Little Face: A Zailer and Waterhouse Mystery

In a nightmarish scenario, new mother Alice Fancourt goes out after her daughter's birth, leaving her two-week-old infant with her husband, David. Returning two hours later, she swears that the baby in the crib is not her child. Despite how terrified and hysterical she is, her husband insists that she is wrong. Thus begins a convoluted and complicated investigation, with two police detectives, Simon Waterhouse and Charlie Zailer, finding themselves at odds with one another over what is true and what is not; as they travel their separate paths, following leads, Alice drops hints and clues along the way, leading them into still another case a few years before--the murder of David's first wife, Laura, which resulted in David and his mother Vivienne having sole custody of David and Laura's son Felix. Is there a connection between what happened to Laura and what has now happened to baby Florence? Who is the dark force behind these events, and what can Alice do to convince everyone that her child is missing? Little Face, by Sophie Hannah, is an exciting, thrilling, psychological suspense novel that compels the reader to keep rapidly turning pages until the questions are answered. Surprising twists and turns along the way had me shaking my head at each point. But what will we finally learn about each of these characters, and what motivations are driving them? If I could, I would give this book 5+ stars. I am not likely to ever forget this tale.

This was an interesting book - in all facets, really - a neat structure, fascinating premise, surprising twists and turns to the plot... the only thing really lacking were the characters. Not anything terribly specific, but... I guess they seemed more like characters from a film than from a book. They were a bit two-dimensional, which is odd considering the book is labeled as "psychological thriller." Some actions were rather unbelievable. I do think it would make a good movie, though - perhaps even better than the book. There was just something film-like about reading the book. Maybe because some actors jumped to mind as being perfect to play parts (e.g., Judi Dench as Vivienne). It was a solid story and quite entertaining and if only the characters had that certain je ne sais quoi, I would have truly loved it.

I am waiting for my third Sophie Hannah book to arrive - The Point of Rescue, having read the first 2 in quick succession. I am thrilled to discover such a talented author writing in a genre that is overdue for new writers. Amazing plots, characterizations of depth, that lovely British humor and great writing. Fans of the best of Minette Walters and Ruth Rendell should not miss Sophie Hannah!

If you like crime drama and psychological suspsense, don't miss this book. This is a magical onion kind of book--the surface is nothing like the center and there are hundreds of layers making it up. The complexity of the plot will take awhile to hit you, but when it does, you won't be able to put the book down. I literally finished the last 20 pages walking around my apartment because I was too exhausted to stay awake if I sat down but I HAD to see how things wrapped up. The premise: new mother Alice Fancourt leaves her two week old daughter for the first time for a quick outing, only to discover, when she gets home, that the baby in the crib is not hers. But she can't convince anyone else of that. Very British, very dark, very much full of surprises and very very much recommended by me!

If you like crime drama and psychological suspsense, don't miss this book. This is a magical onion kind of book--the surface is nothing like the center and there are hundreds of layers making it up. The complexity of the plot will take awhile to hit you, but when it does, you won't be able to put the book down. I literally finished the last 20 pages walking around my apartment because I was too exhausted to stay awake if I sat down but I HAD to see how things wrapped up. The premise: new mother Alice Fancourt leaves her two week old daughter for the first time for a quick outing, only to discover, when she gets home, that the baby in the crib is not hers. But she can't convince anyone else of that. Very British, very dark, very much full of surprises and very very much recommended by me!