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Exmoor Trilogy #1
Blacklands
Eighteen years ago, Billy Peters disappeared without a trace. Everyone in town believes he was murdered - after all, serial killer Arnold Avery later admitted to killing six children and burying them on the desolate moor surrounding their small English village. Only Billy's mother is convinced her son is still alive, and she relentlessly awaits his return.
Steven, her twelve-year-old grandson, is determined to bring his family closure and spends his spare time digging holes all over the moor in the hope of turning up Billy's body. When Steven secretly sends a letter to Avery in jail, asking for help in finding the body of his uncle, he unknowingly triggers a dangerous game of cat and mouse "both difficult to read and difficult to forget" (Booklist, starred review).
Steven, her twelve-year-old grandson, is determined to bring his family closure and spends his spare time digging holes all over the moor in the hope of turning up Billy's body. When Steven secretly sends a letter to Avery in jail, asking for help in finding the body of his uncle, he unknowingly triggers a dangerous game of cat and mouse "both difficult to read and difficult to forget" (Booklist, starred review).
221 pages, Paperback
First published December 14, 2009
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6605 people want to read
About the author
Belinda Bauer
18 books2,112 followersBelinda Bauer grew up in England and South Africa. She has worked as a journalist and screenwriter, and her script THE LOCKER ROOM earned her the Carl Foreman/Bafta Award for Young British Screenwriters, an award that was presented to her by Sidney Poitier. She was a runner-up in the Rhys Davies Short Story Competition for "Mysterious Ways," about a girl stranded on a desert island with 30,000 Bibles. Belinda now lives in Wales.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,219 reviews
November 6, 2016
I am dumbfounded just finished Black lands by Belinda Bauer & still thinking about the ending I can't believe this was her first novel kudos to miss Bauer it was a riveting thriller that I could not put down, I have read Rubbernecker & even think this was much better her writing style in this novel was brilliant & the characters especially Steven & Arnold Avery had me spell bound just couldn't take my eyes of these Characters just beautifully written.
The plot drew me in from the very first page this novel tells the story of Steven Lamb who always wanted to know how his uncle Billy was killed & where he was buried so he decides to write to Arnold Avery who is doing time in jail for the murders of young boys he writes back to Steven & as the letters go back & forth Arnold Avery becomes so connected to Steven he decides to get out of jail & finally kill him as well.
As the story goes on Steven hatches a plan to find out the truth & meets him at the moors with Lewis his friend when they see a man at the other end just looking at both of them Steven recognises him but Lewis Doesn't!!
As Steven was Bullied by THE HOODIES at school it had made him tougher & stronger he wasn't scared of Avery he told Lewis to run & he did but Steven held his ground what happens from hereon in is a game of wits between Avery & Steven that goes right to the end of no return.
I just loved everything about this book especially the way Steven was written even though he was still a boy he became a man as the plot came to a thrilling climax.
The plot drew me in from the very first page this novel tells the story of Steven Lamb who always wanted to know how his uncle Billy was killed & where he was buried so he decides to write to Arnold Avery who is doing time in jail for the murders of young boys he writes back to Steven & as the letters go back & forth Arnold Avery becomes so connected to Steven he decides to get out of jail & finally kill him as well.
As the story goes on Steven hatches a plan to find out the truth & meets him at the moors with Lewis his friend when they see a man at the other end just looking at both of them Steven recognises him but Lewis Doesn't!!
As Steven was Bullied by THE HOODIES at school it had made him tougher & stronger he wasn't scared of Avery he told Lewis to run & he did but Steven held his ground what happens from hereon in is a game of wits between Avery & Steven that goes right to the end of no return.
I just loved everything about this book especially the way Steven was written even though he was still a boy he became a man as the plot came to a thrilling climax.
February 9, 2015
This book shows the damage to a family, through generations, that a single evil person can do. It also shows the innocence of a child growing up with this damage, and how that child believes he can correct and repair the damage. Then there's the evil, and it doesn't go away, can't be healed or cured, must be eradicated. I liked the way Bauer described the evil. She kept it hidden and under control until the end when the sick, slimy, black evil was revealed. Excellent book and I highly recommend it.
September 26, 2014
Posted to The Literary Lawyer.ca
A Chilling Story of Innocence vs. Evil - 3.5 Stars
This marks the third book I have read by Belinda Bauer. A few things have become abundantly clear. She is very skilled at writing young and innocent characters. Blacklands is no exception. Her novels are coming of age stories wrapped in violence and the loss of innocence. Although this novel receives my lowest mark to date, it is still an exceptional novel and confirms her status a new favorite author.
Plot summary
Steven is young man with a strange and slightly disturbing pastime. Eighteen years previous and before he was born, his uncle Billy, a child himself, went missing. At that time, many kids had gone missing and Arnold Avery, a notorious serial killer, admitted to many of their disappearances. Billy's disappearance was never solved. As it was always believed that Avery had taken Billy, young Stephen spends his free time digging holes in the area where Avery had buried the bodies. Stephen believes that if he can find the remains of his long missing uncle that the scars his family carries around will begin to heal. The story takes and unexpected turn when Stephen begins a series of correspondence with the jailed killer. In his quest to solve the mystery, Stephen learns lessons about family, love, friendship and fear.
The Good
I really do enjoy the young characters that Belinda Bauer creates. She has a keen sense of the mind of the young and it is intriguing to see how she uses the innocent and often flawed thought processes of her characters. Her stories would not work with adult characters at the centre. No one would believe a grown man (without mental illness) would spend his days digging for a dead body yet it is utterly believable when it is a child.
The reader must know in advance that a child protagonist does not mean the story is childish. This is most definitely not for children. The antagonist is a dark and disturbing character. He is a paedophile who has murdered a significant number of young boys. Unlike her later novels, Bauer also delves into the mind of the killer and let me tell you, the thought process of a person like Avery is not at all pleasing.
The Bad
Having read Rubbernecker and The Facts of Life and Death, I found myself comparing this to her more recent works. It is likely that had I read this one before the other two mentioned, I would have given Blacklands a higher rating. As a first novel, this is an exceptional effort.
As with the other two book of hers which I have read, this is a character novel. It is the characters of Avery and Stephen that are the focus of the story and their thought processes, their actions and the reasoning behind their decisions that make the story. My major complaint is that the characters were less developed than her later novels. It may be that the focus on two points of view in this novel detracted from the overall development.
Stephen often came across as rather flat. While I think I understood his motivation for wandering the land and digging holes, I did not feel that it was fully developed. It seems that all of my recent reads have been character novels and I fell this is a bit lacking overall.
Final Thoughts
It may be that I am being a bit hard on the author given my enjoyment of her most recent work. In fairness, I would expect to see improvement in later novels. Overall, I did enjoy this story. It was equal parts disturbing and intriguing. While at times Stephen was flat, Avery was always creepy and disturbing. I think that Blacklands is best enjoyed before Bauer's later offerings. This novel displays enough of her skill for the reader to enjoy the story and her later novels will allow you to enjoy her maturity as a writer.
Content Advisories
It is difficult to find commentary on the sex/violence/language content of book if you are interested. I make an effort to give you the information so you can make an informed decision before reading. *Disclaimer* I do not take note or count the occurrences of adult language as I read. I am simply giving approximations.
Scale 1 - Lowest 5 - Highest
Sex - 2
There is a flashback in which Avery exposes himself to a child. The subtext to the story is that Avery sexually assaulted young boys. That said, it is only inferred from the story and there is nothing explicit. Some readers will find the inference to be disturbing but there is no graphic content.
Language - 3
As in most of Bauer's novels, the young characters use age appropriate language. On a few occasions the characters use the f-word and there is some low usage of mild obscenities.
Violence - 2.5
Violence is a backdrop for the story. There is a series of child murders but they are not discussed in any detail. The disturbing part is the fact that Avery continues to think back on the events as it bring him pleasure. There is one scene of violence that is mildly graphic but moderately disturbing.
A Chilling Story of Innocence vs. Evil - 3.5 Stars
This marks the third book I have read by Belinda Bauer. A few things have become abundantly clear. She is very skilled at writing young and innocent characters. Blacklands is no exception. Her novels are coming of age stories wrapped in violence and the loss of innocence. Although this novel receives my lowest mark to date, it is still an exceptional novel and confirms her status a new favorite author.
Plot summary
Steven is young man with a strange and slightly disturbing pastime. Eighteen years previous and before he was born, his uncle Billy, a child himself, went missing. At that time, many kids had gone missing and Arnold Avery, a notorious serial killer, admitted to many of their disappearances. Billy's disappearance was never solved. As it was always believed that Avery had taken Billy, young Stephen spends his free time digging holes in the area where Avery had buried the bodies. Stephen believes that if he can find the remains of his long missing uncle that the scars his family carries around will begin to heal. The story takes and unexpected turn when Stephen begins a series of correspondence with the jailed killer. In his quest to solve the mystery, Stephen learns lessons about family, love, friendship and fear.
The Good
I really do enjoy the young characters that Belinda Bauer creates. She has a keen sense of the mind of the young and it is intriguing to see how she uses the innocent and often flawed thought processes of her characters. Her stories would not work with adult characters at the centre. No one would believe a grown man (without mental illness) would spend his days digging for a dead body yet it is utterly believable when it is a child.
The reader must know in advance that a child protagonist does not mean the story is childish. This is most definitely not for children. The antagonist is a dark and disturbing character. He is a paedophile who has murdered a significant number of young boys. Unlike her later novels, Bauer also delves into the mind of the killer and let me tell you, the thought process of a person like Avery is not at all pleasing.
The Bad
Having read Rubbernecker and The Facts of Life and Death, I found myself comparing this to her more recent works. It is likely that had I read this one before the other two mentioned, I would have given Blacklands a higher rating. As a first novel, this is an exceptional effort.
As with the other two book of hers which I have read, this is a character novel. It is the characters of Avery and Stephen that are the focus of the story and their thought processes, their actions and the reasoning behind their decisions that make the story. My major complaint is that the characters were less developed than her later novels. It may be that the focus on two points of view in this novel detracted from the overall development.
Stephen often came across as rather flat. While I think I understood his motivation for wandering the land and digging holes, I did not feel that it was fully developed. It seems that all of my recent reads have been character novels and I fell this is a bit lacking overall.
Final Thoughts
It may be that I am being a bit hard on the author given my enjoyment of her most recent work. In fairness, I would expect to see improvement in later novels. Overall, I did enjoy this story. It was equal parts disturbing and intriguing. While at times Stephen was flat, Avery was always creepy and disturbing. I think that Blacklands is best enjoyed before Bauer's later offerings. This novel displays enough of her skill for the reader to enjoy the story and her later novels will allow you to enjoy her maturity as a writer.
Content Advisories
It is difficult to find commentary on the sex/violence/language content of book if you are interested. I make an effort to give you the information so you can make an informed decision before reading. *Disclaimer* I do not take note or count the occurrences of adult language as I read. I am simply giving approximations.
Scale 1 - Lowest 5 - Highest
Sex - 2
There is a flashback in which Avery exposes himself to a child. The subtext to the story is that Avery sexually assaulted young boys. That said, it is only inferred from the story and there is nothing explicit. Some readers will find the inference to be disturbing but there is no graphic content.
Language - 3
As in most of Bauer's novels, the young characters use age appropriate language. On a few occasions the characters use the f-word and there is some low usage of mild obscenities.
Violence - 2.5
Violence is a backdrop for the story. There is a series of child murders but they are not discussed in any detail. The disturbing part is the fact that Avery continues to think back on the events as it bring him pleasure. There is one scene of violence that is mildly graphic but moderately disturbing.
February 14, 2016
I thought about giving it 4, maybe 4 and half stars but this book deserves a 5 star rating.
The writing in this book is beautiful. It's impossible not to understand and feel Steven's pain. It's heartbreaking to realize he's doing such extraordinary thing - find the body of his murdered uncle - to fix his little broken family. All he wants is to be normal and happy. It's so simple and so poignant.
On the other side of the equation is Arnold Avery, the serial killer who murdered Steven's uncle Billy Peters when he was a kid. Arnold is very honest about who he is, he doesn't try to justify himself or believes he has a right to do what he does.
This book is a mix of character study and mystery, it is engaging, breathtaking and heartbreaking. It was hard to put it down - I only did because I was falling asleep but picked it up right after getting up.
This is a fast, fantastic reading. It deals tragedy and how it affects the lives of the survivors in the long term. I can't recommend it enough.
***
Review now posted on my blog Tiny Box of Imagination.
The writing in this book is beautiful. It's impossible not to understand and feel Steven's pain. It's heartbreaking to realize he's doing such extraordinary thing - find the body of his murdered uncle - to fix his little broken family. All he wants is to be normal and happy. It's so simple and so poignant.
On the other side of the equation is Arnold Avery, the serial killer who murdered Steven's uncle Billy Peters when he was a kid. Arnold is very honest about who he is, he doesn't try to justify himself or believes he has a right to do what he does.
This book is a mix of character study and mystery, it is engaging, breathtaking and heartbreaking. It was hard to put it down - I only did because I was falling asleep but picked it up right after getting up.
This is a fast, fantastic reading. It deals tragedy and how it affects the lives of the survivors in the long term. I can't recommend it enough.
***
Review now posted on my blog Tiny Box of Imagination.
November 8, 2023
Belinda Bauer is brilliant, this is her debut novel and it delivered more than I could have hoped for, I read this book in two sittings and could not put it down. The book switches between the world and thoughts of a young boy and a child serial killer, it cleverly gives you insight into the work of both and how their lives intertwine (and why).
The book grabbed me from the first page and I loved the ending passionately. It could have been a lot more dark or gruesome this book but instead it just gives you glimmers of darkness, just enough to keep you wanting more. It is clever, atmospheric and very, very readable.
Absolutely brilliant read, a crime novel but much more than that. I also loved her book Rubbernecker and now Belinda Bauer is by far one of my favourite authors. Read the follow-on books of this one also. Fantastic!
Thanks so much for reading my review! If you’d like to connect you can follow me or please send me a friend request. 🐱I love to read other reviews and talk about books we are reading.
If you are an Author and you’d like me to consider reading and reviewing your book please just message me.
You can also find me on Twitter @bookishcats (I follow back) and on Amazon U.K. where I am a Top 500 Reviewer as Booklover Catlady.
The book grabbed me from the first page and I loved the ending passionately. It could have been a lot more dark or gruesome this book but instead it just gives you glimmers of darkness, just enough to keep you wanting more. It is clever, atmospheric and very, very readable.
Absolutely brilliant read, a crime novel but much more than that. I also loved her book Rubbernecker and now Belinda Bauer is by far one of my favourite authors. Read the follow-on books of this one also. Fantastic!
Thanks so much for reading my review! If you’d like to connect you can follow me or please send me a friend request. 🐱I love to read other reviews and talk about books we are reading.
If you are an Author and you’d like me to consider reading and reviewing your book please just message me.
You can also find me on Twitter @bookishcats (I follow back) and on Amazon U.K. where I am a Top 500 Reviewer as Booklover Catlady.
April 2, 2015
A Belinda Bauer book has been on my radar for quite some time and here I am after finishing her debut, Blacklands. It was worth the wait! I'm happy to say I'm blown away by her style of writing. I've held off giving 5 stars because I think there may well be even better to come.
The story is one of a young boy, Steven Lamb, growing in a small village near Exmoor. His uncle had been at roughly the same age as Steven is now when he had been murdered eighteen years earlier. The body, never recovered, was thought to have been disposed of somewhere on the moors. We then have the perpetrator, Arnold Avery, a paedophile who had been caught whilst trying to molest a young boy and subsequently convicted of the murders of other children and Steven's brother. What follows is a two handed story of Steven and Arnold. On the one hand we have a coming of age story with Steven in his struggle to comprehend everything that has gone on before and since and how he feels he can make things right, better even, for himself and mostly for his family. And on the other, we have an insight into Arnold's world which I know many would find difficult to read and go there to. What I think is brilliantly done is how Ms Bauer is able to tell the tale from a 12 year old's point of view, some of his decision making would have been really questionable had he been much older, but from a child, felt much more believable. And though the paedophilia is dark and an area no one particularly wants to think about, it's handled with touches of lightness and dexterity and is not gruesome or graphic. Disturbing, yes, but handled well in my opinion. The strength of the book for me was the language used in the storytelling, beautiful prose, excellent descriptiveness and characterisation. A real sense of place with the moors taking centre stage which in turn made the whole thing feel suitably claustrophic and bleak with touches of light dappling through.
It's strange, I know, to say I enjoyed a book that features such a subject matter, but I did. I enjoyed the writing, Steven's journey and how a young boy went to tremendous lengths to try and improve his life and those of his loved ones. A sad but ultimately transitionary tale that I would highly recommend; if you can get past this particular kind of darkness.
The story is one of a young boy, Steven Lamb, growing in a small village near Exmoor. His uncle had been at roughly the same age as Steven is now when he had been murdered eighteen years earlier. The body, never recovered, was thought to have been disposed of somewhere on the moors. We then have the perpetrator, Arnold Avery, a paedophile who had been caught whilst trying to molest a young boy and subsequently convicted of the murders of other children and Steven's brother. What follows is a two handed story of Steven and Arnold. On the one hand we have a coming of age story with Steven in his struggle to comprehend everything that has gone on before and since and how he feels he can make things right, better even, for himself and mostly for his family. And on the other, we have an insight into Arnold's world which I know many would find difficult to read and go there to. What I think is brilliantly done is how Ms Bauer is able to tell the tale from a 12 year old's point of view, some of his decision making would have been really questionable had he been much older, but from a child, felt much more believable. And though the paedophilia is dark and an area no one particularly wants to think about, it's handled with touches of lightness and dexterity and is not gruesome or graphic. Disturbing, yes, but handled well in my opinion. The strength of the book for me was the language used in the storytelling, beautiful prose, excellent descriptiveness and characterisation. A real sense of place with the moors taking centre stage which in turn made the whole thing feel suitably claustrophic and bleak with touches of light dappling through.
It's strange, I know, to say I enjoyed a book that features such a subject matter, but I did. I enjoyed the writing, Steven's journey and how a young boy went to tremendous lengths to try and improve his life and those of his loved ones. A sad but ultimately transitionary tale that I would highly recommend; if you can get past this particular kind of darkness.
March 22, 2012
The One Sentence Summary: A young boy writes to an imprisoned serial killer, asking for help to find the body of his uncle, whose disappearance at age eleven sent the whole family awry.
The Meat and Potatoes: Twelve-year-old Steven Lamb has a troubled home life. His father left when he was young; his Nan stands at the window all day waiting for her son Billy, who disappeared in childhood; and Steven’s mother, upset over being ignored after the disappearance of her brother, takes out her frustrations on her children with the same coldness and bitterness that her mother showed her. Steven thinks that if he can just find the bones of his Uncle Billy, his whole family would be fixed. After years of aimlessly digging holes where Arnold Avery, Billy’s suspected killer, had buried his other victims, he writes to the killer in prison. “I am looking for WP. Can you help me?” This simple request opens the door, and Steven soon finds out that, much worse than obsessing over a serial killer, is the serial killer obsessing over you.
Blacklands is both a crime novel and an exploration into the after-effects of a violent crime on the family left behind. Bauer spends as much time delving into the psychological state of the family as she does setting up the ultimate showdown between Steven and the killer. Even though it is written in the third person omniscient POV, Bauer does a fantastic job of putting us in the heads of even minor characters.
Blacklands is set in Exmoor, England, a small rural village surrounded by wild moors, and the small-town, isolated feel really pervades the story. Bauer’s descriptions are fantastic, and you can really see, smell, and feel the landscape of the moor: the spicy scents, the prickly vegetation, the thick brambles, and the cool sea mist.
Bauer also incorporates images into the novel, which is fairly unique to the genre. Rather than just presenting the typed text of Steven’s letters to Avery we are given an image: simple notebook paper with handwriting that could either be taken as the carefully crafted print of a child, or an adult in a rush. In seeing Steven’s actual writing we get more of a feel for his character.
The Praiseworthy: Bauer’s scenes are very well thought-out and plotted. Each of them pulls its weight, often accomplishing several different objectives at once. For example, towards the beginning of the novel we are told about Steven repairing his Nan’s shopping trolley, substituting all-terrain wheels from a buggy for the rickety metal wheels. This scene leads into a reflection which ends up underscoring the whole novel (“Decide what you want and then work out how to get it”), as well as setting up subtle indicators of his Nan’s love for him, despite her coldness (she proudly shows off the heavy-duty wheels to friends and walks with it even when not shopping). Another great example of a scene that accomplishes several things at once is midway through the novel when the guards at Avery’s prison are opening the inmates’ correspondence and vetting the photographs. This scene depicts the photo of Exmoor sent by Steven slipping through, despite Avery’s therapist’s understanding that the sight of Avery’s old burial ground would be unhealthily exciting to him. At the same time, the scene shows the reader that the guards have been confiscating nude photos of another prisoner’s attractive wife, which
The bulk of Blacklands is what I would characterize as good writing, but there are several places where Bauer’s writing really stands out. As Steven becomes more and more obsessed with the serial killer, a photograph he sees in school of our solar system within the vast Milky Way galaxy provides an interesting opportunity to delve further into the killer’s psyche:
And he revisits this thought when he gets lost in a sea mist on the moor:
The revelations aren’t restricted to Steven’s character; the killer Avery also has some very well-crafted moments of his own:
The Shortcomings: I only found one significant problem with Blacklands: Bauer has a tendency to overuse (and occasionally improperly use) dashes. At first this was just something I noticed, but as I continued through the novel it became distracting, then annoying, and then aggravating. Bauer often uses a dash when a simple comma will do: “Something chemical had been released in Avery’s brain—something that sharpened his lust and dulled his more sensible senses.” She also employs dashes in places where they are simply not necessary and could be omitted without changing the meaning of the sentence: “It was slow going and painful and—by the time he reached the stile that led him through the backs of the houses to the road—both his socks had holes in them.” She uses dashes to offset phrases that do not require the added emphasis of the dash over the comma: “He didn’t want or need their friendship but—even after eighteen years—he was still genuinely uncertain as to why some killers got respect in prison while he was vilified.” And sometimes she makes several of these errors at once; consider this sentence which contains three dashes: “The dozen guards—who just moments before—had been picking their noses in boredom, ran to help, batons flailing—like a poorly trained pub football team losing its shape because they were all chasing the ball.” Amazingly, on the page that this sentence appears (a page containing only 223 words) there were nine dashes total. Granted, not everyone will be as distracted by or even notice the abuse of dashes like I did, but it’s the kind of thing I would have expected an intrepid editor to fix.
The Verdict: I would recommend Blacklands to readers who enjoy crime novels with unique, engaging settings and a strong psychological aspect.
The Meat and Potatoes: Twelve-year-old Steven Lamb has a troubled home life. His father left when he was young; his Nan stands at the window all day waiting for her son Billy, who disappeared in childhood; and Steven’s mother, upset over being ignored after the disappearance of her brother, takes out her frustrations on her children with the same coldness and bitterness that her mother showed her. Steven thinks that if he can just find the bones of his Uncle Billy, his whole family would be fixed. After years of aimlessly digging holes where Arnold Avery, Billy’s suspected killer, had buried his other victims, he writes to the killer in prison. “I am looking for WP. Can you help me?” This simple request opens the door, and Steven soon finds out that, much worse than obsessing over a serial killer, is the serial killer obsessing over you.
Blacklands is both a crime novel and an exploration into the after-effects of a violent crime on the family left behind. Bauer spends as much time delving into the psychological state of the family as she does setting up the ultimate showdown between Steven and the killer. Even though it is written in the third person omniscient POV, Bauer does a fantastic job of putting us in the heads of even minor characters.
Blacklands is set in Exmoor, England, a small rural village surrounded by wild moors, and the small-town, isolated feel really pervades the story. Bauer’s descriptions are fantastic, and you can really see, smell, and feel the landscape of the moor: the spicy scents, the prickly vegetation, the thick brambles, and the cool sea mist.
Bauer also incorporates images into the novel, which is fairly unique to the genre. Rather than just presenting the typed text of Steven’s letters to Avery we are given an image: simple notebook paper with handwriting that could either be taken as the carefully crafted print of a child, or an adult in a rush. In seeing Steven’s actual writing we get more of a feel for his character.
The Praiseworthy: Bauer’s scenes are very well thought-out and plotted. Each of them pulls its weight, often accomplishing several different objectives at once. For example, towards the beginning of the novel we are told about Steven repairing his Nan’s shopping trolley, substituting all-terrain wheels from a buggy for the rickety metal wheels. This scene leads into a reflection which ends up underscoring the whole novel (“Decide what you want and then work out how to get it”), as well as setting up subtle indicators of his Nan’s love for him, despite her coldness (she proudly shows off the heavy-duty wheels to friends and walks with it even when not shopping). Another great example of a scene that accomplishes several things at once is midway through the novel when the guards at Avery’s prison are opening the inmates’ correspondence and vetting the photographs. This scene depicts the photo of Exmoor sent by Steven slipping through, despite Avery’s therapist’s understanding that the sight of Avery’s old burial ground would be unhealthily exciting to him. At the same time, the scene shows the reader that the guards have been confiscating nude photos of another prisoner’s attractive wife, which
The bulk of Blacklands is what I would characterize as good writing, but there are several places where Bauer’s writing really stands out. As Steven becomes more and more obsessed with the serial killer, a photograph he sees in school of our solar system within the vast Milky Way galaxy provides an interesting opportunity to delve further into the killer’s psyche:
No wonder Arnold Avery did what he did! Why shouldn’t he? Wasn’t it he, Steven Lamb, who was the fool for caring what had happened to a single one of those microbes on a dot inside a speck of light? What was everyone getting so hot under the microbial collar about? It was Avery who saw the bigger picture; Avery who knew that the true value of human life was precisely nothing. That taking it was the same as not taking it; that conscience was just a self-imposed bar to pleasure; that suffering was so transitory that a million children might be tortured and killed in the merest blink of a cosmic eye.
And he revisits this thought when he gets lost in a sea mist on the moor:
Steven felt himself shrinking under its blind vastness. The image of the galaxy came back to him. He was an atom on a microbe on a speck on a mote on a pinprick in the middle of nowhere.
The revelations aren’t restricted to Steven’s character; the killer Avery also has some very well-crafted moments of his own:
Many years ago he had played poker. He hadn’t known what he was doing really and was nervous of losing and making a fool of himself. But it was only when he picked up a pair of aces and saw another two drop on the table that he’d started to shake. That was how he knew that the trembling that now coursed through his hands, over his shoulders and across his cheeks to his lips was a god thing. He held an unbeatable hand.
The Shortcomings: I only found one significant problem with Blacklands: Bauer has a tendency to overuse (and occasionally improperly use) dashes. At first this was just something I noticed, but as I continued through the novel it became distracting, then annoying, and then aggravating. Bauer often uses a dash when a simple comma will do: “Something chemical had been released in Avery’s brain—something that sharpened his lust and dulled his more sensible senses.” She also employs dashes in places where they are simply not necessary and could be omitted without changing the meaning of the sentence: “It was slow going and painful and—by the time he reached the stile that led him through the backs of the houses to the road—both his socks had holes in them.” She uses dashes to offset phrases that do not require the added emphasis of the dash over the comma: “He didn’t want or need their friendship but—even after eighteen years—he was still genuinely uncertain as to why some killers got respect in prison while he was vilified.” And sometimes she makes several of these errors at once; consider this sentence which contains three dashes: “The dozen guards—who just moments before—had been picking their noses in boredom, ran to help, batons flailing—like a poorly trained pub football team losing its shape because they were all chasing the ball.” Amazingly, on the page that this sentence appears (a page containing only 223 words) there were nine dashes total. Granted, not everyone will be as distracted by or even notice the abuse of dashes like I did, but it’s the kind of thing I would have expected an intrepid editor to fix.
The Verdict: I would recommend Blacklands to readers who enjoy crime novels with unique, engaging settings and a strong psychological aspect.
February 9, 2024
BLACKLANDS is a clear-cut 3.5 star read, especially for those of us who have read Belinda Bauer’s later books. This was her first published novel (2010), and I had to purchase a used hardback copy because it is the one Bauer book my library doesn’t have and Kindle wants a ridiculous price for it.
The story is unique. A young boy, Steven Lamb, writes letters to a convicted child murderer (Avery) in hopes of finding out where Avery buried Billy, the boy who would have been his uncle had Avery not murdered him. Everyone is sure that Avery killed Billy except Billy’s mother, Steven’s grandmother, who sits at the window waiting for Billy to return. Steven wants to find Billy’s body to convince his grandmother that Billy is really dead. When Avery realizes that the person writing to him is a young boy (the type he likes to kill), he develops a plan to escape from prison so he can also kill Steven.
The description of the settings that Steven and Avery exist in, and their actions within these surroundings, are extremely good, but go on for too long, and are too repetitive. Had I read the book when it was first published, I would have given it 3 stars and so that is how I am going to rate it today (in 2021) — fragments of brilliance, but there are also boring passages, belabouring details that have previously been made.
The second book Bauer published, “Darkside”, is generally regarded as the follow-up to BLACKLANDS because Steven Lamb also appears in it. But the 17-year-old Steven in Darkside bears little resemblance to the 12-year-old Steven. I consider “The Facts of Life and Death” to be the true successor of BLACKLANDS, wherein Bauer again examined the horror of a young person (this time a girl) forming a bond with a violent psychopath. In “The Facts of Life and Death”, Bauer perfected her formula to create what I believe is a 5 star plus book.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
See my reviews for:
Darkside
The Facts of Life and Death
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The story is unique. A young boy, Steven Lamb, writes letters to a convicted child murderer (Avery) in hopes of finding out where Avery buried Billy, the boy who would have been his uncle had Avery not murdered him. Everyone is sure that Avery killed Billy except Billy’s mother, Steven’s grandmother, who sits at the window waiting for Billy to return. Steven wants to find Billy’s body to convince his grandmother that Billy is really dead. When Avery realizes that the person writing to him is a young boy (the type he likes to kill), he develops a plan to escape from prison so he can also kill Steven.
The description of the settings that Steven and Avery exist in, and their actions within these surroundings, are extremely good, but go on for too long, and are too repetitive. Had I read the book when it was first published, I would have given it 3 stars and so that is how I am going to rate it today (in 2021) — fragments of brilliance, but there are also boring passages, belabouring details that have previously been made.
The second book Bauer published, “Darkside”, is generally regarded as the follow-up to BLACKLANDS because Steven Lamb also appears in it. But the 17-year-old Steven in Darkside bears little resemblance to the 12-year-old Steven. I consider “The Facts of Life and Death” to be the true successor of BLACKLANDS, wherein Bauer again examined the horror of a young person (this time a girl) forming a bond with a violent psychopath. In “The Facts of Life and Death”, Bauer perfected her formula to create what I believe is a 5 star plus book.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
See my reviews for:
Darkside
The Facts of Life and Death
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
November 10, 2025
Blacklands is a novel that goes to some very dark places indeed, so be warned.
This was the authors debut book and is certainly well written and works not just as a psychological thriller but also as a moving exploration of the effects of a violent crime on a family as it tries to come to terms with its cost.
Well worth checking out.
3.5 stars.
This was the authors debut book and is certainly well written and works not just as a psychological thriller but also as a moving exploration of the effects of a violent crime on a family as it tries to come to terms with its cost.
Well worth checking out.
3.5 stars.
April 5, 2011
First Sentence: Exmoor dripped with dirty bracken, rough, colorless grass, prickly gorse, and last year’s heather, so black it looked as if wet fire had swept across the landscape, taking the trees with it and leaving the moor cold and exposed to face the winter unprotected.
Sociopath Arnold Avery raped and murdered children; he admitted to six whose bodies were found. One who was not found was Billy Peters. The impact severely affected his family. Eighteen years later, his nephew, 12-year-old Steven Lamb believes if he can find Billy’s body, it will bring the family back together. Spending his spare time digging holes in the moor bring Steven to the point of writing the imprisoned Avery in an attempt to figure out what will convenience the killer to provide the location.
The very opening of the book creates a sense of place and an atmosphere which is both gloomy and compelling.
There are no perfect characters here; only human ones. Steven’s gram has become embittered and closed off following the disappearance of her son, Billy. Steven’s mother; closed off from her mother’s affection has a string of failed relationships. “Uncle” Jake”; one of Steven’s mom’s men, provides Steven with the outward displays of love and understanding but is only around for short periods of time. Steven’s friend Lewis who realizes Steven is the smarter of them but needs to dominate the relationship. Steven is by no means perfect. He’s a shy boy, afraid of confrontation, and knows his mother prefers his younger brother, yet he constantly strives for the thing we all want; love and acceptance.
Avery, the imprisoned murderer is as far from perfect as one can get but is the person with whom Steven must form some level of a relationship in order to gain what he needs. Through Bauer, we understand how dangerous and impaired is Avery without her having to indulge in graphic detail. In fact, in some ways, the hints and inferences are even more effective than detail would be.
What is particularly wonderful about Bauer’s writing is that the characters alive and understandable; she shows us Steven becoming more mature in his thinking and reasoning, yet still as a 12-year-old-boy. At one point, she talks about Steven’s comprehension of Avery being a sociopath, of the insignificance of one person to the whole of the universe and that asking Avery for help is akin to asking the Devil for mercy. This is sophisticated stuff for a young boy, but it works through our understanding of Steven’s need. She is also one of those wonderful authors who can take an inanimate object and make it not only an important element, but almost a character in the story.
Bauer does write dialogue well, although there’s not a lot of it as the book is written narrative. She does often exhibit an wonderful turn of phrase…” Avery adapted so fast, he’d have blown a hole straight through Darwinism.” While I’m one who really likes dialogue, the narrative, written in third person, past tense, works here mainly because of the quality of her writing. This is not an action-packed, rapid-fire action novel. The melancholy of the story’s opening sets the pace, but never did I find the book to drag. There is excellent suspense. At time she lets it build and then backs it down. It then starts to build again, slowly and relentlessly to an intense transition from where Steven was courting the Devil, to where he has fully awakened and I found myself almost catching my breath.
The one real flaw for me is a dependence on some rather large coincidences. Otherwise, the book would have earned top marks from me. Still, it was very close and one of the best reads I’ve had in awhile and I can certain see why it won the Crime Writers’ Association (CWA) Golden Dagger Award for 2010. There is no question that Ms. Bauer’s next book, “Darkside”, will be on my reading list.
BLACKLANDS (Susp-Steven Lamb-Devon, England-Cont) – VG+
Bauer, Belinda – 1st book
Simon & Schuster, ©2010, US Trade Paperback – ISBN: 1439149445
Sociopath Arnold Avery raped and murdered children; he admitted to six whose bodies were found. One who was not found was Billy Peters. The impact severely affected his family. Eighteen years later, his nephew, 12-year-old Steven Lamb believes if he can find Billy’s body, it will bring the family back together. Spending his spare time digging holes in the moor bring Steven to the point of writing the imprisoned Avery in an attempt to figure out what will convenience the killer to provide the location.
The very opening of the book creates a sense of place and an atmosphere which is both gloomy and compelling.
There are no perfect characters here; only human ones. Steven’s gram has become embittered and closed off following the disappearance of her son, Billy. Steven’s mother; closed off from her mother’s affection has a string of failed relationships. “Uncle” Jake”; one of Steven’s mom’s men, provides Steven with the outward displays of love and understanding but is only around for short periods of time. Steven’s friend Lewis who realizes Steven is the smarter of them but needs to dominate the relationship. Steven is by no means perfect. He’s a shy boy, afraid of confrontation, and knows his mother prefers his younger brother, yet he constantly strives for the thing we all want; love and acceptance.
Avery, the imprisoned murderer is as far from perfect as one can get but is the person with whom Steven must form some level of a relationship in order to gain what he needs. Through Bauer, we understand how dangerous and impaired is Avery without her having to indulge in graphic detail. In fact, in some ways, the hints and inferences are even more effective than detail would be.
What is particularly wonderful about Bauer’s writing is that the characters alive and understandable; she shows us Steven becoming more mature in his thinking and reasoning, yet still as a 12-year-old-boy. At one point, she talks about Steven’s comprehension of Avery being a sociopath, of the insignificance of one person to the whole of the universe and that asking Avery for help is akin to asking the Devil for mercy. This is sophisticated stuff for a young boy, but it works through our understanding of Steven’s need. She is also one of those wonderful authors who can take an inanimate object and make it not only an important element, but almost a character in the story.
Bauer does write dialogue well, although there’s not a lot of it as the book is written narrative. She does often exhibit an wonderful turn of phrase…” Avery adapted so fast, he’d have blown a hole straight through Darwinism.” While I’m one who really likes dialogue, the narrative, written in third person, past tense, works here mainly because of the quality of her writing. This is not an action-packed, rapid-fire action novel. The melancholy of the story’s opening sets the pace, but never did I find the book to drag. There is excellent suspense. At time she lets it build and then backs it down. It then starts to build again, slowly and relentlessly to an intense transition from where Steven was courting the Devil, to where he has fully awakened and I found myself almost catching my breath.
The one real flaw for me is a dependence on some rather large coincidences. Otherwise, the book would have earned top marks from me. Still, it was very close and one of the best reads I’ve had in awhile and I can certain see why it won the Crime Writers’ Association (CWA) Golden Dagger Award for 2010. There is no question that Ms. Bauer’s next book, “Darkside”, will be on my reading list.
BLACKLANDS (Susp-Steven Lamb-Devon, England-Cont) – VG+
Bauer, Belinda – 1st book
Simon & Schuster, ©2010, US Trade Paperback – ISBN: 1439149445
January 18, 2011
I was actually quite disappointed with Blacklands. I thought that it was a good story, but was very short, and this could have been the reason that it didn’t involve me as much as I felt that it should have – there was just way too much missing.
In the blurb, Belinda Bauer says that she wrote the book as she was moved by the story of a mother whose child had been murdered many years before, and she was curious about how that kind of event would affect a family long-term…however, that is exactly what I believe was missing. I felt that the mother and grandmother were really weak characters that I had no empathy for at all, even though I felt some amount of guilt as I knew that I SHOULD feel it. They just didn’t seem real to me at all – they were very one-dimensional. The only reason they even seemed to have one dimension was because of their relationship with Steven.
Steven felt like a real 12 year old boy, and I did care about him. Uncle Jude’s character was also appealing, but that was probably just because of the change in Steven when he was around.
Strangely, I also didn’t feel much hatred towards Avery – he felt a bit of a cartoon villain to me, rather than a paedophile, serial child-killer.
Also, although the story is set in recent years, the idea of the family being oh so very poor makes it feel like it’s been set in the 70s, and for some reason, just doesn’t ring true.
However, it was an entertaining enough, easy-to-read ‘filler’ book. I can actually see it as making a fantastic film. In the UK we can make brilliant gritty dramas, making characters very very real with a host of fantastic actors that can make bleak tales SO amazing (anything with Paddy Considine for example!) and we ‘re great for gritty, film noir child actors. I’d certainly watch it, and I think an adaptation would really bring the story to life and make it more believable – no matter how uncomfortable the subject matter may be.
In the blurb, Belinda Bauer says that she wrote the book as she was moved by the story of a mother whose child had been murdered many years before, and she was curious about how that kind of event would affect a family long-term…however, that is exactly what I believe was missing. I felt that the mother and grandmother were really weak characters that I had no empathy for at all, even though I felt some amount of guilt as I knew that I SHOULD feel it. They just didn’t seem real to me at all – they were very one-dimensional. The only reason they even seemed to have one dimension was because of their relationship with Steven.
Steven felt like a real 12 year old boy, and I did care about him. Uncle Jude’s character was also appealing, but that was probably just because of the change in Steven when he was around.
Strangely, I also didn’t feel much hatred towards Avery – he felt a bit of a cartoon villain to me, rather than a paedophile, serial child-killer.
Also, although the story is set in recent years, the idea of the family being oh so very poor makes it feel like it’s been set in the 70s, and for some reason, just doesn’t ring true.
However, it was an entertaining enough, easy-to-read ‘filler’ book. I can actually see it as making a fantastic film. In the UK we can make brilliant gritty dramas, making characters very very real with a host of fantastic actors that can make bleak tales SO amazing (anything with Paddy Considine for example!) and we ‘re great for gritty, film noir child actors. I’d certainly watch it, and I think an adaptation would really bring the story to life and make it more believable – no matter how uncomfortable the subject matter may be.
November 17, 2018
This is written in a dark, moody bleak, and above average prose depth and ability. Especially as this is noted as a debut novel. It's just too starkly off-putting in the subject matter and within the social "norms" of the principles for me to enjoy the reading. After the half way point I intermediately went into a speed read. Unkindness just about all around is saying it lightly. Not to speak of the horrors of the victims and Avery. But also within the mindset of the spade carrying "searcher" himself!
It's appropriately named. It's a little overblown in the description factor for descriptions' sake (expanding massive detail for the sake of being able to) at periods. But the telling is well done for such an obsession scenario. I have no idea if this kind of prisoner correspondence is possible or probable in the U.K. To and with such a young person, it truly is creepy. Or the allowances after being released either. UGH!
Those who like the serial killer and missing kids fiction will like this far more than I did. Missing kids in any plot are one of my least anticipated reads. Those and the WWII dreck that is everywhere.
It's appropriately named. It's a little overblown in the description factor for descriptions' sake (expanding massive detail for the sake of being able to) at periods. But the telling is well done for such an obsession scenario. I have no idea if this kind of prisoner correspondence is possible or probable in the U.K. To and with such a young person, it truly is creepy. Or the allowances after being released either. UGH!
Those who like the serial killer and missing kids fiction will like this far more than I did. Missing kids in any plot are one of my least anticipated reads. Those and the WWII dreck that is everywhere.
March 28, 2018
12 year old Steven wants to find closure for he’s family after he’s Uncle Billy was murdered as a child.
He takes it upon himself to right to convicted serial killer Arnold Avery. Who was found guilty of other child murders, it’s not been proven that he killed Billy but few a series of cryptic letters by Steven to Mr Avery the young boy hopes to get the answers he feels he’s family deserves.
Its such an interesting idea for a crime novel, not only the puzzles of the cryptic messages but an insight look to the after effects of a killer reflecting on he’s past crimes.
He takes it upon himself to right to convicted serial killer Arnold Avery. Who was found guilty of other child murders, it’s not been proven that he killed Billy but few a series of cryptic letters by Steven to Mr Avery the young boy hopes to get the answers he feels he’s family deserves.
Its such an interesting idea for a crime novel, not only the puzzles of the cryptic messages but an insight look to the after effects of a killer reflecting on he’s past crimes.
November 13, 2018
This was really well written, and my first introduction to Belinda Bauer.
She created this beautifully dark, gloomy sort of atmosphere and the entire novel just feels damp, somehow.
The mystery was really intriguing but wasn't drawn out too long, which was good. It travelled at a decent pace and all came together really neatly.
Definitely recommend this one for crime lovers!
She created this beautifully dark, gloomy sort of atmosphere and the entire novel just feels damp, somehow.
The mystery was really intriguing but wasn't drawn out too long, which was good. It travelled at a decent pace and all came together really neatly.
Definitely recommend this one for crime lovers!
May 12, 2022
2.5⭐ Updated Adds Full Review 05/11/22
Not bad for a debut novel. Suffers from being completely unbelievable at points and from a bad case of Creative Writing, but I've read far worse. Full review to follow.
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The book has some flashy writing, good pacing and it kept me engaged until the ending. There are a few things that prevented it from a higher rating. The story screams 😱 of "high concept screenplay." As in 'Let's write a book that makes Hannibal Lector a Brit pedophile serial killer and instead of an FBI agent as his interlocutor, let's make it a 12 year old boy.' You can almost see the titles rolling across the screen.
The problem with books written as screenplays is they often tend to underserve the reader as regards characters and settings. Bauer invests a lot of creative writing into her characters but they still seem to be sketchy and less than fully believable. Her protagonist, the 12 year old Steven Lamb, in one scene independently invents the philosophy of nihilism just by looking at a picture of the galaxy and feeling all insignificant. Later, he is ( almost literally) Too Stupid To Live, on several occasions. The villian is a cartoon caricature of evil. There's the old trope of the pyscho-killer soldier, who at his very first opportunity to shoot a perfect stranger, does so.
The book doesn't really do justice to the eerie beauty of Exmoor ( which I have seen) but makes it into a sort of generic, soggy place.
My main problem with Bauer's story is that I just can't deliver the colossal suspension of disbelief that it requires. The police and prison officials are portrayed as completely stupid or criminally incompetent ( or both ). The villain's escape beggers belief. Yet despite constantly whacking my forehead in frustration with this book, I kept reading it to find out what happens next. That's a pretty big plus to any author.
Unhappily, she pancaked the landing with a fashionably ambiguous ending that in my opinion adds nothing to the story. It's not hard to puzzle out what Bauer intends but why do we have to?
As first novels go, there's way worse. I understand that Bauer has written a number of other books, including some in the same setting. I'm curious to see if she's gotten better with practice-but not at full price. Library loans, bargain bins or online discounts only. -30-
Not bad for a debut novel. Suffers from being completely unbelievable at points and from a bad case of Creative Writing, but I've read far worse. Full review to follow.
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The book has some flashy writing, good pacing and it kept me engaged until the ending. There are a few things that prevented it from a higher rating. The story screams 😱 of "high concept screenplay." As in 'Let's write a book that makes Hannibal Lector a Brit pedophile serial killer and instead of an FBI agent as his interlocutor, let's make it a 12 year old boy.' You can almost see the titles rolling across the screen.
The problem with books written as screenplays is they often tend to underserve the reader as regards characters and settings. Bauer invests a lot of creative writing into her characters but they still seem to be sketchy and less than fully believable. Her protagonist, the 12 year old Steven Lamb, in one scene independently invents the philosophy of nihilism just by looking at a picture of the galaxy and feeling all insignificant. Later, he is ( almost literally) Too Stupid To Live, on several occasions. The villian is a cartoon caricature of evil. There's the old trope of the pyscho-killer soldier, who at his very first opportunity to shoot a perfect stranger, does so.
The book doesn't really do justice to the eerie beauty of Exmoor ( which I have seen) but makes it into a sort of generic, soggy place.
My main problem with Bauer's story is that I just can't deliver the colossal suspension of disbelief that it requires. The police and prison officials are portrayed as completely stupid or criminally incompetent ( or both ). The villain's escape beggers belief. Yet despite constantly whacking my forehead in frustration with this book, I kept reading it to find out what happens next. That's a pretty big plus to any author.
Unhappily, she pancaked the landing with a fashionably ambiguous ending that in my opinion adds nothing to the story. It's not hard to puzzle out what Bauer intends but why do we have to?
As first novels go, there's way worse. I understand that Bauer has written a number of other books, including some in the same setting. I'm curious to see if she's gotten better with practice-but not at full price. Library loans, bargain bins or online discounts only. -30-
October 6, 2020
2 días y 240 páginas después. Segundo libro que leo de la autora, si quería leer algo más de ella, porque el primero que leí fue muy bueno.
Blacklands es parte de una trilogía, no triologia, ya que el segundo libro solo comparte el mismo escenario. El tercer libro es una especie de cierre de los dos anteriores. Aún no decido si los leeré, porque este me dejó un sabor de boca muy amargo (no por decepción, sino una gran tristeza).
Creo que este es uno de los libros con trasfondo más triste que jamás he leído, hay libros tristes de primera instancia, y esos están bien, pero este te va carcomiendo con una tristeza honda que no te hace bien. ¿Qué tan miserable debe ser la vida de un niño pequeño para buscar a un asesino serial y que crea que todo va a mejorar?
Es un libro fuerte, y la novela negra pasa a segundo término, el drama es de lo que está hecho. Todo recae en el personaje principal, todo es él, y lo hace de maravilla. Los paisajes están tan bien descritos que puedes sentir el frío del páramo recorriendo tu nariz.
La autora es excelente, ya que sabe describir lo justo de los demás personajes para dar un buen contexto, no invierte más de lo que debería.
Este no es un libro de asesinos seriales, sino de los efectos de los asesinatos en sus familias. Es otro punto de vista (duro) acerca de lo que las personas sienten. Y de las incapacidades que existen para poder seguir con su vida.
Probablemente habrá reseña.
Blacklands es parte de una trilogía, no triologia, ya que el segundo libro solo comparte el mismo escenario. El tercer libro es una especie de cierre de los dos anteriores. Aún no decido si los leeré, porque este me dejó un sabor de boca muy amargo (no por decepción, sino una gran tristeza).
Creo que este es uno de los libros con trasfondo más triste que jamás he leído, hay libros tristes de primera instancia, y esos están bien, pero este te va carcomiendo con una tristeza honda que no te hace bien. ¿Qué tan miserable debe ser la vida de un niño pequeño para buscar a un asesino serial y que crea que todo va a mejorar?
Es un libro fuerte, y la novela negra pasa a segundo término, el drama es de lo que está hecho. Todo recae en el personaje principal, todo es él, y lo hace de maravilla. Los paisajes están tan bien descritos que puedes sentir el frío del páramo recorriendo tu nariz.
La autora es excelente, ya que sabe describir lo justo de los demás personajes para dar un buen contexto, no invierte más de lo que debería.
Este no es un libro de asesinos seriales, sino de los efectos de los asesinatos en sus familias. Es otro punto de vista (duro) acerca de lo que las personas sienten. Y de las incapacidades que existen para poder seguir con su vida.
Probablemente habrá reseña.
December 2, 2023
H Bauer εντυπωσιάζει με την πρωτοτυπία του κεντρικού θέματος του βιβλίου και 'πλάθει' τον βασικό νεαρό ήρωα με αρκετά πειστικό τρόπο - ωστόσο, το 1ο μέρος είναι ασαφές και αργό, το 2ο πιο ουσιαστικό, αλλά η πλοκή 'απογειώνεται' στις τελευταίες 30 σελίδες.
Υπάρχει ένα 'δυνατό', όμως, συστατικό στην ιστορία που, ενδεχομένως, να αποζημιώσει το αναγνωστικό κοινό για την υπομονή του: το παιχνίδι της γάτας με το ποντίκι μεταξύ του δωδεκάχρονου Στίβεν και του φυλακισμένου serial killer Έιβερι, το οποίο στήνει η Bauer με αρκετά εμπνευσμένο τρόπο.
Πρωτότυπο και περιπετειώδες μυθιστόρημα, αλλά αντιφατικό και άνισο.
Προτείνεται για καλοκαιρινό ανάγνωσμα (ίσως και όχι μόνο).
Υπάρχει ένα 'δυνατό', όμως, συστατικό στην ιστορία που, ενδεχομένως, να αποζημιώσει το αναγνωστικό κοινό για την υπομονή του: το παιχνίδι της γάτας με το ποντίκι μεταξύ του δωδεκάχρονου Στίβεν και του φυλακισμένου serial killer Έιβερι, το οποίο στήνει η Bauer με αρκετά εμπνευσμένο τρόπο.
Πρωτότυπο και περιπετειώδες μυθιστόρημα, αλλά αντιφατικό και άνισο.
Προτείνεται για καλοκαιρινό ανάγνωσμα (ίσως και όχι μόνο).
October 8, 2014
This book was recommended by one of my Goodread friends and although I initially didn't like it, by the end I was hooked. This debut novel is very strong with very interesting characters. The story is dark but the dialogue between the characters is excellent especially between the two boys. I was so taken by this author that I was tempted to start another one hers straight away. I will certainly be reading more from Belinda Bauer.
March 26, 2017
Blacklands was the debut novel from Belinda Bauer and was originally released at the end of 2009 but it unfortunately never reached my radar. Since then I have heard much praise of her work and on the strength of this impressively assured and genuinely original novel I will certainly be keen on reading more. In the cluttered world of crime fiction it is astonishing rare to find both a unique and highly compelling debut, but Blacklands is that very thing. Unsettling and authentic to the point of being harrowing on occasions, Bauer has produced an atmospheric and sinister portrayal of a cat and mouse game between a twelve-year-old boy and a sociopathic serial killer. Motivation for vulnerable Steven when he steps into the lions den is the prospect of reuniting his family where resentment and bitterness permeate the stifled atmosphere of a home where a child, believed murdered, fills every moment of the silence.
Steven's nan started life as Gloria Manners, became Ron Peter's wife and graduated to Billy and Lettie's mum. Since the disappearance and presumed murder of Billy by serial killer Arnold Avery she has simply become Poor Mrs Peter's and stands tetchily by the window awaiting her son's return. But Mrs Peter's is the only person who believes Billy will one day come home. 111 Barnstaple Road, Shipcott is far from home sweet home. Earnest Steven with his unsympathetic home life has determined to locate Billy's remains and offer his nan some much needed closure. He spends hours after school and at the weekends digging holes on the moors, all carefully charted on an Ordnance Survey map and the approximate measurements of a boy only a year younger than himself. The excitement when he discovers a jawbone and tooth is only matched by his anger when his find is fully unearthed and is very clearly the remains of a sheep. It is this discovery and disappointment that brings home the futility of his endeavour. In a bid to salve the wounds of the past, Steven pens a letter to the serial killer behind bars with the aim being to draw out the burial site where his deceased uncle lies below the soil. The complicated array of emotions that drive Steven's nan and mother are still raw, but can Steven's efforts to engage uncle Billy's presumed killer into revealing the whereabouts of his buried body provide an answer for his nan and some of the scars?
Blacklands exudes a menacing level of suspense as the slow burning correspondence of Steven and Arnold Avery gains momentum, each letter open to endless interpretation and offering a sociopath a chance of revel in the memories of his crime. In short, Steven's letters are manna from heaven for Avery, all centering around his favourite topic and freshly dissecting the memories of his depraved behaviour. But can a twelve-year-old boy ever be a match for a calculated monster with six dead bodies the pinnacle of his sick achievements? As the correspondence and cryptic notes progress, the subtle shifts in the balance of power over time are brilliantly exposed.
When Avery requests a photo of Dunkery Beacon, the highest part of the moor and close to where all the bodies have so far been found, Steven obliges. However his blurry image is reflected in the wing mirror of a car and ignites a burning desire in Avery to escape his confines and go in search of Steven. For Avery the chance of replacing his fantasy with the real thing awakens his senses and the photo in an invitation which restores him to the driving seat. Driven to stage a cunning plan to escape the walls of Langmoor Prison, Arnold Avery is primed to engineer another encounter with a young boy against the backdrop of the moor where he committed his original crimes. His devious method is to send a postcard to his intended victim depicting Exmoor blanketed in purple heather and inscribed with a single location - 'BLACKLANDS', setting up a confrontation with the past and an anger in Steven that he has fallen into the very trap he baited and set for Avery. But just who will win the final war, Steven Lamb and his family or Arnold Avery? All is revealed in a stunning denouement.
The precise prose and seeming simplicity that is the basis for Bauer's writing reminds me of the crisp elegance of Karin Fossum and the author's ability to tap into the heart-rending emotions of Steven and the chilling calculation of a serial killer reads so authentically and keeps the reader fixated. Charged and poignant, Bauer manages to portray a child trapped in a heartbreaking cat and mouse pursuit. Admittedly Steven is mature for his age and has built up an extensive background on serial killers and their behavioural traits and predilections, but Blacklands reveals how even the most determined boy is no match for a ruthless serial killer. Bravo!
Steven's nan started life as Gloria Manners, became Ron Peter's wife and graduated to Billy and Lettie's mum. Since the disappearance and presumed murder of Billy by serial killer Arnold Avery she has simply become Poor Mrs Peter's and stands tetchily by the window awaiting her son's return. But Mrs Peter's is the only person who believes Billy will one day come home. 111 Barnstaple Road, Shipcott is far from home sweet home. Earnest Steven with his unsympathetic home life has determined to locate Billy's remains and offer his nan some much needed closure. He spends hours after school and at the weekends digging holes on the moors, all carefully charted on an Ordnance Survey map and the approximate measurements of a boy only a year younger than himself. The excitement when he discovers a jawbone and tooth is only matched by his anger when his find is fully unearthed and is very clearly the remains of a sheep. It is this discovery and disappointment that brings home the futility of his endeavour. In a bid to salve the wounds of the past, Steven pens a letter to the serial killer behind bars with the aim being to draw out the burial site where his deceased uncle lies below the soil. The complicated array of emotions that drive Steven's nan and mother are still raw, but can Steven's efforts to engage uncle Billy's presumed killer into revealing the whereabouts of his buried body provide an answer for his nan and some of the scars?
Blacklands exudes a menacing level of suspense as the slow burning correspondence of Steven and Arnold Avery gains momentum, each letter open to endless interpretation and offering a sociopath a chance of revel in the memories of his crime. In short, Steven's letters are manna from heaven for Avery, all centering around his favourite topic and freshly dissecting the memories of his depraved behaviour. But can a twelve-year-old boy ever be a match for a calculated monster with six dead bodies the pinnacle of his sick achievements? As the correspondence and cryptic notes progress, the subtle shifts in the balance of power over time are brilliantly exposed.
When Avery requests a photo of Dunkery Beacon, the highest part of the moor and close to where all the bodies have so far been found, Steven obliges. However his blurry image is reflected in the wing mirror of a car and ignites a burning desire in Avery to escape his confines and go in search of Steven. For Avery the chance of replacing his fantasy with the real thing awakens his senses and the photo in an invitation which restores him to the driving seat. Driven to stage a cunning plan to escape the walls of Langmoor Prison, Arnold Avery is primed to engineer another encounter with a young boy against the backdrop of the moor where he committed his original crimes. His devious method is to send a postcard to his intended victim depicting Exmoor blanketed in purple heather and inscribed with a single location - 'BLACKLANDS', setting up a confrontation with the past and an anger in Steven that he has fallen into the very trap he baited and set for Avery. But just who will win the final war, Steven Lamb and his family or Arnold Avery? All is revealed in a stunning denouement.
The precise prose and seeming simplicity that is the basis for Bauer's writing reminds me of the crisp elegance of Karin Fossum and the author's ability to tap into the heart-rending emotions of Steven and the chilling calculation of a serial killer reads so authentically and keeps the reader fixated. Charged and poignant, Bauer manages to portray a child trapped in a heartbreaking cat and mouse pursuit. Admittedly Steven is mature for his age and has built up an extensive background on serial killers and their behavioural traits and predilections, but Blacklands reveals how even the most determined boy is no match for a ruthless serial killer. Bravo!
March 24, 2023
My Review:
I’ve read three of Belinda Bauer’s books over the years, Rubbernecker, Snap and Exit and each time I am reminded why she is such a great author. Her earlier work, Blacklands, Darkside and Finders Keepers have been sitting on my kindle for years and I really needed to read a dark, chilling thriller so opened up Blacklands.
Before I start, this book was written in 2010 and is the debut novel and even though it’s 13 years old, it is, in my opinion, relevant, topical and can easily hold it’s own amongst crime thrillers published today.
Often when we read about serial killers in the press, we are bombarded with information about the killer and it’s the victims who seem to be forgotten or overlooked. Who can name any of Jeffrey Dahmer or Ted Bundy’s victims (without looking it up or watching the Netflix series)? Blacklands is the story of one of the families destroyed by a local serial killer and pedophile, Arnold Avery. Now in prison, Avery was finally caught and convicted for torturing and strangling several children but there are a few missing children he has never admitted to killing and their bodies remain undiscovered almost twenty years later denying the grieving families the chance to say goodbye.
Steven Lamb is 12 years old, he lives with his single mother, younger brother and Grandmother (Nan). 19 years earlier his Uncle Billy, then aged 11, vanished without a trace and since that day Nan has spent everyday starring out of the window waiting for her son to return. Over the years, her daughter has had two boys, Steven and Davey. Their lives have been shattered into tiny broken pieces and the disappearance of Billy has caused the Lamb family to fracture emotionally.
Steven thinks that if he can find Uncle Billy’s body, believed to be buried somewhere on Exmoor, he can give his Nan the closure she needs and in return he can have the happy, loving family unit he craves, Having spent the last 3 years secretly digging in the moors searching for his dead uncle, when a teacher tells him he writes a good letter, he decides to write to Arnold Avery in prison and get him to confess to Billy’s murder.
What follows is a very dangerous cat and mouse game. Avery is absolutely terrifying and I was really shaken and disturbed when reading his chapters. This is a truly gripping and often shocking story which I couldn’t put down.
I thoroughly recommend it to any fans of crime fiction and at only 242 pages (and currently 99p on Amazon kindle) it will certainly keep you glued to the pages from start to finish.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
I’ve read three of Belinda Bauer’s books over the years, Rubbernecker, Snap and Exit and each time I am reminded why she is such a great author. Her earlier work, Blacklands, Darkside and Finders Keepers have been sitting on my kindle for years and I really needed to read a dark, chilling thriller so opened up Blacklands.
Before I start, this book was written in 2010 and is the debut novel and even though it’s 13 years old, it is, in my opinion, relevant, topical and can easily hold it’s own amongst crime thrillers published today.
Often when we read about serial killers in the press, we are bombarded with information about the killer and it’s the victims who seem to be forgotten or overlooked. Who can name any of Jeffrey Dahmer or Ted Bundy’s victims (without looking it up or watching the Netflix series)? Blacklands is the story of one of the families destroyed by a local serial killer and pedophile, Arnold Avery. Now in prison, Avery was finally caught and convicted for torturing and strangling several children but there are a few missing children he has never admitted to killing and their bodies remain undiscovered almost twenty years later denying the grieving families the chance to say goodbye.
Steven Lamb is 12 years old, he lives with his single mother, younger brother and Grandmother (Nan). 19 years earlier his Uncle Billy, then aged 11, vanished without a trace and since that day Nan has spent everyday starring out of the window waiting for her son to return. Over the years, her daughter has had two boys, Steven and Davey. Their lives have been shattered into tiny broken pieces and the disappearance of Billy has caused the Lamb family to fracture emotionally.
Steven thinks that if he can find Uncle Billy’s body, believed to be buried somewhere on Exmoor, he can give his Nan the closure she needs and in return he can have the happy, loving family unit he craves, Having spent the last 3 years secretly digging in the moors searching for his dead uncle, when a teacher tells him he writes a good letter, he decides to write to Arnold Avery in prison and get him to confess to Billy’s murder.
What follows is a very dangerous cat and mouse game. Avery is absolutely terrifying and I was really shaken and disturbed when reading his chapters. This is a truly gripping and often shocking story which I couldn’t put down.
I thoroughly recommend it to any fans of crime fiction and at only 242 pages (and currently 99p on Amazon kindle) it will certainly keep you glued to the pages from start to finish.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
June 14, 2015
'Blacklands' is a debut crime novel that is very well written and immensely compelling. However, I can't say I enjoyed it as 'Blacklands' is a very bleak novel in its outlook and subject matter.
Steven is a twelve year old boy living in a unloving household with his brother, Davey. Many years ago, before he was born, Steven's mother, Lettie, lost her brother Billy to a serial killer and pedophile. Lettie and her mother (Steven's nan - Mrs Peters) never got to know where Billy's body was buried and this inability to find closure made them very bitter, and to be honest, not very nice people. I didn't like Lettie and Mrs Peters characters at all. I felt no compassion for them as they were just so nasty and spiteful. Although their lives had been filled with pain, I didn't feel any tolerance for their behaviour towards Steven.
After Billy went missing Mrs Peters took out her pain on her daughter and now her daughter takes out her pain on her son. Steven has to deal with this on a daily basis. Unfortunately, I found this to be rather stereotypical characterisation. Everything possible was thrown at this family; a mother bringing up her children without a father; lots of different boyfriend or 'uncles' as Steven calls them; bitter mother, bitter nan and poverty stricken.
Despite Steven's unloving family, who take their unhappiness and frustrations out on him, it's a total surprise how he grew up to be such a loving, caring and empathic child, especially as he didn't have anything remotely caring in his life as he grew up.
As well as having to deal with everything at home Steven also has a horridly selfish and not very nice best friend, Lewis, and is bullied badly at school by three boys he calls 'the hoodies'. To be honest, it's a wonder Steven can gather the will to actually leave his bed in the morning!
Although I liked Steven I did find some of his actions a bit beyond his years. At the age of twelve he decides to write a letter to Arnold Avery, the serial killer who killed his Uncle Billy all those years ago, with the hope he would tell him where his body was buried. The reason is the expectation that his Nan and mother would be so happy they would love him a bit more. His other pasttime is digging up the moors with the hope of finding Uncle Billy's body. He's been doing this for three years. This means he would have started this morbid activity at the age of nine. Really?
It's difficult for me to believe that at nine years of age Steven came to the conclusion that by finding his Uncle Billy's body would make his nan and mother happy and therefore they would love him more. I understand that some children can be astute but I felt that this was taking things a bit too far.
This book is incredibly disheartening and doesn't contain an ounce of hope until the very end. It's bittersweet for me as it only seems to materialise after the serial killer tries to strangle the life out of Steven back on the moors. Steven survives but it's only at this point he receives the slightest bit of warmth from his mother and Nan. Isn't it sad that it had to come to this, with only his possible death the catalyst for love.
The pacing in 'Blacklands' is very good and each chapter drives you forward to read the next. The characters although unlikable, except for Steven, are all very well rounded. The story also jumps about a bit with the thoughts of Arnold Avery, the serial killer remembering past conquests and kills and then his thoughts jumping back to his present. It's a testament to the authors writing skills that I didn't get lost or confused and the story and plot were clear.
Arnold Avery is a very unsavoury character. Hearing his thoughts about the children he abused, raped and murdered made for uncomfortable reading but Ms Bauer wrote with conviction and I felt as though I really was in the mind of a sadistic serial killer and pedophile. His escape from prison and his journey towards Steven was chilling and suspenseful even if the ending was a little anti-climactic.
VERDICT:
So, did I enjoy this book - well, not really, but it isn't because of how this book is written, as it's written very well and with a certain amount of accomplishment, but I did find 'Blacklands' to be very depressing and the characters too predictable and a bit cliched, although this may be due to 'Blacklands' being the authors first novel. However, I will definitely be reading the Ms Bauer's next novel, Darkside, published 6th Jan 2011.
Steven is a twelve year old boy living in a unloving household with his brother, Davey. Many years ago, before he was born, Steven's mother, Lettie, lost her brother Billy to a serial killer and pedophile. Lettie and her mother (Steven's nan - Mrs Peters) never got to know where Billy's body was buried and this inability to find closure made them very bitter, and to be honest, not very nice people. I didn't like Lettie and Mrs Peters characters at all. I felt no compassion for them as they were just so nasty and spiteful. Although their lives had been filled with pain, I didn't feel any tolerance for their behaviour towards Steven.
After Billy went missing Mrs Peters took out her pain on her daughter and now her daughter takes out her pain on her son. Steven has to deal with this on a daily basis. Unfortunately, I found this to be rather stereotypical characterisation. Everything possible was thrown at this family; a mother bringing up her children without a father; lots of different boyfriend or 'uncles' as Steven calls them; bitter mother, bitter nan and poverty stricken.
Despite Steven's unloving family, who take their unhappiness and frustrations out on him, it's a total surprise how he grew up to be such a loving, caring and empathic child, especially as he didn't have anything remotely caring in his life as he grew up.
As well as having to deal with everything at home Steven also has a horridly selfish and not very nice best friend, Lewis, and is bullied badly at school by three boys he calls 'the hoodies'. To be honest, it's a wonder Steven can gather the will to actually leave his bed in the morning!
Although I liked Steven I did find some of his actions a bit beyond his years. At the age of twelve he decides to write a letter to Arnold Avery, the serial killer who killed his Uncle Billy all those years ago, with the hope he would tell him where his body was buried. The reason is the expectation that his Nan and mother would be so happy they would love him a bit more. His other pasttime is digging up the moors with the hope of finding Uncle Billy's body. He's been doing this for three years. This means he would have started this morbid activity at the age of nine. Really?
It's difficult for me to believe that at nine years of age Steven came to the conclusion that by finding his Uncle Billy's body would make his nan and mother happy and therefore they would love him more. I understand that some children can be astute but I felt that this was taking things a bit too far.
This book is incredibly disheartening and doesn't contain an ounce of hope until the very end. It's bittersweet for me as it only seems to materialise after the serial killer tries to strangle the life out of Steven back on the moors. Steven survives but it's only at this point he receives the slightest bit of warmth from his mother and Nan. Isn't it sad that it had to come to this, with only his possible death the catalyst for love.
The pacing in 'Blacklands' is very good and each chapter drives you forward to read the next. The characters although unlikable, except for Steven, are all very well rounded. The story also jumps about a bit with the thoughts of Arnold Avery, the serial killer remembering past conquests and kills and then his thoughts jumping back to his present. It's a testament to the authors writing skills that I didn't get lost or confused and the story and plot were clear.
Arnold Avery is a very unsavoury character. Hearing his thoughts about the children he abused, raped and murdered made for uncomfortable reading but Ms Bauer wrote with conviction and I felt as though I really was in the mind of a sadistic serial killer and pedophile. His escape from prison and his journey towards Steven was chilling and suspenseful even if the ending was a little anti-climactic.
VERDICT:
So, did I enjoy this book - well, not really, but it isn't because of how this book is written, as it's written very well and with a certain amount of accomplishment, but I did find 'Blacklands' to be very depressing and the characters too predictable and a bit cliched, although this may be due to 'Blacklands' being the authors first novel. However, I will definitely be reading the Ms Bauer's next novel, Darkside, published 6th Jan 2011.
March 7, 2011
Caveat lector [sic] **Okay I decided that to start including caveats in my positive reviews in addition to my negative reviews, mostly because I keep getting responses that are along the lines of "you should hate the book for the book not because of how you feel about the world". Well for everyone out there who manages to stop being a human being while they read a book that is a fucking fantastic idea, but when I read books tap into particular introjects and responding to the books by talking about the introjects is still as far as I'm concerned responding to the book not blaming the outside world on it. Basically, all I'm trying to say is "these are my world views, they interact with the book in this manner, if you have the same world views the same outcome is likely, if you don't this isn't the review for you." Sure I could write a review that just talked about writing style, but in reality I would have no idea what to say about it since I am as a rule a content person. On that note, on to the review: **
Caveats:
1.I think english moors are creepy. I don't know anything about them, or what heather is. I associate them (correctly or incorrect I'm not sure) with the What a Carve Up! and the scene in Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell when the wife is wondering around in the middle of the night. So if something creepy is going to happen it should be there.
2. I feel similarly about small towns. serial killers are totally small town kind of people.
3. I like British novels, I went into this expecting to think it was awesome.
Okay this book is awesome BUT you have to accept the premise, so here goes. An 11 year old boy thinks that if he finds the boy of his uncle who was murdered as a child it will fix his family. With me so far? He writes letters to the killer to ask where the body is. Okay don't ask yourself if you would do that. Ask yourself if you believe an 11 year old would do that. I mean 11 year olds are stupid after all. The way it is played out is completely reasonable and not at all unbelievable at least to me, but you do have to be willing to believe that an 11 year old would do that expecting it to work. Basically, not believing this premise like the caveats I was talking about earlier would ruin your experience of the entire book.
Okay on that note, I really like the characterizations in this book they seem really realistic to me. I get the family dynamic. I especially like the way that the author plays with the characters self perceptions. I also think the perspective works really well, it's a solid third person but she does a lot of POV jumping. I mean you always know who's head Jiminy Cricket is sitting on but he moves around a lot, there are a couple really great surprising moments or . There is also a truth to character depending on when the pov is currently sitting, the narrator is never too omnipotent, there is some overlay but it's never complete if that makes sense.
As far as the plot goes, I was very surprised several times but never to a point were sense got lost.
I don't know I feel like I ran out of things to say and haven't convinced you to read the book.
Ah, when I picked this book up it reminded me of the guy in the Buried Child who keeps going out into the cornfield to look for the baby, this book reminded me of that and I felt like it was as good, although it is much less amorphous than that play.
Caveats:
1.I think english moors are creepy. I don't know anything about them, or what heather is. I associate them (correctly or incorrect I'm not sure) with the What a Carve Up! and the scene in Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell when the wife is wondering around in the middle of the night. So if something creepy is going to happen it should be there.
2. I feel similarly about small towns. serial killers are totally small town kind of people.
3. I like British novels, I went into this expecting to think it was awesome.
Okay this book is awesome BUT you have to accept the premise, so here goes. An 11 year old boy thinks that if he finds the boy of his uncle who was murdered as a child it will fix his family. With me so far? He writes letters to the killer to ask where the body is. Okay don't ask yourself if you would do that. Ask yourself if you believe an 11 year old would do that. I mean 11 year olds are stupid after all. The way it is played out is completely reasonable and not at all unbelievable at least to me, but you do have to be willing to believe that an 11 year old would do that expecting it to work. Basically, not believing this premise like the caveats I was talking about earlier would ruin your experience of the entire book.
Okay on that note, I really like the characterizations in this book they seem really realistic to me. I get the family dynamic. I especially like the way that the author plays with the characters self perceptions. I also think the perspective works really well, it's a solid third person but she does a lot of POV jumping. I mean you always know who's head Jiminy Cricket is sitting on but he moves around a lot, there are a couple really great surprising moments or . There is also a truth to character depending on when the pov is currently sitting, the narrator is never too omnipotent, there is some overlay but it's never complete if that makes sense.
As far as the plot goes, I was very surprised several times but never to a point were sense got lost.
I don't know I feel like I ran out of things to say and haven't convinced you to read the book.
Ah, when I picked this book up it reminded me of the guy in the Buried Child who keeps going out into the cornfield to look for the baby, this book reminded me of that and I felt like it was as good, although it is much less amorphous than that play.
August 10, 2015
Having read Rubbernecker by Belinda Bauer, I was keen to read more of her work. She's an excellent writer. Blacklands is her debut novel and won some crime novel award or other, and no wonder. It's a fantastic read - unsettling, sympathetic, intriguing, authentic, clever.
Read it in a couple of sittings. The pages turned themselves. It's told largely from the perspective of a young boy, Steven Lamb. Steven lives with his mum and nan and younger brother and has a tough time at home and at school. The family is overshadowed by a tragic event - that of the murder of his uncle Billy almost 20 years previously by a now imprisoned child serial-killer. Uncle Billy was nan's son as well as his mum's only brother, and was the favourite child. His mother's upbringing has been stained because of it. Steven is suffering too without properly understanding why.
But he wants to understand it.
The body of Uncle Billy (just Steven's age when he was murdered) has never been found. The killer did not disclose the location, but other bodies were discovered in moorland close to home. Steven (without the knowledge of his family) acquires a spade and uses every spare moment to dig on the moors. He becomes obsessed with the idea of putting his family's suffering to an end by finding the missing body.
His obsession sometimes takes him to the library where he goes online to research information about the serial killer, and - and this is the most fascinating part of the story - opens a correspondence with him through letters.
This is not your typical crime book. Indeed, Belinda Bauer never anticipated it becoming a crime book. She initially intended a story about a boy and his nan, but was fascinated by the idea of something dreadful shadowing the family and began to explore the idea of how that might affect generations afterwards. Hence the idea was born. It isn't a who-dunnit either. We know who done it! We know who the killer is. We know he's nearing the end of a prison sentence. We know about the crimes he committed a couple of decades previously. We know he isn't remorseful and never will be. We know how his crimes affected one family. What we don't know is what is going to happen when Steven Lamb connects with this killer, and enters a dangerous web without the knowledge of his family.
Brilliantly well done. Told in third person, we are given a tour inside the head of the psychopath too. Belinda Bauer is a masterful storyteller with the gift of creating wonderful characterisation. This book is as creepy as it is convincing. For anyone who enjoys a serious read by a talented writer, I can endorse this work without reservation. Surely it is impossible not to be pulled in immediately. Enjoy!
Read it in a couple of sittings. The pages turned themselves. It's told largely from the perspective of a young boy, Steven Lamb. Steven lives with his mum and nan and younger brother and has a tough time at home and at school. The family is overshadowed by a tragic event - that of the murder of his uncle Billy almost 20 years previously by a now imprisoned child serial-killer. Uncle Billy was nan's son as well as his mum's only brother, and was the favourite child. His mother's upbringing has been stained because of it. Steven is suffering too without properly understanding why.
But he wants to understand it.
The body of Uncle Billy (just Steven's age when he was murdered) has never been found. The killer did not disclose the location, but other bodies were discovered in moorland close to home. Steven (without the knowledge of his family) acquires a spade and uses every spare moment to dig on the moors. He becomes obsessed with the idea of putting his family's suffering to an end by finding the missing body.
His obsession sometimes takes him to the library where he goes online to research information about the serial killer, and - and this is the most fascinating part of the story - opens a correspondence with him through letters.
This is not your typical crime book. Indeed, Belinda Bauer never anticipated it becoming a crime book. She initially intended a story about a boy and his nan, but was fascinated by the idea of something dreadful shadowing the family and began to explore the idea of how that might affect generations afterwards. Hence the idea was born. It isn't a who-dunnit either. We know who done it! We know who the killer is. We know he's nearing the end of a prison sentence. We know about the crimes he committed a couple of decades previously. We know he isn't remorseful and never will be. We know how his crimes affected one family. What we don't know is what is going to happen when Steven Lamb connects with this killer, and enters a dangerous web without the knowledge of his family.
Brilliantly well done. Told in third person, we are given a tour inside the head of the psychopath too. Belinda Bauer is a masterful storyteller with the gift of creating wonderful characterisation. This book is as creepy as it is convincing. For anyone who enjoys a serious read by a talented writer, I can endorse this work without reservation. Surely it is impossible not to be pulled in immediately. Enjoy!
August 29, 2018
I was unsure how to rate this book. For a debut mystery novel it was remarkable and marked the coming of a talented new writer of psychological suspense. Blacklands won the Gold Dagger Award in 2010, and her subsequent novels have been shortlisted most every year since. I have only read her first book Blacklands and her latest Snap (long listed for the upcoming Man Booker Prize.) There is a gap of many of her other books I am now anxious to read.
Snap was a strong 5 star read for me. I was first inclined to rate Blacklands a 3, but a fast paced, frenzied, pulse pounding conclusion raised it to a 4.
Belinda Bauer is a wonderful writer. Her insight into the thoughts and character of unhappy boys is superb as well as her descriptive passages of the landscape. I thought the plot moved a bit slowly at first but it lead up to a tension filled ending which was suspenseful and nerve wrenching. I was riveted.
Twelve year old Steven lives in a dysfunctional home. Eighteen years before, his uncle Billy was murdered while still a child. His body was never found. Steven’s family is disconnected and falling apart. Each day his bitter grandmother stares out the window awaiting her son’s return. Steven’s mother acts cold and distant towards him. Steven spends The next three years digging in the desolate,misty moors looking for Billy’s body. He hopes that finding it will bring some closure and peace to his tormented family. Pedophile/child killer Arnold Avery is in prison having admitted to the murder of six other children and burying them on the moors.
Having no success in locating the body, a desperate Steven begins secretly writing to the deranged serial killer in prison. He hopes Avery will disclose to him where Billy was buried. This places Steven in extreme danger. I regret not being aware of this terrific writer of suspense thrillers sooner and her other books are now on my ‘must read’ list.
Snap was a strong 5 star read for me. I was first inclined to rate Blacklands a 3, but a fast paced, frenzied, pulse pounding conclusion raised it to a 4.
Belinda Bauer is a wonderful writer. Her insight into the thoughts and character of unhappy boys is superb as well as her descriptive passages of the landscape. I thought the plot moved a bit slowly at first but it lead up to a tension filled ending which was suspenseful and nerve wrenching. I was riveted.
Twelve year old Steven lives in a dysfunctional home. Eighteen years before, his uncle Billy was murdered while still a child. His body was never found. Steven’s family is disconnected and falling apart. Each day his bitter grandmother stares out the window awaiting her son’s return. Steven’s mother acts cold and distant towards him. Steven spends The next three years digging in the desolate,misty moors looking for Billy’s body. He hopes that finding it will bring some closure and peace to his tormented family. Pedophile/child killer Arnold Avery is in prison having admitted to the murder of six other children and burying them on the moors.
Having no success in locating the body, a desperate Steven begins secretly writing to the deranged serial killer in prison. He hopes Avery will disclose to him where Billy was buried. This places Steven in extreme danger. I regret not being aware of this terrific writer of suspense thrillers sooner and her other books are now on my ‘must read’ list.
August 28, 2010
There was so much I’d wanted to like about Black Lands; it’d seemed like a nice creepy story when I had picked it up.
We follow Steven Lamb as he writes letters to the serial killer Avery (I can’t remember his full name, he bored me with his one-dimensional characteristics towards the end) in order to discover the location of his uncle’s body. This will, apparently, bring his family closer together… because his family is shit and poor… and a dead body will unite them, somehow. This leads to a cat-and-mouse game with the serial killer who blah, blah, blah. You can work out the rest
This book should have been Paddy Clarke’s correspondence with Norman Bates; a mixture of childhood intrigue and pure insanity. Instead what I got was a boring killer whose motives were so obvious that there was no point listening to his narrative perspective, and a child who often discussed the merits of his lunchbox with a droning blandness.
Four more things, first: when describing fear, Belinda Bauer has everyone either piss themselves, or has their ‘bowels loosen’. If you removed all reference to piss in this novel you’d lose twenty pages.
Second: When writing a crime novel, stop writing: ‘It was like something from a cop show’. I counted that phrase four times. You don’t get comedy writers writing: ‘It was like something really funny had happened’. It’s lazy.
Third: The moors are a wonderful place, and you manage to describe them very well in the first couple of chapter, but why does it suddenly feel like it’s the same moor, which it isn’t, that’s being described every time?
Finally: I don’t mind characters only appearing briefly in novels, but at least make their appearances worthwhile. Why the hell did that guy shoot Arnold Avery (that’s his name!) if it wasn’t going to do anything for the story?
Anyway, I thought there was a lot that failed in this book.
We follow Steven Lamb as he writes letters to the serial killer Avery (I can’t remember his full name, he bored me with his one-dimensional characteristics towards the end) in order to discover the location of his uncle’s body. This will, apparently, bring his family closer together… because his family is shit and poor… and a dead body will unite them, somehow. This leads to a cat-and-mouse game with the serial killer who blah, blah, blah. You can work out the rest
This book should have been Paddy Clarke’s correspondence with Norman Bates; a mixture of childhood intrigue and pure insanity. Instead what I got was a boring killer whose motives were so obvious that there was no point listening to his narrative perspective, and a child who often discussed the merits of his lunchbox with a droning blandness.
Four more things, first: when describing fear, Belinda Bauer has everyone either piss themselves, or has their ‘bowels loosen’. If you removed all reference to piss in this novel you’d lose twenty pages.
Second: When writing a crime novel, stop writing: ‘It was like something from a cop show’. I counted that phrase four times. You don’t get comedy writers writing: ‘It was like something really funny had happened’. It’s lazy.
Third: The moors are a wonderful place, and you manage to describe them very well in the first couple of chapter, but why does it suddenly feel like it’s the same moor, which it isn’t, that’s being described every time?
Finally: I don’t mind characters only appearing briefly in novels, but at least make their appearances worthwhile. Why the hell did that guy shoot Arnold Avery (that’s his name!) if it wasn’t going to do anything for the story?
Anyway, I thought there was a lot that failed in this book.
dnf
March 8, 2020Descriptive animal and child cruelty and murder. No thank you.
Her later books are so much better than this.
Her later books are so much better than this.
March 26, 2017
Blacklands was the debut novel from Belinda Bauer and was originally released at the end of 2009 but it unfortunately never reached my radar. Since then I have heard much praise of her work and on the strength of this impressively assured and genuinely original novel I will certainly be keen on reading more. In the cluttered world of crime fiction it is astonishing rare to find both a unique and highly compelling debut, but Blacklands is that very thing. Unsettling and authentic to the point of being harrowing on occasions, Bauer has produced an atmospheric and sinister portrayal of a cat and mouse game between a twelve-year-old boy and a sociopathic serial killer. Motivation for vulnerable Steven when he steps into the lions den is the prospect of reuniting his family where resentment and bitterness permeate the stifled atmosphere of a home where a child, believed murdered, fills every moment of the silence.
Steven's nan started life as Gloria Manners, became Ron Peter's wife and graduated to Billy and Lettie's mum. Since the disappearance and presumed murder of Billy by serial killer Arnold Avery she has simply become Poor Mrs Peter's and stands tetchily by the window awaiting her son's return. But Mrs Peter's is the only person who believes Billy will one day come home. 111 Barnstaple Road, Shipcott is far from home sweet home. Earnest Steven with his unsympathetic home life has determined to locate Billy's remains and offer his nan some much needed closure. He spends hours after school and at the weekends digging holes on the moors, all carefully charted on an Ordnance Survey map and the approximate measurements of a boy only a year younger than himself. The excitement when he discovers a jawbone and tooth is only matched by his anger when his find is fully unearthed and is very clearly the remains of a sheep. It is this discovery and disappointment that brings home the futility of his endeavour. In a bid to salve the wounds of the past, Steven pens a letter to the serial killer behind bars with the aim being to draw out the burial site where his deceased uncle lies below the soil. The complicated array of emotions that drive Steven's nan and mother are still raw, but can Steven's efforts to engage uncle Billy's presumed killer into revealing the whereabouts of his buried body provide an answer for his nan and some of the scars?
Blacklands exudes a menacing level of suspense as the slow burning correspondence of Steven and Arnold Avery gains momentum, each letter open to endless interpretation and offering a sociopath a chance of revel in the memories of his crime. In short, Steven's letters are manna from heaven for Avery, all centering around his favourite topic and freshly dissecting the memories of his depraved behaviour. But can a twelve-year-old boy ever be a match for a calculated monster with six dead bodies the pinnacle of his sick achievements? As the correspondence and cryptic notes progress, the subtle shifts in the balance of power over time are brilliantly exposed.
When Avery requests a photo of Dunkery Beacon, the highest part of the moor and close to where all the bodies have so far been found, Steven obliges. However his blurry image is reflected in the wing mirror of a car and ignites a burning desire in Avery to escape his confines and go in search of Steven. For Avery the chance of replacing his fantasy with the real thing awakens his senses and the photo in an invitation which restores him to the driving seat. Driven to stage a cunning plan to escape the walls of Langmoor Prison, Arnold Avery is primed to engineer another encounter with a young boy against the backdrop of the moor where he committed his original crimes. His devious method is to send a postcard to his intended victim depicting Exmoor blanketed in purple heather and inscribed with a single location - 'BLACKLANDS', setting up a confrontation with the past and an anger in Steven that he has fallen into the very trap he baited and set for Avery. But just who will win the final war, Steven Lamb and his family or Arnold Avery? All is revealed in a stunning denouement.
The precise prose and seeming simplicity that is the basis for Bauer's writing reminds me of the crisp elegance of Karin Fossum and the author's ability to tap into the heart-rending emotions of Steven and the chilling calculation of a serial killer reads so authentically and keeps the reader fixated. Charged and poignant, Bauer manages to portray a child trapped in a heartbreaking cat and mouse pursuit. Admittedly Steven is mature for his age and has built up an extensive background on serial killers and their behavioural traits and predilections, but Blacklands reveals how even the most determined boy is no match for a ruthless serial killer. Bravo!
Steven's nan started life as Gloria Manners, became Ron Peter's wife and graduated to Billy and Lettie's mum. Since the disappearance and presumed murder of Billy by serial killer Arnold Avery she has simply become Poor Mrs Peter's and stands tetchily by the window awaiting her son's return. But Mrs Peter's is the only person who believes Billy will one day come home. 111 Barnstaple Road, Shipcott is far from home sweet home. Earnest Steven with his unsympathetic home life has determined to locate Billy's remains and offer his nan some much needed closure. He spends hours after school and at the weekends digging holes on the moors, all carefully charted on an Ordnance Survey map and the approximate measurements of a boy only a year younger than himself. The excitement when he discovers a jawbone and tooth is only matched by his anger when his find is fully unearthed and is very clearly the remains of a sheep. It is this discovery and disappointment that brings home the futility of his endeavour. In a bid to salve the wounds of the past, Steven pens a letter to the serial killer behind bars with the aim being to draw out the burial site where his deceased uncle lies below the soil. The complicated array of emotions that drive Steven's nan and mother are still raw, but can Steven's efforts to engage uncle Billy's presumed killer into revealing the whereabouts of his buried body provide an answer for his nan and some of the scars?
Blacklands exudes a menacing level of suspense as the slow burning correspondence of Steven and Arnold Avery gains momentum, each letter open to endless interpretation and offering a sociopath a chance of revel in the memories of his crime. In short, Steven's letters are manna from heaven for Avery, all centering around his favourite topic and freshly dissecting the memories of his depraved behaviour. But can a twelve-year-old boy ever be a match for a calculated monster with six dead bodies the pinnacle of his sick achievements? As the correspondence and cryptic notes progress, the subtle shifts in the balance of power over time are brilliantly exposed.
When Avery requests a photo of Dunkery Beacon, the highest part of the moor and close to where all the bodies have so far been found, Steven obliges. However his blurry image is reflected in the wing mirror of a car and ignites a burning desire in Avery to escape his confines and go in search of Steven. For Avery the chance of replacing his fantasy with the real thing awakens his senses and the photo in an invitation which restores him to the driving seat. Driven to stage a cunning plan to escape the walls of Langmoor Prison, Arnold Avery is primed to engineer another encounter with a young boy against the backdrop of the moor where he committed his original crimes. His devious method is to send a postcard to his intended victim depicting Exmoor blanketed in purple heather and inscribed with a single location - 'BLACKLANDS', setting up a confrontation with the past and an anger in Steven that he has fallen into the very trap he baited and set for Avery. But just who will win the final war, Steven Lamb and his family or Arnold Avery? All is revealed in a stunning denouement.
The precise prose and seeming simplicity that is the basis for Bauer's writing reminds me of the crisp elegance of Karin Fossum and the author's ability to tap into the heart-rending emotions of Steven and the chilling calculation of a serial killer reads so authentically and keeps the reader fixated. Charged and poignant, Bauer manages to portray a child trapped in a heartbreaking cat and mouse pursuit. Admittedly Steven is mature for his age and has built up an extensive background on serial killers and their behavioural traits and predilections, but Blacklands reveals how even the most determined boy is no match for a ruthless serial killer. Bravo!
September 6, 2010
This is one of the books on the TV Book Club on Channel Four. As they only discuss one book, I thought I ought to read it to know what they are on about.
I can only assume that someone got a big backhander for it to get this coverage. Although entertaining, it is very light weight and there must be far more worthy books for consideration. I am hoping for more.
The story - as the authors note at the end - shoud have been a family drama but ends up as a weak crime novel.
It tells the story of a 12 year old boy, Steven Lamb. 20 years previous, his uncle was killed by a notorious peadophile - who on capture, refused to reveal where the body was. Steven family life is tattered - his grandmother is a broken woman and his mother is a single parent. He thinks that if he can find the body of his uncle, his family can get on.
So he starts digging. Gets nowhere. Then starts correspondance with the killer - which starts well enough - until we have a hollywood escape - a bizarre shooting on an MOD range and the inevitable hollywood show down. Very formulaic and no surprises.
There are some good points. Stevens perspective on things is well done and there is a good sense of place in Somerset.
Just an average book.
I can only assume that someone got a big backhander for it to get this coverage. Although entertaining, it is very light weight and there must be far more worthy books for consideration. I am hoping for more.
The story - as the authors note at the end - shoud have been a family drama but ends up as a weak crime novel.
It tells the story of a 12 year old boy, Steven Lamb. 20 years previous, his uncle was killed by a notorious peadophile - who on capture, refused to reveal where the body was. Steven family life is tattered - his grandmother is a broken woman and his mother is a single parent. He thinks that if he can find the body of his uncle, his family can get on.
So he starts digging. Gets nowhere. Then starts correspondance with the killer - which starts well enough - until we have a hollywood escape - a bizarre shooting on an MOD range and the inevitable hollywood show down. Very formulaic and no surprises.
There are some good points. Stevens perspective on things is well done and there is a good sense of place in Somerset.
Just an average book.
January 10, 2010
I must admit to being a little bit disappointed by this one, especially as it's one of the chosen ones for the new TV book club. It's a good enough story with a disturbing theme, but all the reviews I've seen make a big thing of the unbearable tension - but it just didn't do it for me, there was a little something missing. I really didn't think the author got into the mind of Stephen effectively enough, and I thought the writing was just a little below par. Was I just not in the mood? Maybe. But I just thought a different author could have done it so much better (been reading too much Siobhan Dowd maybe...). See what you think - I might be totally out of step with everyone else
April 23, 2012
This book's narration alternates between the POV of a pedophile and a boy in a really heart-breaking situation. So I was in turns disgusted and sniffling while reading this but even so, I just couldn't put it down and stayed awake until the early morning to finish it.
I'm looking forward to reading more books from this author.
I'm looking forward to reading more books from this author.
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