Sweetie

by Jenny Tomlin

It is the summer of 1976, the hottest summer on record.

In the heart of London's bustling East End lies a tight-knit community of families. They lead a very traditional way of life, the men are down the pub, the women are gossiping at the toddler group in the working men's club and the children stay out late in the long summer evenings, playing in the park and roaming the streets carefree.

In the sweltering heat, Grace Ballantyne leaves her son Adam playing in his toy car in the garden. When she returns, she finds the door to the car open and her four-year-old son is nowhere in sight. As Grace frantically searches, panic creeps in and so the nightmare begins.

A series of horrific assaults on young children spreads through the neighbourhood, each one more brutal; there is only so much this close community can take. As they cling to one another for hope and survival, the men beat up the school caretaker who they believe to be the perpetrator of this twisted abuse. But have they got the right man?

Finally, it is the women who take control. In a battle to protect their families - and seek revenge - they make sure the attacker gets his just desserts.

Genres: Nonfiction, Abuse, Memoir, Horror, Adult

416 pages, Paperback

First published July 3, 2008

About the author

QUEEN of the misery memoir Jenny Tomlin, mother of actress Martine McCutcheon, is not as tragic as you might imagine.

Upbeat and truly happy in her life now, it's difficult to believe that she was sexually abused by her father, unprotected by her slovenly mother and then married a violent man who battered her senseless even when she was pregnant with Martine.

Her disturbing story was told in her memoirs Behind Closed Doors and Silent Sisters, which became bestsellers, enabling her to buy a 12-acre French farmhouse in the Dordogne with her second husband, Alan Tomlin, a bodyguard she married in Barbados nine years ago.

Then, of course, there's her famous daughter.

You can hear Martine laughing in the background as her mother describes their relationship now.

"She's my best friend. No matter what life throws at her, she has such a positive outlook. She's strong mentally, she's funny, witty, clever. "Because I had her so young [at 19], it's almost like we're mates. I'm so proud of that fact because I never had that with my mother."

At the farm, Jenny, 52, runs an English grocery shop and tea garden, serving up full English breakfasts and afternoon teas to hungry customers. She moved to France to escape the many bad memories, and experience a more tranquil setting.

Reviews

[Ruth Turner · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book is just a litany of violence. Or at least the first half of it is.

A brutal rape/murder of a young girl

A brutal rape of a small boy.

An unwarranted assault on a special needs boy who has cerebral palsy.

An attempted rape of another young girl.

The disappearance of another boy who returns home safe and well.

And the brutal murder of another young boy that same day. (I don't know if he was raped, I couldn't read any more)

The assault on Steven, the young boy with cerebral palsy, was committed by a group of grown men, whose wives incorrectly assumed that because the attacks started after Steven came home on holidays from his special school, and because he was always watching other children play, that he was the culprit. They egged their husbands on to do something about it, and while one of the wives got Steven's mother out of the house, the men almost beat him to death.

This is from one of the women, whose husband had been involved in the assault on Steven...

“She felt bad for the way she had spoken to him (her husband) last night. He had only been doing what he thought was right, and Grace had the wisdom to know that you had to let a man be a man." WTF??


The disappearance of boy, Jamie, was in broad daylight, with four 12 year old girls playing hopscotch across the street. The boy was with a group of his mates, out on the sidewalk in front of his house, admiring and taking turns sitting in the Jaguar of a visiting relative. This boy was 9 years old and no one saw him leave.

What do the parents do, knowing of the murder and rapes? Call the police? No. They send the other boys out looking for him. One of the mothers tries to enlist her husband to help look for the boy. When the husband declines, stating his belief (correct as it turns out) that the boy would come walking in the door at any time, this is what the mother said...

‘Terry, there is a sex maniac out there somewhere and he’s getting through our kids like a dose of salts."

Charming!


And what do you think happened next? One of the boys sent out to search for Jamie disappears and is found murdered. *head bang* *head bang*

It would be hard enough to read if this was a true story, but as a piece of fiction it disgusted me.

And to top it all off, the writing is appalling and the characters are unlikeable and unsympathetic.

I wouldn't recommend this book to any one.

[Lucy Oliver · Rating 5 out of 5]

Harrowing, but great ending. Couldn’t put it down

[Louise]

Dont read. Sick, disturbing, horrible. How someone could write this piece of fiction and have the thoughts in their mind to put down on paper this is unbelievable. Made me physically sick. should be banned. I dont even want this book in my house any more and so will hbe thrown in the bin.

[Grace · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars

I thoroughly enjoyed this book but could understand why some of the readers/reviewers didn't. Child abuse is such an emotive subject and the thought of reading a book about it nearly put me off but I decided to try it and see. Yes, it was a bit too graphic at times, however I read lots of thrillers with gruesome murders or acts of violence so I guess authors these days are bit more graphic than perhaps they have been in the past. That said, the book showed how a community got together to deal with a horrible situation.

While reading this book, I did some research on the author and found out she had been the victim of child abuse by her father. As with all artists, they write, sing etc about what they know. I think that the author did a very good job with a difficult subject. I was quite prepared to abandon this book, it if became too much but found myself compelled to complete it.

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

Set in the 1970's, in a small town in which rape, sexual assault, and murder of children was completely unheard of, yet one day a 12year old girl was discovered in a horrifying manner. The girl was the first of several.

The attacks begin to set the whole town on edge and suddenly everyone who is different becomes a suspect. It's only after a group of parents attack a young teen who has a low mental intel that they start to suspect each other.

Jenny Tomlin shows how a small community faces the danger of having thier social construct crumbling while each person has to face their own demons as the attacker holds the town in fear.

[Rose · Rating 1 out of 5]

Dont even go there. I dont want to read books like this. This is totally sick. I dont know how someone could write this. Unfortunately once i had started it I had to finish it to find out who the bad guy was and make sure he got his just desserts.

[Jade · Rating 1 out of 5]

Awful. Was gross and written entirely too simply.

[Gillian]

Horrible! i wouldn't recommend this book to anybody.

[Miss Gucci · Rating 3 out of 5]

Omg, where do I start with this book, firstly I didn’t expect this form the Author for a fiction book, the abuse was horrific and couldn’t imagine it in real life, the first few chapters were very confusing and I didn’t know where the storyline was heading, but as I kept up with the book, it kicked in and after chapter 4,
I was literally laughing to myself and couldn’t wait for the next Chapter to find out who the killer was, and my end conclusion was spot on, he deserved everything he got and the way the girls talked about it and planned it was fantastic,
The book had humour and I was laughing all the way, but having said that would not recommend to others not because of the nature of the abuse but the confusing of the storyline!

[Danielle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Could not put this down!

Fantastic ,shocking ,heart braking,tragic ,graphic
Jenny Tomlinson is a fantastic brave survivor who'd other world about her life I have very much enjoyed so finding a book she had written I just had to read!!!
About a long not summer where children were at such risk ,how eve.n when they should be safe were not and how true evil hides in plain sight, family love and friendship come together at the toughest of times ....
And how things that happen children in terrible abuse and murder affect everyone family community and the police that are on the cases!

[Charlotte Hallam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Now I suggest you read the back of the book to see what this about it carely is about child abuse! Also read the introduction will give you insight. This book is brutal and uncomfortable but child abuse is brutal and children do die so if it upset you? You obviously want this kind of thing to be played down that's not how the real world is it now!!!

It's a good read obviously some things drag out but I finished this book in a day. Worth a read if you can handle to graphic detail.

[Christine South · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is very graphic & bit too graphic & I don’t think that was necessary. I know this story was based in 1970s & that attitudes were very different to what they are today but there was a lot of racist language used & I think that the author could have conveyed the message without using a lot of offensive language. The plot itself was okay but the perpetrator was very stereotypical so there was no great surprise & the way he was “dealt” with was just ludicrous

[Sianie Mae · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book should definitely come with a lot of trigger warnings, however, despite all the 1 star reviews I thought this book was a good read and not least a very important story to be told. This book has racist remarks, details of sexual assault, murders of children however if you have the strength to read it, it's a fast paced read

[Jennsie · Rating 4 out of 5]

work in the area this book's story took place in, and I know it well so the book came alive to me. I found it disturbing and graphic, though, as I think a lot of people did. The author knows how to write to evoke a response and write for all viewpoints involved. I wouldn't recommend to those easily disturbed as it is very graphic.

[Alan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Disturbing. The stuff nightmares are made of.

[Lou.ginandbooklover · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a very difficult book to read. Quite explicit in places, however, harrowing though it was, it needed to be written this way. 

[Angela Oatham · Rating 1 out of 5]

Deeply unpleasant subject matter unfortunately expressed by an inadequate writer. My advice would be to steer well clear.

[Lora Starkings · Rating 4 out of 5]

A harrowing page turner set in 1960s London, that shows how a community can pull together. I stayed up late to finish it, and I enjoyed the fast pace.

[Sophie · Rating 3 out of 5]

A hard read regarding the child abuse

[kerry · Rating 5 out of 5]

This pulled on my heartstrings very good read couldn't put it down

[Kim Busen-Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my fave Jenny Tomlin book but the abuse on those kids made me never want to have children

[Zelda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read this book with caution, as it contains very disturbing material, which may trigger some. It deals with a local pedophile, who is abusing and killing neighbourhood children. It seems he is invincible, until a group of mothers band together to exact the ultimate form of revenge. I found myself torn between wanting to read what came next, and then wanting to be extremely ill.

[Rebecca tedder]

Despite saying I read this book, I couldn't. Whilst I am not generally too squeamish with murder mysteries this book was too graphic for me bearing in mind the victims of these crimes were children. Proceed with Caution.

[Leila · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well this book was a little disturbing. I still couldn't put it down though. It does worry me that some authors have these explicit ideas and put them onto paper. The ending was good and I liked the character Grace. Not sure that id recommend this book! !

[Carly Higgins · Rating 4 out of 5]

As awful, disturbing and horrifying this book was. You have to read on to find out if this poor excuse of a man gets whats coming to him.
You could never imagine what those poor children went through. Really not For the over sensitive people!

[Jane Leila · Rating 1 out of 5]

too tragic, children involved.

[Kate Bywater · Rating 1 out of 5]

Read 3 chapters and that was enough for me, made me feel sick. How the author thought this was a good idea for a fiction book is beyond me, avoid at all costs!

[Lesley Joy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Although its well wriiten I struggled to
to read it due to being visually disturbing . would not recommend up anyone.

[Claire · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book would recommend

[Maryam · Rating 1 out of 5]

i couldn't even finish the fourth chapter!!! Horrible.