Butterscotch

by Lyn Loates

When Helen Mainyard was eight years old, her father suddenly uprooted the family from their home in Christchurch and settled them in Melbourne. Helen had always believed the move was her father's response to a vicious murder that happened in the city because, as she remembers, the murder affected 'everyone - all the people of Christchurch.' But when she is twenty-one the real reason for the family's departure declares itself and causes Helen to re-visit scenes from her childhood, in particular a dark, brooding homestead called Amberley which, together with its climbing tree, had once held the inquisitive girl in its thrall. The remembered murder and the remembered house - both surreptitiously woven into her psyche, ultimately collide and together lead Helen to unearth a trail of human transgressions.

292 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2009

Reviews

[S]

I quite enjoyed reading this book.

I did find the beginning a bit confusing from the amount of characters. The different perspectives were very well written, the labelling of certain characters was also a bit confusing.

A fair amount of mystery was uncovered but I was a little disappointed in the end to not know certain things. It is a bit of a sad book in a way, there is certainly tragedy in a lot of the characters lives. I do enjoy the strangeness and discussion on spirituality in this book but you may not be a fan if you are very religious or Christian.

Overall I enjoyed this book, I would recommend it if you like murder mysteries. It’s fairly original and the characters are interesting and complex.

[Meredith Ahearn]

Read it at least 10 years ago, perhaps more and thought it was so creatively done. Would give it 4.5 stars if I could.

[Gerdav]

Beautifully written…… but so utterly odd …. With very random connections…….

[Debby Kean]

A sad and brilliant story, I can't believe I read it without pause within a day! The characters are brilliantly drawn (I found myself identifying with Helen a bit, which was weird but good.)
This book was gripping from start to finish, the mysteries being less important than the ambience, which was very real.

[Kelly Dombroski]

Gets stuck in your head!! Whodunnit but extremely dark.