eines meiner liebsten Märchen hindeutet?
Eindeutig Spannung, sehr großes Interesse und Neugierde, welche zu jedem neuen Fall größer wurde - was passiert als Nächstes, was wird geschehen,...? Das waren die Fragen die ich mir wärend des Lesens immer wieder stellte!
Das Highlight in diesem mörderischen-märchenhaften Thriller waren aber doch die Erläuterungen der Märchen. Viele kennen unsere Volks- und Hausmärchen als liebevolle und glücklich ausgehende Geschichten, doch in diesem Roman werden die Märchen einmal so erklärt und erzählt, wie sie damals wirklich waren - es waren grausame Geschichten für Erwachsene (die auch nicht immer gut ausgingen)!
Ein Buch, dass in manchen Momenten einem das Fürchten lehren kann!
Ich war "lesebegeistert"!
Lesenswert!
Ich bin ein sehr großer Märchenfan und begeisterter Krimi- und Thriller- Leser und als ich dieses Buch, auf einem Wühlstapel zwischen allerlei Liebes- und Science-Fiction- Romanen fand, war ich schon von der kurz und bündigen Inhaltsangabe sehr interessiert.
Was erwartete mich nun in diesem Buch, dessen Cover bereits auf eines meiner liebsten Märchen hindeutet?
Eindeutig Spannung, sehr großes Interesse und Neugierde, welche zu jedem neuen Fall größer wurde - was passiert als Nächstes, was wird geschehen,...? Das waren die Fragen die ich mir wärend des Lesens immer wieder stellte!
Das Highlight in diesem mörderischen-märchenhaften Thriller waren aber doch die Erläuterungen der Märchen. Viele kennen unsere Volks- und Hausmärchen als liebevolle und glücklich ausgehende Geschichten, doch in diesem Roman werden die Märchen einmal so erklärt und erzählt, wie sie damals wirklich waren - es waren grausame Geschichten für Erwachsene (die auch nicht immer gut ausgingen)!
Ein Buch, dass in manchen Momenten einem das Fürchten lehren kann!
Ich war "lesebegeistert"!
Lesenswert!
December 25, 2023
Path of needles was the book i’ve read after a year of break of life. It was a good book to read after a long time. A good thriller book. I was expecting though that the killer would be a female. Levitt’s character explained in the book towards the end of the story was a mystery unfolded. The character did experience a lot, had to go through a lot in his life for him to ultimately be a killer. His character is well described as to how every one has a reason to be whatever (whether good or bad) they become in their own respective lives. Other than that, I also liked the police inspector Cate’s behaviour. Alice fairy tale expert’s character could be introduced even at the later half of the story but the environment where the author described her house and her lifestyle was very interesting. Overall an enjoyable read 4 stars.
August 20, 2017
I received a copy of this book through a giveaway; thanks! My opinions are my own.
This book was interesting; it did a good job of weaving together the differing perspectives of the characters. I only had it narrowed down to two people for the murderer until the end, as opposed to it being terribly obvious.
I enjoyed the blending of the old school fairy tales into the "reality" of the characters. I found myself questioning the sanity of a couple of people as the story unfolded.
As much as the characters were well written, I don't care as much as I have about other fictional people I've came across. I don't think I'll have a reading hangover for them.
All in all, I would recommend this book for fans of crime fiction and fairy tales.
This book was interesting; it did a good job of weaving together the differing perspectives of the characters. I only had it narrowed down to two people for the murderer until the end, as opposed to it being terribly obvious.
I enjoyed the blending of the old school fairy tales into the "reality" of the characters. I found myself questioning the sanity of a couple of people as the story unfolded.
As much as the characters were well written, I don't care as much as I have about other fictional people I've came across. I don't think I'll have a reading hangover for them.
All in all, I would recommend this book for fans of crime fiction and fairy tales.
November 5, 2017
I’m glad I started with Littlewood’s The Hidden People because every book she’s written is a bit better than the previous one - this was better than a Cold Season but not nearly as good as THP. Alice and Cate both felt under-fleshed and the killer was ridiculously easy to spot 1/4 of the book in - who else would it be? I’ll keep reading new Littlewood but I won’t be going through her back catalogue anymore.
June 14, 2022
Ich gestehe, dass ich das Buch hauptsächlich wegen des Covers mitgenommen habe (wenn ein Apfel drauf ist, kann ich schwer widerstehen) und der Anfang hat mir auch noch ganz gut gefallen, aber irgendwann hat sich für mich das, was ein solider Krimi hätte werden können, völlig verloren. Wozu baut man erst die Figur der Ermittlerin auf, wenn diese am Ende völlig irrelevant wird? Die letzten rund 100 Seiten habe ich mich dann nur noch durchgequält, dabei war Potential da.
May 7, 2017
Interesting premise and the writing was enjoyable. However, the cliche characters, laughably unrealistic ending, and weird supernatural component that didn't fit in with the rest of the book resulted in a disappointing conclusion.
May 10, 2017
Thank you for the signed copy, it is a beautiful edition!
July 27, 2017
interesting concept for a thriller/ murder mystery but the story was kinda of all over the place.
November 26, 2017
A good thriller with murders based on fairy tales and an expert helping to solve them
January 28, 2018
Really enjoyed this Murder Mystery with a Fairytale Twist:)
May 15, 2018
Loved the fascinating fairy stories - better than the crime story itself. :)
November 22, 2018
Really loved this book! A great combination of crime and fairytale, I think Alison is a clever writer with brilliant ideas.
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