Disordered Minds

by Minette Walters

In 1970, Harold Stamp, a retarded twenty-year-old was convicted on disputed evidence and a retracted confession of brutally murdering his grandmother - the one person who understood and protected him. Less than three years later he is dead, driven to suicide by isolation and despair. A fate befitting a murderer, perhaps, but what if he were innocent? Thirty years on, Jonathan Hughes, an anthropologist specialising in social stereotyping, comes across the case by accident. He finds alarming disparities in the evidence and has little doubt that Stamp`s conviction was a terrible miscarriage of justice. But how far is Hughes prepared to go in the search for justice? Is the forgotten story of one friendless young man compelling enough to make him leave his books and face his own demons? And with what result? If Stamp didn`t murder Grace Jeffries then somebody else did... and sleeping dogs are best left alone...

Genres: Mystery, Crime, Fiction, Thriller, British Literature, Mystery Thriller, Suspense

594 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2003

About the author

Minette Walters (born 26 September 1949) is a British mystery writer. After studying at Trevelyan College, University of Durham, she began writing in 1987 with The Ice House, which was published in 1992. She followed this with The Sculptress (1993), which received the 1994 Edgar Award for Best Novel. She has been published in 35 countries and won many awards.

The Sculptress has been adapted for television in a BBC series starring Pauline Quirke. Her novels The Ice House, The Echo, The Dark Room, and The Scold's Bridle have also been adapted by the BBC.

Reviews

[martin · Rating 3 out of 5]

I can understand why there are some negative opinions about this book. It is not her best - not least because the twists and turns are so complicated and the ending lacks the satisfaction of the more normal "villain is found and gets punished" we are so used to. Also, the interesting main characters in the first part of the book, Jonathan, George and Andrew seem to fade away completely in the second half only to re-appear at the very end. Jonathan's metamorphosis from self-loathing to self acceptance could have been a far more convincing theme but it all happened "off camera" and was definitely a little too easy.

What I did like about the book was the way it looks deeply into the motivation for the crimes and also the impact they had on the later lives of key players in the rape & murder. Walters delves into some pretty shocking and disturbing issues here - made more so by the fact that the teenagers are recognisable as real people rather than cardboard cut outs of disaffected youth.

Having recently read a lot of crime fiction set in the US, it is interesting to compare that with writers like Walters, Rankin etc. Gross over-simplication perhaps, but it seems to me that there is a Beverley Hills 90210 vs Eastenders split at work here. Both traditions delight in unusual and graphic crimes which aim to scare us, but US writers seem to go for glamour and fantasy in their characters and settings - often helping the reader feel outside the action, while the British writers base theirs in rather more mundane and recognisable places and communities, so familiar to (British) readers that they add a sense of "this could happen to me or mine"

[Emma♔☯ (Bookishfix) · Rating 4 out of 5]

* Recommended for 18+ Strong themes including sexual abuse, suicide and murder.

I am really enjoying Minette Walters novels, they all seem to have one thing in common; the strong taboo topics people dont like talking about even today and the differences in life/people/attitudes, etc between the 70's, 80's, 90s to now.
Walters knows how to deliver a story with a slow progression uphill, slowly attracting the reader deeper and deeper until they want exactly what the MC wants- justice,vengeance or revenge for whatever crime or injustice has been committed.
Although the start might not pull you in immediately, you will get hooked as the story unravels, as do the secrets and lies told leading to a outstanding ending, leaving the reader like "WOW".

In 1970 Howard Stump, a mentally ill young man was convicted of the brutal murder of his elderly grandmother in her home, on little to no evidence. 3 years later he is dead, committing suicide due to self-hatred and constant bullying whilst in prison.
Case Closed.. He did it. Or so everyone thought.
Nearly 30 years later, Anthropologist and author Jonathan Hughes re-examines the case whilst writing a book on injustice and comes to the conclusion that the evidence against Stump was merely circumstantial and coerced, therefore, he was wrongly convicted.
With his book getting the attention of many, including a young woman by the name of George Gardener, the battle is on to prove Stump's innocence going back on a case more than 25 years old, with most records being destroyed, lies being told about a young man who was disabled and many still believing he is guilty, this case will be difficult.
A gang rape, a missing girl, sexual abuse, a murder- but what do they all have in common, and how are they all connected to the conviction of Stump's conviction and the murder of his grandmother?

Where do i begin?
The characters in this novel are complex, not only in their personal life but the image they portray to others. Racism is a topic that is mentioned quite alot as the main character Jonathan Hughes, is a black man living in the world post 9/11, he is constantly questioned , detained and belittled by police officers and customs officers. Making him an angry educated man, trying to fight injustice when he feels injustice himself for being the skin colour he is. By wearing expensive suits and living out of his means, he tries to portray an imagine of wealth and knowledge trying to separate himself from the stereotype people believe him to be.

The topic of gang rape and sexual abuse is also present in this novel, as well as the stereotype that if a girl is dressed revealingly she deserves the rape, and should remain silent as she will be likely accused of provoking the abuse leading to gossip, hatred and her life turning upside down for simply being a victim of such a crime. (BULLSHIT!) Walters doesn't do this in a negative/biased way, she is only representing how the times were/and sometimes, still are to this day. I believe the deeper you look you can see that she is really trying to bring discussion to the subject and that rather than keeping quiet, stepping forward about such crimes can change how a person deals/overcomes, how it can affect their adult life, how people react to the victims, and that justice can be served to those guilty of committing such disgusting acts of inhumanity.
I wish we lived in a world where victims weren't belittled and told they are provoking their attackers, i dont believe anything excuses any sort of abuse at all, people who do abuse should be held accountable for their actions, and their life be turned to shit, because the victim will never feel 'whole' again and no one should be able to take that away from someone.

In all this was a thought provoking book, that had me at the edge of my seat wanting to know what really happened and who is really to blame. It touches on alot of social problems from the 70's and even today that haven't been properly addressed as well as they should of. I will be continuing with Minette Walters novels, and her amazing ability to build a story im not only fascinated in but touches on issues from different eras too. Well done Walters, great story telling.

Recommended for: Thriller/ Suspense / Fiction

[Bill · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent 'mystery' by Minette Walters. I think she is one of the unique mystery writers I've ever read. Each story I've read is unique in its own right and covers different aspects of human behaviour. In this story, two investigators, one a university professor and the other a town councillor, Jonathan and George, delve into the past to try and prove that a convicted murderer, a young man with mental difficulties, who committed suicide in prison, was, in fact, innocent of the murder. The trail of their investigation is an interesting one, involving many twists and turns, potential suspects, deceipt, etc. As well, they both must deal with their own issues, that many or man not colour their investigation. Walters has a unique style of writing, this story is partly written in emails, case transcripts, etc. I liked both Jonathan and George and their book editor, Andrew Spicer and the other characters are interesting and full of mystery. Excellent story and highly recommended.

[Deb Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

Disordered Minds is my introduction to author Minette Walters and what a way to begin! It is a crime novel and a psychological thriller that is tightly plotted and takes the reader on an extraordinary journey.

Just about everyone involved in this story has a secret he or she is hiding and some of the characters have so many secrets you almost need a notepad to keep track. Almost, that is, because the author writes in such a way as to keep your memory fresh without the repetition becoming mundane.

If you're looking for a great novel that happens to be about crime, that will immerse you mentally into her plot and characters' lives, then Disordered Minds is for you.

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

A real page turner. Brutal and well written weaving actual murders with a fictional one. Set in Bournemouth the story has two opposites investigating a murder that took place in 1970. George a councilor and Jonathan an academic with an inferiority complex reveal Howard Stamp a young immature man with learning difficulties was wrongly imprisoned for murdering his Grandma brutally. Later he committed suicide in prison.

Linked to the murder was the disappearance of a young girl who was gang raped a few days earlier. Her friend Louise/Daisy/Pricilla was a witness along with her 10 year old brother Billy. 33 years later we are taken on a Alice In Wonderland trip where we find Louise married at some stage the three boys who raped her friend. Jon and George uncover abuse, sociopathic and someone who can lie convincingly.

We are left wondering whether the murderer will trip up on all the lies and be punished or escape justice.

[Megan ♡ · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was wary about reading this book, primarily because crime is a genre I've never read before, especially adult crime and secondly because lots of people have said that this isn't one of Minette Walters' better books. I'm glad I decided to start this though because from page 1, I was pulled in and engaged with the plot, the characters and the mystery.

Jonathan Hughes and Georgina Gardener are two amateur investigators who are convinced of Howard Stamp's (a man with mental disabilities who was convicted of the murder of his grandmother and committed suicide 3 years later) innocence. They are willing to go to desperate measures to prove that he is not guilty but when they realise that maybe the murder of Grace Jeffries was not the only crime of that time and place, they realise that they have bigger secrets to uncover...

I thought that Jonathan was a very well developed character, in fact, I thought every character was. Each person had their own secrets, lies and alibis and in order for the plot to develop, more of these had to be uncovered, meaning there was always at least one unanswered question. But now back to Jonathan. He was self-obsessed and manipulative, traits that both George and his agent Andrew were quick to remind him of. But it made him real. And real characters is what I love most about a story. And of course, the plot.

It wasn't your average 'scooby-doo' mystery, where a bad guy is revealed and caught in the end but I liked the not so complete ending to the story. I think it fit well with the whole mystery and what I also liked was how little secrets kept popping out and shocking me even more.

I liked the idea of some of the story being written in email form because it gave me a sense of involvement in the story. Whenever I saw that an email had been written, I immediately got excited because it usually meant that more secrets would be revealed.

All in all, Disordered Minds was a great introduction into the crime genre for me. I will definitely be reading more crime novels and also more of Walters' books.

[Julie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm surprised that I didn't like this as much as I had hoped, given its promising beginning. A Minette Walters book is always a delightful trip down the rabbit hole -- you never know what to expect and the sudden twists and turns leave you delightedly woozy. This one, however, did not deliver the expected pleasures. It was almost tedious at times, with the endless repetition of minutiae about the crimes. It felt almost like Nancy Drew mystery -- too crisp, too clean.

Nevertheless, Walters' inimitable writing kept me reading to the end. I liked it well enough; just didn't love it the way I normally love her books.

[Asghar Abbas · Rating 3 out of 5]

I appreciate the message Walters was trying to deliver, I do, what she was saying here is terribly important. She did manage to say what she wanted to albeit incoherently. It became a bit garbled as it came out. I read on and the writing style, the entire plot became exceedingly contrived.

I think this is her most jumbled novel. Look, it happens sometimes; writers get burn out all the time, some even write.

I remember Joe Abercrombie saying he was burned out during the making of Red Country and it showed. It was still excellent though, I did enjoy it; Shy was kickass. I think he featured her again in a compilation edited by George RR Martin.

[The Bursting Bookshelf of a Wallflower · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars rounded up to 3

Well, Der Aussenseiter is definitely difficult to rate. I liked the general topic of the book - a journalist and a city councilior are working together in order to proove that a severe judicial error has been made in the case of Howard Stamp - a young man who has been convicted for murdering his grandmother. I also enjoyed the different perspectives the author has been offering during the investigations and I liked the newspaper articles, the emails and the protocols that have been illustrating different parts of the story.

Unfortunately, the pace of the story has been a major problem for me - I had the feeling that we didn't move on for a very long time and that the last part of the book has been rushed too much. I have a few unanswered questions and I am not feeling entirely satisfied. I am however going to try another book by Minette Walters in order to get a better feeling for her stories.

[Clarice · Rating 2 out of 5]

Diligently working my way through all the unread books on my shelf, I finished Disordered Minds by Minette Walters a couple of weeks ago.

Taking place in the early 2000s, the plot unfolds against the backdrop of the British / American offensive in Iraq back in 2003. The main protagonists, Jonathan and George, set out to exonerate a convicted murderer, Howard Stamp, posthumously.

Mentally disabled Stamp was convicted of his grandmother's murder some twenty years ago. With Stamp having committed suicide in prison, Jonatan and George form an initially uneasy alliance to investigate the circumstances of Grace Jeffries's murder based on circumstantial evidence and end up establishing a link to the disappearance of a teenage girl, Cill Trevelyan, who remains missing to the present day. Cill was both raped and subsequently vanished from her working class neighbourhood just days before the discovery of Grace's body. Jonathan and George proceed to examine a possible connection between the two seemingly unconnected events, unearthing a series of (far-fetched) twists and turns in the process.

As in most of her novels, Walters intersperses her narrative with factual - looking snippets of newspaper clippings, witness statements and file extracts. Even though I feel that these generally interrupt the flow of her story telling, I found them incredibly helpful on this occasion. As I was at times slightly overwhelmed by the huge cast of characters the author manages to introduce, the insertion of the factual material served well to summarise the plot for readers, who, like me, might have stopped paying attention along the way. And I felt my attention drifting. A lot.

Alongside the main protagonists, who set out to investigate the murder of Grace Jeffries some twenty years ago, the book features a massive cast of characters, which in itself is not a problem. At the same time, Walters dedicates a substantial part of the novel to Jonathan's life story - an Oxford academic of mixed ethnic background, with a troubled childhood and more than one chip on his shoulder. The accounts of Jonathan's personal struggles thus permeate the book and, to be honest, constitute unnecessary baggage. As Jonathan's travails are largely unconnected to the remainder of the plot, the additional (and totally unnecessary) focus on his personal life detracts attention from the murder investigations. As if this wasn't enough, his character development is simply unconvincing and ends up being downright annoying in the end. I wouldn't have minded an in-depth look into the psyche of the main protagonists, but sadly these characters remain remote and are ultimately not believable. As a result, I ended up not caring much, neither for them nor for the dynamics in their personal relationships.

Nevertheless, I slogged my way through the book, wanting to find out who committed the murder(s) after all. For all other readers, who are tempted to do the same: Be warned. Walters leaves her readers to make up their own minds following the presentation of a number of competing scenarios. More likely than not, you will be feeling rather unsatisfied at the end of the novel. At least, that's how I felt.

Other than that, Disordered Minds is typical Walters fare, albeit definitely not one of her better books (especially when compared to The Sculptress or The Ice House). Whilst it is carefully crafted, the characters failed to draw me into the story, their actions and motives often appeared unbelievable and, all in all, I felt that Walters attempted to cram too many things into the book, thereby failing to produce a convincing mystery overall.

My verdict: I would only recommend Disordered Minds to die-hard Walters fans and completist collectors of her books. My paperback copy went into the charity shop donations pile.

[Jan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I normally love, love, love Minette Walters books, however, this one, not so much, in fact it took me weeks to get into this. I would start and stop, not until several chapters did it actually get interesting. However, once you get past Chapter 3, one actually does get interested.

Story, a young anthropologist Jon, is working on a book, he joins up finally with George, who is also working on the same story. George and Jon do not like each other, and George is actually a she! Jon is of mixed blood and hates himself for it, but by the end of the book, both George and Jon are family, he has come to terms with his heritage, and also has a new love life. There are two murders here, set in the Dorset countryside, which I love and know, (so this to me is always a plus in Ms. Walters books, because they go to places and eat at places I actually know and like), but who killed Grace, who dun it? Is it Howard Stump, who confessed who was retarded, or someone else? Howard killed himself, so he cannot be questioned. If it was not Howard, who killed his gran then, who, who, who? At the same time Cill went missing, where is Cill's body, was Cill murdered, or is there just one murder? If Cill is still alive where is she? What about the incest and the rape of the 13 years olds? For the answers, slog on threw past Chapter III and you might be able to figure it out?

[Eadie Burke · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was my second read by Minette Walters. The first one I read was The Dark Room which I thoroughly enjoyed. This book had great potential with a good plot but Minette was unable to carry it off. The book was a slow read for me as the story and characters got very convoluted and confusing. In the end, the reader is left to assume who the killer was as the murder was not fully resolved. I will, however, read some more of her works as I think this was just a misfire.

[Fotis Ips · Rating 4 out of 5]

Η Γουόλτερς αποτελεί μαλλον την αγαπημένη μου συγγραφέα μυθιστορημάτων μυστηρίου. Όπως και σε κάθε της βιβλίο, επιλέγει θέματα που μαστίζουν τις σημερινές κοινωνίες κι οικογένειες (βία, ζήλια, μυστικά, κακοποίηση, κλπ.), υφαίνει ευφάνταστες ιστορίες, με δεμένους κι ενδιαφέροντες χαρακτήρες.

Έτσι, και σε αυτό το βιβλίο, κυρίαρχο στοιχείο είναι τα οικογενειακά μυστικά, που με μαεστρία μπλέκεται μία πολύ σωστά δομημένη πλοκή, πού κρατάει την ενταση και το ενδιαφέρον του αναγνώστη. Αρκετά ψυχολογικό και λιγότερο αστυνομικό, με ωραία γραφή, το βιβλίο συναρπάζει κυρίως για την πλοκή και την κλιμακωτή ροή αυτής θα έλεγα. Μέχρι και το τέλος, η συγγραφέας κάνει το δικό της παιχνίδι και δημιουργεί ερωτήματα, φτάνοντας στο ικανοποιητικό τέλος.

Ενδεχομένως, να φανεί κάπως αργό και αρκετά ψυχολογικό σε κάποιους, αλλά θεωρώ ότι είναι το ξεχωριστό στυλ της Μινέτ αυτό, που την κάνει μοναδική.

[Joseph · Rating 3 out of 5]

Minette Walters has the uncanny ability to turn a simple plot into an intrinsic and complex one with as little characters as possible - not that it's any bad, that's just the way I have come to look at her writing style after reading two books of hers now.

Within the context of 'murder mystery' genre, Walters's 'Disordered Minds' was quite good. However, hers isn't the blood and gore type of horror but rather the kind committed by unsuspected peoples in unexpected circumstances in a neighbourhood where such crimes were unlikely to happen. Suffice to say, the criminals in this book would not have escaped persecution with today's highly advanced forensic science but in 1970, such technology did not exist. Walters made this very clear from the onset. Fair enough. And so in a nutshell, 'Disordered Minds' is about unravelling a murder that took place 33 years earlier with a poor timid 20 year old boy supposedly wrongly accused and convicted for the crime.


The book is fast paced and enjoyable. Not so much in substance but Walters compensated this by adding some colour to the two lead characters i.e. Dr Hughes, an anthropologist and Ms Gardener, the councillor. The writer also engaged me with book excerpts, emails, police statements and other documents that the characters used to communicate and analyse the so-called 'miscarriage of justice' case. I found this to be a very clever way to narrate the story.

In conclusion, 'Disordered Minds' isn't the best of Minette Walters; though I cannot be sure since I only have read one other of her work but I fancied this book anyway because she told the story in a very interestingly simple way. It captivated me regardless.

[The Cruciverbalistic Bookworm · Rating 5 out of 5]

Minette Walters is an extremely talented crime author whose books I got so hooked to that I am re-reading them. Deep psychological insight and an intricate plot with very detailed and disturbing characters seem to be the running theme of her crime novels.
In all her books, it always seems she has done a massive amount of research into the human psyche, presenting persons whose minds work in such a complicated way as to be staggering to the not-so-concentrative reader.
Disordered Minds is no exception and may not be the best of her books, but it is undoubtedly captivating and incisive to all lovers of psychological crime thrillers; the book holds a class of its own in this genre.

[S.P. Aruna · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have to agree with the many reviewers who said this was not one of Ms. Walters' best. At the risk of repeating others'viewpoints, I have to say it was too long and the ending does not provide any real resolution. Although the author is usually quite good in presenting the psychological profiles of her characters, I felt that in this novel she lingered a bit too much on the insecurities of her protagonists.

Having said that, I still think she is a unique crime writer and I encourage fans of this genre to try her other books. I'm going with the The Ice House next.

[L.A. Kent · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story was interesting, a detective story without detectives, rather interested members of the 'public' interested for professional and semi professional reasons. I skipped the first 50 pages because it wasn't clear what they actually were about and it wasn't at all clear whether the book i was reading was actually a novel at all. Very clever no doubt, but i very nearly didn't bother with it. Began reading at page 53 which was where I thought the actual story began and enjoyed it.

[Judith Yeabsley · Rating 4 out of 5]

I chose this as my plane book for travelling to the UK although it is not something I would normally read. I have read other Minette Walters and enjoyed them but not raved. This was a great plane read as it was pacy with plenty of twists and turns. Slow to start but once the engine was revving it was away.

[Tex · Rating 3 out of 5]

There was a VERY tedious first chapter that needed a good editor working it. The following story was quite complicated and needed loads of concentration. All kinds of unreliable speakers. Good guys and bad guys, everybody has flaws.
A gang rape, the murder of of an old woman. Studied by an anthropologist and a PhD who is studying the situation as a citizen.

[Chana · Rating 3 out of 5]

Disturbed and disturbing. I have a headache after reading it. Of course it well written, wouldn't have the impact if it wasn't. However, I did get lost on who was where doing what on the Sat, Sun, Mon and Tues; and it was significant to who done it. It's a creepy book.

[Bitty · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was not my favorite of Minette Walters' books, but it was packed with the psychological mystery that I liked in all of the other ones.

[Richard Stephens · Rating 3 out of 5]

started out really good and was hard to put down. as the book went on it became very disorganised and harder to follow

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Two unlikely individuals come together through a joint interest in proving a miscarriage of justice 30 years previously. Howard Stamp was a disfigured young man who was the victim of bullying and had been convicted of killing his grandmother on circumstantial evidence and a coerced confession which he later recanted. He eventually committed suicide. George, a local councillor and Jon an academic who had himself been the victim of bullying are determined to prove the verdict wrong. Thus begins a twisted tale of the lives of those at the centre of events. This novel had some interesting structure elements - transcripts of interviews, copies of emails etc. - and some unique characters.

[Barb Chamberlin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another good book! I am impressed that the author comes up with an entirely new set of characters for each of her books. In this one, a couple of very different people become interested in an old conviction of murder, confessed to by a young man of limited intelligence and no social skills, after being interviewed by police for many hours without a solicitor present. Decades of lies pile up, stories begin to unravel. The death is connected only by time and locale with a teenage girl gone missing. Not a book to put down for a few days and pick up later, unless your memory is super! Too many characters, some of which seem to change names about as often as the seasons do. 4.5!

[Jani :) · Rating 4 out of 5]

krasses buch. am anfang war ich skeptisch, weil es doch ein sehr trockener und langwieriger einstieg war. es hat sich allerdings echt gelohnt, weiter zu lesen! spannend geschrieben, man hat sich gefühlt, als wäre man in die ermittlungen verwickelt. hat zum mitdenken angeregt. teilweise echt heftige sachen was missbrauch etc angeht aber insgesamt sehr fesselnd.

[Isobel Blackthorn · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good fast-paced read.

[Linda Rowland · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was a bit dry in the beginning, but got hooked soon. Liked the fact that the main characters are not perfect, (not at all) and do not fall in love.

[Judith · Rating 4 out of 5]

A twisty story for sure. Walters is adept at creating characters with many dimensions, which is a primary reason I like her books.

In this one we have George Gardener, councilor of a certain age, and younger anthropologist Jonathan Hughes, working together to find out the truth about a long-ago murder. Howard Stamp was convicted of the killing of his grandmother in 1970, and committed suicide three years later. George is convinced that Howard did not commit the murder even though he confessed to it. Jonathan studies certain types of personalities and wants to learn more about Howard.

The two start off antagonistically but George presses on because she wants Jonathan's help. In time they do find a way to work together. George does not fret about appearances and Jonathan finds her, at their first meeting, the ugliest person he's ever met. She does have a way of twisting her face, creating bizarre expressions. Jonathan is the opposite and concerned about looking the part at all times.

The investigation involves digging deeply back in time and getting to know persons who were present when Grace, the grandmother, was killed. It turns out that a young girl disappeared only days before the death, and the two amateur sleuths think there may be a connection.

What a complicated way around it turns out to be. Much of the time we are treated to the conversations between George and Jon as they assess what they know and don't know and what to do next. At times, honestly, it made my head ache. In the end, though, I was glad to have gotten to know them and to find out the truth about the murder.

[Simon · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you've never read Minette Walters before, start with the first 5 novels which are superb, everything she's written after that falls into the category of "just ok". This follows the usual pattern of novel intersected with bits of newspaper clippings, reports, emails etc and focuses on a possible miscarriage of justice. Her books are always a pleasure to read but this one is just a tad boring with an open ended conclusion that left me feeling a bit empty.

[Polly Stretton · Rating 2 out of 5]

I found this book boring - the narrator did not hold my interest nor improve the story.