FICTION

Path of Needles

by Alison Littlewood
Jo Fletcher: Quercus. Nov. 2014. 384p. ISBN 9781623658557. $26.99; ebk ISBN 9781623658540. F
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While the darker side of fairy tales may hold appeal for some readers, Littlewood (A Cold Season) unfortunately doesn't integrate them well in this novel that reads like a paint-by-numbers police procedural with an uneasy dash of the paranormal. When on-the-make Police Constable Cate Corbin stumbles across a crime scene that reminds her a little of a grotesque version of Snow White, she has the good sense to call in local fairy-tale professor Alice Hyland to consult on the case. As the victims pile up like Rumpelstiltskin spinning gold, dreamy Professor Hyland follows a mysterious blue bird from murder site to murder site, encountering suspicious dog walkers and birdwatchers. Corbin has her own difficulties to contend with, as she battles sexism in the British police force and jealousy from her peers.
VERDICT The crime scenes—detailed with gory relish—are by far the strongest part of this stilted and improbable crime novel, since the dialog, characterization, and identity of the murderer all fail to satisfy. Still, it might have appeal for readers who like grisly supernatural crime fiction and are willing to suspend their disbelief.
Reviewed by Victoria Caplinger, Durham, NC , Oct 31, 2014
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