Acud Row is the 8th novel from award winning author Minette Walters. The author tackles sensitive subjects in the majority of her novels, and does so very skillfuly and with tact.

The Plot

Acid Row is the name the inhabitants give to their 'sink' estate. It is full of single mothers and fathers, the unemployed, and the bigoted. It is here that Sophie Morrison, GP, must attend to one of her patients, but little does she know that she is entering the home of a known paedophile.

There are reports circulating that a young girl named Amy is missing, and with Sophie's entrance into the house, the plot unfolds bit by bit until the inhabitants of Acid Row rebel against the law, the community and their own, with startling consequences, and Sophie finds herself caught up in a dangerous situation with no way out.

My Opinion

Minette Walters has tackled a subject on dangerous ground here, but she does so very carefully so as to not go overboard. The subject of paedophilia is never more prevalent in discussions than today, and the housing of convicted paedophiles once sentencing has occurred is also a talking point. Here, Walters also blends in other frowned upon elements of society, such as yob culture and the controlling bullying of youths in council estates that the majority of the nation launch into stereotype.

The writing style is once again detailed from Walters' pen. Her previous seven novels show she pays attention to detail, and the novel is full of deep characterisation and emotional people. The rebellious nature of the estate dwellers seems so real on the page that I was left feeling drained of emotion by the end of the book. I am still not entirely sure how brilliant I thought the book. I was uncomfortable with the subject matter, but marvelled at the skill of the writing.

Conclusion

Brilliant writing but hard subject matter to read.

I rate this book at 4 stars out of 5.

The book is available from amazon.co.uk for £5.59.

This review may also be posted on ciao.co.uk.

Thanks for reading.