Would you prey on Diana? (The Abortionist's Daughter - Elisabeth Hyde)

Member Name: sirg0508

Product:	The Abortionist's Daughter - Elisabeth Hyde
Date:	14/07/06 (405 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Characters well thought out, easy to sympathise with

Disadvantages: Hard to get into with the serious issue of abortion and lots of swearing!

Note: Parts of this review also posted on RichardandJudybookclub.co.uk

‘The Abortionist’s Daughter’ by Elizabeth Hyde is one of Richard and Judy’s 2006 Summer Reads focusing on the death of Dr Diana Duprey, a high profile abortionist, as she is found face down in the pool at her home. With protesters from the coalition at the helm there is no shortage of suspects including Diana’s husband Frank and their daughter Megan. Details of each character are slowly revealed as the case opens in the hope of finding the killer and emotions run high with hatred, lust, love, obsession and grief all getting in the way.

I did find this a difficult book to get into. It wasn’t because it was hard to read as I found myself racing through it and gathering so much information about the characters from each chapter but the subject matter is one which covers both sides of the abortion debate and can be a little graphic in things that are mentioned. The book also, because it is full of emotion, does have quite a bit of swearing at the start but as the novel progressed I found these issues coming up less and less and my enjoyment of it growing. Written in 3 parts, each covers a month beginning in December with Diana’s death. The book doesn’t just focus on the present time but is constantly flitting back and fourth between the past and the present in each chapter. So much so that I could be reading paragraphs and then suddenly realise how it went off at a tangent to reveal details of these characters and then return to the original point. I was engrossed in this book and because of the detailing in each chapter, understood much more about them and their actions.

Hyde seems to have a clear idea of who the characters are but divulges only the most relevant of details to convey their thoughts, feelings and past events. Because of this, the original points were not lost but just put on a back burner. Megan has to be the main character as she is the focus of the title although there are quite a few characters that no one in particular steals the limelight. Young and good looking she made mistakes in her past that came back to haunt her even from the opening line of the book; ‘The problem was, Megan had just taken the second half of the ecstasy when her father called with the news.’ Her character is mature but still does possess a childlike sensitivity and with an obsessive ex boyfriend named Bill always close by, never manages to free herself. I also felt drawn to Huck as a character. He was a cop working on the case but the book doesn’t just focus on his working life but his life in his home, his past and his relationship with his girlfriend. However Frank, Megan’s father, was a character I didn’t seem to connect with. Little compared to other characters is mentioned about his past or events that he is mysterious and major details about the plot are left to keep the reader in suspense. The one character I felt most sympathy for was Diana herself. Although she is no longer alive at the start, much of the book focuses on the connections each of the other characters had with her and a lot about her own life up to the fateful day. There was one chapter that detailed that day and her thoughts and feelings of being a mother, a wife and a doctor which really showed this woman’s worst day of her life. She did seem to be a very strong character but Hyde breaks her characters down so the cracks show and proves that they are human.

The topic of abortion is a subject that affects many for different reasons such as religion, beliefs, and the emotional affects it can have. The book captures both sides as I mentioned with Diana fighting her side of the argument that it should be allowed and a character called Steven O’Connell fighting the other. I did find that at least Diana’s character didn’t press the issue that it had to be done and if a woman or girl was unsure, wouldn’t go ahead and potentially cause emotional distress. The issue is not only with strangers but still encompasses the main characters in an unexpected way. Drug use is also an issue explored by not only teens but Diana herself which also expands the suspects in the case and because of Frank’s work as a prosecuting attorney focuses on the very real and modern issue of underage photos being found on the internet. These issues bring the book much more up to date.

Family relationships are explored; the issue of two different parenting methods, the relationships between husband and wife, daughter and mother, and daughter and father. Dark secrets are kept and these do play a large part in the novel but liven up the storyline with subplots that widen the search for the killer. I wouldn’t say it was the thought of finding out who the killer was that kept me racing through the pages but discovering the lives each character led. Little details are also thought of and do emphasis the point that some things, no matter how insignificant they may seem, shouldn’t be put off till later like replacing broken locks – especially with the area of work Diana is in.

Bought for £3.49, it was worth the money. These 285 pages are filled with emotional and serious issues but are still covered in a realistic way. The main story may be about finding Diana’s killer but with many subplots, always kept my interest and lets the characters develop. It is moving and extremely well written covering not only the lives of Diana’s family but also other characters to build up the suspense. 4/5 stars as the beginning did put me off but it’s a good piece of modern fiction with many suspects to keep the reader guessing.

ISBN: 0330443003
Published: Pan Books
Pages: 285
Price: £3.49 from Amazon

Summary: Discover who killed the abortion doctor while getting to know the characters