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De Schuldige (2012)

by Lisa Ballantyne(Favorite Author)

3.77 of 5 Votes: 1

languge

English

genre

Mystery & Thriller

publisher

Orlando Uitgevers

review 1: Is there anything more horrifying than children killing other children? This is especially true when the killer is a pint sized eleven year old from a "good" family. Daniel Hunter, his solicitor, is handling the accused killer, Sebastian, while wrestling with his own guilt. Shortly after he takes the case, he learns that his adopted mother had died. He had cut ties with her shortly after starting university after she did something that he found to be unforgivable. Despite that she has never stopped loving him or trying to reach him on his birthdays and Christmas. Now she's dead, he starts remembering and begins to understand why she did what she did. Meanwhile, there's Sebastian who has promised that he did NOT kill the 8 yr old neighbor boy. Daniel's story unfolds alterna... moretely between chapters about Sebastian's unfolding defense. One reviewer found it to be "grim" because of the subject matter and the fact that none of the characters, with the exception of Minnie, Daniel's estranged adoptive mother were very likeable. That's one viewpoint. Having read other British crime novels in which the foster/social worker/adoption process has been explained, I understood why the reviewer may have found Daniel unlikeable. He's a victim just as his client Sebastian is. There are no easy answers when it comes to the love of parents and children no matter how bad or good either or both parties are. Ms. Ballantyne is a writer I'll be watching. I really enjoyed this book.
review 2: This book was well written but disturbing. Daniel is a lawyer with a checkered past. He was a foster child who was lucky enough to be adopted by a caring woman even though he behaved terribly, including murdering one of her chickens shortly after arrival. Daniel takes the case of an 11 year old child, Sebastian, accused of murdering his younger neighbor. Daniel sympathizes with Sebastian because of his own past, even though it's obvious from the start that Sebastian is guilty and a danger to reoffend because of his preoccupation with murder. The book is disturbing to me partly because the lawyers honestly don't care about the victims or if their clients are guilty...they want to get them off no matter what because they think prison is too rough for children. It's a scary mindset. Studies have shown that children with a penchant for violence become violent adults. In real life, Daniel wouldn't be a successful lawyer, he'd be in jail for criminal offenses, most likely against women or children. At the end, when Sebastian is found not guilty (which again, in real life I can't imagine a jury being so dumb!) Sebastian admits to Daniel that he really did kill the other boy. This book leaves a bad taste in your mouth as you picture the offenses Sebastian will commit now that he's gotten away with one murder. less

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