What do you think?
Rate this book
Sacrifice
In this masterful debut that starts off as a mystery and becomes much more, Tora Hamilton is an outsider at her new home on the rocky, wind-swept Shetland Islands, a hundred miles from the northeastern tip of Scotland. Though her husband grew up here, it’s the first time he’s been back in twenty years. Digging in the peat on their new property, Tora unearths a human body, at first glance a centuries-old bog body, interesting but not uncommon. But realizing that the body is in fact much newer, that the woman’s heart has been cut out and that she was killed within a few days of bearing a child, Tora, herself an obstetrician, becomes obsessed with finding out what happened to her—even when the police, her colleagues and eventually her husband warn her against getting involved.
Sacrifice is a bone-chilling, spell-binding debut that will grip readers from its beginning to its startling end.
Sacrifice is a bone-chilling, spell-binding debut that will grip readers from its beginning to its startling end.
380 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2008
About the author
Sharon J. Bolton
42 books4,347 followersSharon's newest book The Split is now available in both hardback and paperback in the UK!
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Split-grippi...
Sharon J Bolton was born and brought up in Lancashire, the eldest of three daughters. As a child, she dreamed of becoming an actress and a dancer, studying ballet, tap and jazz from a young age and reading drama at Loughborough University.
She spent her early career in marketing and PR before returning to full-time education to study for a Masters in Business Administration (MBA) at Warwick University, where she met her husband, Andrew. They moved to London and Sharon held a number of PR posts in the City. She left the City to work freelance, to start a family and to write.
She and Andrew now live in a village in the Chiltern Hills, not far from Oxford, with their son and the latest addition to the family: Lupe, the lop-eared lurcher. Her daily life revolves around the school run, walking the dog and those ever-looming publishing deadlines.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Split-grippi...
Sharon J Bolton was born and brought up in Lancashire, the eldest of three daughters. As a child, she dreamed of becoming an actress and a dancer, studying ballet, tap and jazz from a young age and reading drama at Loughborough University.
She spent her early career in marketing and PR before returning to full-time education to study for a Masters in Business Administration (MBA) at Warwick University, where she met her husband, Andrew. They moved to London and Sharon held a number of PR posts in the City. She left the City to work freelance, to start a family and to write.
She and Andrew now live in a village in the Chiltern Hills, not far from Oxford, with their son and the latest addition to the family: Lupe, the lop-eared lurcher. Her daily life revolves around the school run, walking the dog and those ever-looming publishing deadlines.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 859 reviews
March 15, 2017
Both gripping and gruesome, `Sacrifice' is a definite page-turner, that is certain to keep you on your toes. When I first started reading it I wasn't sure that I'd get far with it, the writing was different to those I had read recently. However within a few chapters I was hooked and racing along. Tora Hamilton took me a little while to warm to, perhaps this is why I was unsure at the start but I soon became caught up with her life.
The chapters are just the right length to allow you to read a few but feel like you've had a good read, on the other hand if you are like me you'll read this in a few chunks because you've become caught up with the cliff hangers and need to know more! The plot revolves around a discovery Tora makes in the fields on her property. She's found the body of a young woman that has been perfectly preserved but with a hole in her chest where her heart has been removed, rather brutally as you'll discover.
Within a real time frame of only a few days, a week at the most, Tora makes many more gruesome discoveries along the way including who to trust. Tora, herself an obstetrician, becomes obsessed with finding out what happened to her—even when the police, her colleagues and eventually her husband warn her against getting involved. All her revelations are connected to Shetland legends and ancient runes with Tora needing to be out of the picture once and for all. Some will know who's involved and who isn't; I couldn't be sure and became sucked into the web of deceit surrounding Tora.
From an uncertain start to a chilling end, this debut is tremendous.
The chapters are just the right length to allow you to read a few but feel like you've had a good read, on the other hand if you are like me you'll read this in a few chunks because you've become caught up with the cliff hangers and need to know more! The plot revolves around a discovery Tora makes in the fields on her property. She's found the body of a young woman that has been perfectly preserved but with a hole in her chest where her heart has been removed, rather brutally as you'll discover.
Within a real time frame of only a few days, a week at the most, Tora makes many more gruesome discoveries along the way including who to trust. Tora, herself an obstetrician, becomes obsessed with finding out what happened to her—even when the police, her colleagues and eventually her husband warn her against getting involved. All her revelations are connected to Shetland legends and ancient runes with Tora needing to be out of the picture once and for all. Some will know who's involved and who isn't; I couldn't be sure and became sucked into the web of deceit surrounding Tora.
From an uncertain start to a chilling end, this debut is tremendous.
November 17, 2016
"At the end of the day, if you believe something deeply enough, it becomes a kind of truth."
And what exactly is that truth?
Tora Hamilton is now residing in a home she never bargained for on the wind-driven Shetland Islands. Her husband, Duncan, has returned to his roots here, but Tora is having a difficult time trying to plant hers. She has taken residency at the local hospital as a practicing obstetrician, but even that has left her at an arm's distance. Just doesn't seem to be the right fit.
On a rainy, overcast day, Tora takes on the major task of burying her beloved horse in the peat bog around their property. The machinery is difficult to manuever in the slick mud. To her horror, her digging reveals what appears to be an ancient body wrapped in cloth and preserved in the peat. Upon closer inspection, Tora's medical background tells her otherwise. It is a more recent body of a young woman who has experienced childbirth. Even more shocking is the fact that her heart has been cut out of her chest.
Tora has actually reached beneath the surface into long guarded secrets on the island. And S.J. Bolton yanks both you and Tora into a cat-and-mouse escapade that pumps blood through your veins at a rapid rate. Just when you think things are settled, oh, they most certainly are not.
Sacrifice is the superb debut novel for Sharon Bolton in her writing career. While keeping up with all her latest offerings, I was compelled to have a look at where it all began. Bolton did a stellar job of research on British folklore and life on the Shetland Islands. The combination of that and her outstanding flair with mystery/thrillers is at the forefront.
Sharon Bolton slipped on her writing credentials in Sacrifice. Happily for us, she has honed into her fine-tuned craft book after book. Bolton has been stellar right out of the gate......
And what exactly is that truth?
Tora Hamilton is now residing in a home she never bargained for on the wind-driven Shetland Islands. Her husband, Duncan, has returned to his roots here, but Tora is having a difficult time trying to plant hers. She has taken residency at the local hospital as a practicing obstetrician, but even that has left her at an arm's distance. Just doesn't seem to be the right fit.
On a rainy, overcast day, Tora takes on the major task of burying her beloved horse in the peat bog around their property. The machinery is difficult to manuever in the slick mud. To her horror, her digging reveals what appears to be an ancient body wrapped in cloth and preserved in the peat. Upon closer inspection, Tora's medical background tells her otherwise. It is a more recent body of a young woman who has experienced childbirth. Even more shocking is the fact that her heart has been cut out of her chest.
Tora has actually reached beneath the surface into long guarded secrets on the island. And S.J. Bolton yanks both you and Tora into a cat-and-mouse escapade that pumps blood through your veins at a rapid rate. Just when you think things are settled, oh, they most certainly are not.
Sacrifice is the superb debut novel for Sharon Bolton in her writing career. While keeping up with all her latest offerings, I was compelled to have a look at where it all began. Bolton did a stellar job of research on British folklore and life on the Shetland Islands. The combination of that and her outstanding flair with mystery/thrillers is at the forefront.
Sharon Bolton slipped on her writing credentials in Sacrifice. Happily for us, she has honed into her fine-tuned craft book after book. Bolton has been stellar right out of the gate......
February 19, 2017
Sacrifice is S J Bolton's debut novel........it's a dark, terrifying and an absolutely gripping thriller that will have you hooked from the very first page.
The Story
Tora Hamilton has moved with her husband, Duncan Guthrie to the Shetland Islands, where he was born with the hope to working out the problems they are experiencing in having a baby.
When she makes a gruesome discovery the body of a young woman, with strange rune symbols carved into her flesh and her heart ripped, in the ground surrounded her home, she becomes involved in trying to solve the mystery of who she was.
Despite the warnings to leave the case to the local police, she continues with her enquiries and soon uncovers some frightening information with links to the islands folklore and legends.
Intense, fast paced with twists and turns that leave you guessing until almost the end.
What made this story really interesting was the setting and the way that the author wove the local folklore and legend into the plot.
The Characters
I found the characters easy to connect with and I particularly found Tora Hamilton, very engaging. She's a very good pediatric consultant surgeon, but she has so many insecurities about herself....she always finds herself saying the wrong thing at the wrong time and just rubs everyone around her the wrong way. Her social skills are pretty dismal...........and that just made her more human to me. I wanted her to succeed and I worried about her as she continued with her "Miss Marple" sleuthing!!
There were some interesting secondary characters like Sgt Dana Tulloch, and Tora's boss, Kenn Wickliff.
The Setting
The setting of the wild, beautiful, isolated and remote Shetland Islands,
It also adds an sense of eeriness
Overall Feeling
SACRIFICE is a spine-chilling, clever and incredible debut novel and I am definitely going to be reading more of this author's work.
The Story
Tora Hamilton has moved with her husband, Duncan Guthrie to the Shetland Islands, where he was born with the hope to working out the problems they are experiencing in having a baby.
When she makes a gruesome discovery the body of a young woman, with strange rune symbols carved into her flesh and her heart ripped, in the ground surrounded her home, she becomes involved in trying to solve the mystery of who she was.
Despite the warnings to leave the case to the local police, she continues with her enquiries and soon uncovers some frightening information with links to the islands folklore and legends.
Intense, fast paced with twists and turns that leave you guessing until almost the end.
What made this story really interesting was the setting and the way that the author wove the local folklore and legend into the plot.
The Characters
I found the characters easy to connect with and I particularly found Tora Hamilton, very engaging. She's a very good pediatric consultant surgeon, but she has so many insecurities about herself....she always finds herself saying the wrong thing at the wrong time and just rubs everyone around her the wrong way. Her social skills are pretty dismal...........and that just made her more human to me. I wanted her to succeed and I worried about her as she continued with her "Miss Marple" sleuthing!!
There were some interesting secondary characters like Sgt Dana Tulloch, and Tora's boss, Kenn Wickliff.
The Setting
The setting of the wild, beautiful, isolated and remote Shetland Islands,
is vividly written that you almost feel that you are there.
It also adds an sense of eeriness
and darkness which creates an atmosphere of menace and creepiness.
Overall Feeling
SACRIFICE is a spine-chilling, clever and incredible debut novel and I am definitely going to be reading more of this author's work.
August 6, 2019
Smashing Debut! Nerve jangling, heart pounding, suspense! Bristling with anticipation and trepidation!
I was in a hole in the ground, cut off from the world, and I didn't like it much.
The fabric was linen. That smooth-rough texture is unmistakable. Although it was stained the rich, deep brown of the surrounding soil I could make out the weave. From the frayed edges appearing at intervals I could see that it had been cut into twelve-inch-wide strips and wrapped around the object like an oversized bandage. One end of the bundle was relatively wide, but then it narrowed down immediately before before becoming wider again. I'd uncovered about three and a half feet but more remained buried.
Crime scene, said the voice in my head; a voice I didn't recognize, never having heard it before. Don't touch anything, call the authorities.
*******************
Sacrifice by Sharon J. Bolton is one scary, breathe stealing, exhilarating thriller!
Once I started I didn't want to stop! Sharon J. Bolton is a master at writing original stories, complete with horrifying events, that, in this case, are made even more terrifying by the isolated backdrop of the Shetland Islands. The characters are rich with personality, uniqueness, and vivacity and I could never be sure who was as they appeared to be. Good or evil?
And this is Sharon J. Bolton's debut???!!! Very impressive!!
This is only the second novel I've read by Sharon but she is absolutely one of my favorite authors! The first book I read, Daisy in Chains, was with my reading buddy, Crumb, and I dare say we were nearly pushing up daisies ourselves at the end!
It shocked us clean out of our socks!! We loved it!!
Unashamedly, I've already purchased several more of her books and have nearly everthing she's written on my wish list!
The twists and turns kept me completely unsure of what was waiting around the next corner, setting me up perfectly for the stunning conclusion which left me shattered and shaking!
It's what I live for!!
Take a deep breath and hang on to your seat! This is one intense and thrilling novel!
I was in a hole in the ground, cut off from the world, and I didn't like it much.
The fabric was linen. That smooth-rough texture is unmistakable. Although it was stained the rich, deep brown of the surrounding soil I could make out the weave. From the frayed edges appearing at intervals I could see that it had been cut into twelve-inch-wide strips and wrapped around the object like an oversized bandage. One end of the bundle was relatively wide, but then it narrowed down immediately before before becoming wider again. I'd uncovered about three and a half feet but more remained buried.
Crime scene, said the voice in my head; a voice I didn't recognize, never having heard it before. Don't touch anything, call the authorities.
*******************
Sacrifice by Sharon J. Bolton is one scary, breathe stealing, exhilarating thriller!
Once I started I didn't want to stop! Sharon J. Bolton is a master at writing original stories, complete with horrifying events, that, in this case, are made even more terrifying by the isolated backdrop of the Shetland Islands. The characters are rich with personality, uniqueness, and vivacity and I could never be sure who was as they appeared to be. Good or evil?
And this is Sharon J. Bolton's debut???!!! Very impressive!!
This is only the second novel I've read by Sharon but she is absolutely one of my favorite authors! The first book I read, Daisy in Chains, was with my reading buddy, Crumb, and I dare say we were nearly pushing up daisies ourselves at the end!
It shocked us clean out of our socks!! We loved it!!
Unashamedly, I've already purchased several more of her books and have nearly everthing she's written on my wish list!
The twists and turns kept me completely unsure of what was waiting around the next corner, setting me up perfectly for the stunning conclusion which left me shattered and shaking!
It's what I live for!!
Take a deep breath and hang on to your seat! This is one intense and thrilling novel!
August 12, 2023
4.5
Obstetrician Tora Hamilton unearths a human body on her property in Shetland, is it a centuries-old body preserved in the peat? The body proves to be a relatively recent burial, and it is disturbing. Tora embarks on a dangerous mission to learn the truth against the advice of many, including her Shetland, born and bred husband.
Now, that’s what I call a gripping page turner, and Sharon Bolton ‘yanks’ me into the storytelling right from the very start. I love the setting on wild, atmospheric Shetland, with the islands being used extremely effectively, as are the Shetland folklore legends and the famous ancient runes. It becomes apparent there are secrets so horrifying that those at the centre of the web of deceit and lies will go to any lengths to protect it.
The plot is fast paced, spine chilling, dark and full of menace. The twists and turns are mesmerising and yes, it’s definitely a sock blower!
This is the author’s debut novel! What a cracker, with plenty more to come.
Obstetrician Tora Hamilton unearths a human body on her property in Shetland, is it a centuries-old body preserved in the peat? The body proves to be a relatively recent burial, and it is disturbing. Tora embarks on a dangerous mission to learn the truth against the advice of many, including her Shetland, born and bred husband.
Now, that’s what I call a gripping page turner, and Sharon Bolton ‘yanks’ me into the storytelling right from the very start. I love the setting on wild, atmospheric Shetland, with the islands being used extremely effectively, as are the Shetland folklore legends and the famous ancient runes. It becomes apparent there are secrets so horrifying that those at the centre of the web of deceit and lies will go to any lengths to protect it.
The plot is fast paced, spine chilling, dark and full of menace. The twists and turns are mesmerising and yes, it’s definitely a sock blower!
This is the author’s debut novel! What a cracker, with plenty more to come.
October 17, 2019
This book is a mess.
I haven’t read mystery/crime books in a while and let me tell you this wasn’t a good choice to get me back into the genre. What started as the main character finding a body in her garden/field and her poking to find who the person was ended up as a pretty big conspiracy involving adoption of children.
I didn’t like the main character, she annoyed me so much, like is it not common knowledge NOT to destroy evidence? And it’s not like she does it once, no she does it a few times. The first half of the book, although not that interesting now that I think of it, was gold compared to the second half because it had some logic and it was interesting. Tora, the main character, was digging things trying to find out more about the woman in her field and to see why she was killed that way, as she discovered more things it became harder to follow and to believe the story. Honestly I still have no idea what actually happened in the second part. She discovered a conspiracy of a secret society type group of people who think they are superior and they impregnate women then kill them and adopting the children to prolong their line… I think… I have no idea just the whole second part was stupid and not well done.
I haven’t read mystery/crime books in a while and let me tell you this wasn’t a good choice to get me back into the genre. What started as the main character finding a body in her garden/field and her poking to find who the person was ended up as a pretty big conspiracy involving adoption of children.
I didn’t like the main character, she annoyed me so much, like is it not common knowledge NOT to destroy evidence? And it’s not like she does it once, no she does it a few times. The first half of the book, although not that interesting now that I think of it, was gold compared to the second half because it had some logic and it was interesting. Tora, the main character, was digging things trying to find out more about the woman in her field and to see why she was killed that way, as she discovered more things it became harder to follow and to believe the story. Honestly I still have no idea what actually happened in the second part. She discovered a conspiracy of a secret society type group of people who think they are superior and they impregnate women then kill them and adopting the children to prolong their line… I think… I have no idea just the whole second part was stupid and not well done.
January 20, 2015
Very enjoyable murder mystery/drama set in the Shetland Islands. I love the characters Bolton creates - they are complex and real which gives her writing depth.
My only complaint is that she went a bit overboard with the details at times but there was only a small amount of shouting 'get on with it'!
The plot is pretty OTT but not in a bad way IMO and although the main character Tora is robust, stubborn and outspoken I really liked her!
It is worth noting that if you like Bolton's Lacey Flint series (which I REALLY do!) then this book also features Dana Tulloch (love her too).
My only complaint is that she went a bit overboard with the details at times but there was only a small amount of shouting 'get on with it'!
The plot is pretty OTT but not in a bad way IMO and although the main character Tora is robust, stubborn and outspoken I really liked her!
It is worth noting that if you like Bolton's Lacey Flint series (which I REALLY do!) then this book also features Dana Tulloch (love her too).
February 9, 2016
Reading through some negative reviews (rocks among diamonds... There are always a couple...) I have to say I believe that some people become utterly drunk with power if they're given only a tiny drop. Such is often the case with online reader reviews. Given a chance to vent and spew they certainly do. Upon reading their remarks, however, one often can't help but notice a decided lack of CONSTRUCTIVE criticism (points that show the reader actually read the book and remarked with fairness). Now, If a work is a hot mess from start to finish the author should expect to be called on the carpet. However, when an author writes as compelling a story as Sacrifice and I read the occasional negative nugget among all the praise I always check out their other reviews. And guess what? Surprise, surprise, they hate everything. So please, bear in mind, readers who got nothin' but hate for a book often got nothin' but hate. don't let them judge for you.
Now. Sacrifice. It's not often that I become desperately in love with a modern writer's work, especially genre writers (erotica, crime fiction, suspense... whatever) but, two books in (Awakening, Sacrifice, next up, Blood Harvest), I am crazy for Bolton's work. Her stories are addictively suspenseful, exhaustively researched, and beautifully written with characters you really understand (or abhor!). I picked up Awakening at a charity book sale and, about halfway through, went searching for her other work. Yea, I'm a bit late to the party. Now I'm starting from the back and working my way forward. And man, I can't believe someone's first book could be as good as Sacrifice. I saw myself in the main character and became a frantic mess when a favorite character was "killed" off. Loved this book so much I can't believe it's over. Day'um.
I cannot recommend this book, or any of this author's work, enough. READ IT.
Now. Sacrifice. It's not often that I become desperately in love with a modern writer's work, especially genre writers (erotica, crime fiction, suspense... whatever) but, two books in (Awakening, Sacrifice, next up, Blood Harvest), I am crazy for Bolton's work. Her stories are addictively suspenseful, exhaustively researched, and beautifully written with characters you really understand (or abhor!). I picked up Awakening at a charity book sale and, about halfway through, went searching for her other work. Yea, I'm a bit late to the party. Now I'm starting from the back and working my way forward. And man, I can't believe someone's first book could be as good as Sacrifice. I saw myself in the main character and became a frantic mess when a favorite character was "killed" off. Loved this book so much I can't believe it's over. Day'um.
I cannot recommend this book, or any of this author's work, enough. READ IT.
March 13, 2016
"Krvava žetva" ima baš sve ono što očekujemo od odličnog trilera!
Zanimljivu, okrutnu priču koja našu pažnju zaokuplja već od samog početka, protkanu dnevnim legendama i sa malom dozom nadnaravnog; životne likove sa kojima se lako poistovjetiti, a sve to izvrsno je smješteno u, divlje, izolirano područje Šetlandskog otočja na sjevernoj obali Škotske.
Surova klima, sivo nebo i uzburkalo more prepuno oštrih stijena savršene su kulise za ovu priču o ritualnim ubojstvima i tajnama koje se skrivaju stotinama godina.
Pedijatrica Tora, naša glavna junakinja, koja se sa svojim suprugom Duncanom doselila na Šetlandsko otočje, već na samom početku, doslovno, iskopa tragove mračne tajne kada jednog kišovitog dana u zemlji oko svoje kuće, kopajući jamu za uginulog konja, naiđe na ženski leš obilježen runama i izvađenog srca.
Usprkos protivljenju svih oko sebe, Tora počinje istraživati vikinške rune, stare gradske zapise i arhive te malo po malo otkriva postojanje tajnog društva, "izabranih" pojedinaca čiji korijeni sežu daleko u prošlost. U otkrivanju istine Tori pomaže i njezino poznavanje medicine tako da je autorica u romanu izvrsno ispreplela forenziku sa drevnim, škotskim legendama.
Kako napreduje sa svojom istragom sve više shvaća da smije nikome vjerovati pa čak niti svojim najbližima, ali, ni to je ne obeshrabruje na putu otkrivanja što se to događa na ovom surovom, udaljenom mjestu, a što, izgleda cijela zajednica taji već stotinama godina.
Što je Tora bliže istini, to napetost sve više raste, a ona se sve teže izvlači iz smrtnih opasnosti koje joj prijete i od žitelja zajednice i od surovog krajolika u kojem se nalazi.
Tijekom radnje nailazimo na nekoliko, zaista, neočekivanih obrata što još više pridonosi dinamici i napetosti priče, a opisi npr. jahanja Tore i njezine prijateljice kroz kišnu noć po jedva vidljivom terenu kako bi se spasile od svojih progonitelja izvrsni su detalji zbog kojih se čitatelj teško odvaja od teksta i nastoji čim prije otkriti daljnje događaje.
U romanu imamo odličnu priču o istrazi ritualnih ubojstava u koju su tako vješto utkane, temeljito istražene, škotske legende i naznake nadnaravnog; tu je još i spoj sa modernom medicinom i forenzikom, odlična atmosfera i prirodno okruženje koji prate radnju. Zbog svega toga teško je za povjerovati da je ovo autoričin prvijenac koji je, zasluženo, 2008.god. bio proglašen najboljim, novim ostvarenjem na britanskom Amazonu.
Nakon ovako odličnog početka spisateljske karijere, veselim se sljedećim romanima ove autorice, a čitateljima koji vole trilere sa daškom povijesnog i forenzike, svakako preporučujem čitanje "Krvave žetve".
Zanimljivu, okrutnu priču koja našu pažnju zaokuplja već od samog početka, protkanu dnevnim legendama i sa malom dozom nadnaravnog; životne likove sa kojima se lako poistovjetiti, a sve to izvrsno je smješteno u, divlje, izolirano područje Šetlandskog otočja na sjevernoj obali Škotske.
Surova klima, sivo nebo i uzburkalo more prepuno oštrih stijena savršene su kulise za ovu priču o ritualnim ubojstvima i tajnama koje se skrivaju stotinama godina.
Pedijatrica Tora, naša glavna junakinja, koja se sa svojim suprugom Duncanom doselila na Šetlandsko otočje, već na samom početku, doslovno, iskopa tragove mračne tajne kada jednog kišovitog dana u zemlji oko svoje kuće, kopajući jamu za uginulog konja, naiđe na ženski leš obilježen runama i izvađenog srca.
Usprkos protivljenju svih oko sebe, Tora počinje istraživati vikinške rune, stare gradske zapise i arhive te malo po malo otkriva postojanje tajnog društva, "izabranih" pojedinaca čiji korijeni sežu daleko u prošlost. U otkrivanju istine Tori pomaže i njezino poznavanje medicine tako da je autorica u romanu izvrsno ispreplela forenziku sa drevnim, škotskim legendama.
Kako napreduje sa svojom istragom sve više shvaća da smije nikome vjerovati pa čak niti svojim najbližima, ali, ni to je ne obeshrabruje na putu otkrivanja što se to događa na ovom surovom, udaljenom mjestu, a što, izgleda cijela zajednica taji već stotinama godina.
Što je Tora bliže istini, to napetost sve više raste, a ona se sve teže izvlači iz smrtnih opasnosti koje joj prijete i od žitelja zajednice i od surovog krajolika u kojem se nalazi.
Tijekom radnje nailazimo na nekoliko, zaista, neočekivanih obrata što još više pridonosi dinamici i napetosti priče, a opisi npr. jahanja Tore i njezine prijateljice kroz kišnu noć po jedva vidljivom terenu kako bi se spasile od svojih progonitelja izvrsni su detalji zbog kojih se čitatelj teško odvaja od teksta i nastoji čim prije otkriti daljnje događaje.
U romanu imamo odličnu priču o istrazi ritualnih ubojstava u koju su tako vješto utkane, temeljito istražene, škotske legende i naznake nadnaravnog; tu je još i spoj sa modernom medicinom i forenzikom, odlična atmosfera i prirodno okruženje koji prate radnju. Zbog svega toga teško je za povjerovati da je ovo autoričin prvijenac koji je, zasluženo, 2008.god. bio proglašen najboljim, novim ostvarenjem na britanskom Amazonu.
Nakon ovako odličnog početka spisateljske karijere, veselim se sljedećim romanima ove autorice, a čitateljima koji vole trilere sa daškom povijesnog i forenzike, svakako preporučujem čitanje "Krvave žetve".
July 14, 2012
Like a lot of people, I often aim for an easy read when I'm on holiday. I may not be one for lying on a beach - hence my choice of destination; so far temperatures have peaked at a balmy 13C - but a 'beach read' is still a pleasure now and again even if you're actually reading it in the cabin of an overnight ferry from Aberdeen to Lerwick. On this trip, I opted for Shetland-set thriller Sacrifice by SJ Bolton. I'd read another of her horror-tinged page-turners, Blood Harvest (also on holiday) and quite enjoyed it despite a few misgivings, so thought Sacrifice would be ideal to read in situ.
Unfortunately, Sacrifice just failed to deliver much of what I was hoping for.
The opening is pretty promising on some levels: heroine Tora, attempting to bury her deceased horse on the land she and her husband have bought, finds the body of a woman preserved in the peat. It's atmospherically written and sets up an intriguing mystery. However, one thing immediately grated on me, which was the presence of a magpie waiting to steal the horse's eye. I realise I am being hyper-picky, and yes, I am a birdwatcher, and yes, probably it doesn't matter in the big scheme of things, but there are no magpies in Shetland. There are plenty of other sinister carrion eaters - hooded crows, ravens - but no magpies.
A minor irritation, this, one that non-birdwatchers wouldn't notice and one that I could have ignored ... except that there are plenty of other noticeable anomalies elsewhere in the novel with regards to Shetland life, language and wildlife, and as such, I simply didn't feel that it captured the islands effectively. Admittedly, if I'd never been to Shetland, I probably wouldn't have noticed this, but in a novel where the setting is so integral to the essence of the novel, not to mention the plot, it's important to get things right. A sense of place and atmosphere are seriously lacking in Sacrifice, which is a great shame. According to the acknowledgements at the end of the book, SJ Bolton didn't visit Shetland until after she'd written the book, and I can't say this revelation surprised me.
Sacrifice isn't a straightforward detective thriller, despite it opening with the discovery of a corpse. Instead, it's tinged with supernatural elements that edge it into borderline horror territory. It's a genre I tend to enjoy - Phil Rickman, for instance, is a favourite of mine, and indeed, Blood Harvest, another Bolton novel of this type, was also fun. But this time, the extra elements are so daft and so confused in execution that I just wanted to roll my eyes. I could happily accept the presence of a sinister cult with roots in Norse mythology, but the villains of this piece appear to be some of kind of cross between trolls and freemasons. Moreover, we're expected to believe that one character who has spent his entire life trying to escape from this horror would suddenly decide to return to Shetland for no clear reason. On the police procedural front, we're apparently meant to accept that within a couple of hours, a hospital pathologist would not only have detected something as tiny as strawberry seeds in the gut of a preserved corpse, but also have identified the variety of strawberry from which they came, and throughout the book convenient deus ex machina events are clumsily executed. Heightened reality is one thing, but the suspension of disbelief in Sacrifice for me was far, far from willing.
Most of the characters just didn't work for me either. Consultant obstetrician Tora is reasonably likeable until it transpires that she doesn't really understand how her husband bought their house, muttering something about a 'trust fund', and that she drools and simpers idiotically over not only her husband but also her boss, both of whom are set up as being desperately attractive and charismatic and yet are both dull as ditchwater. The only character I really liked, and who is by far the most three-dimensional, is DS Dana Tulloch, a police officer who enlists Tora's help in getting to the bottom of the mystery, but she's absent from large portions of the novel.
I wasn't expecting this to be a gritty, realistic thriller, but after enjoying Blood Harvest, and being aware that SJ Bolton's books have been nominated for various crime-writing awards, I did want it to feel cohesive, atmospheric and chilling. I didn't feel Sacrifice was any of those things, and as such, it was a disappointment.
While I've been in Shetland, the bookshop in Lerwick and in the local museum have drawn my attention to Ann Cleeves' Shetland Quartet, a series of crime novels also set on the islands (and in fact, there was a crew on the islands last week filming a TV adaptation of one of them). I've ordered the first one, Raven Black, in the hope that it grip me a little more than Sacrifice did and capture the unique spirit of Shetland.
Unfortunately, Sacrifice just failed to deliver much of what I was hoping for.
The opening is pretty promising on some levels: heroine Tora, attempting to bury her deceased horse on the land she and her husband have bought, finds the body of a woman preserved in the peat. It's atmospherically written and sets up an intriguing mystery. However, one thing immediately grated on me, which was the presence of a magpie waiting to steal the horse's eye. I realise I am being hyper-picky, and yes, I am a birdwatcher, and yes, probably it doesn't matter in the big scheme of things, but there are no magpies in Shetland. There are plenty of other sinister carrion eaters - hooded crows, ravens - but no magpies.
A minor irritation, this, one that non-birdwatchers wouldn't notice and one that I could have ignored ... except that there are plenty of other noticeable anomalies elsewhere in the novel with regards to Shetland life, language and wildlife, and as such, I simply didn't feel that it captured the islands effectively. Admittedly, if I'd never been to Shetland, I probably wouldn't have noticed this, but in a novel where the setting is so integral to the essence of the novel, not to mention the plot, it's important to get things right. A sense of place and atmosphere are seriously lacking in Sacrifice, which is a great shame. According to the acknowledgements at the end of the book, SJ Bolton didn't visit Shetland until after she'd written the book, and I can't say this revelation surprised me.
Sacrifice isn't a straightforward detective thriller, despite it opening with the discovery of a corpse. Instead, it's tinged with supernatural elements that edge it into borderline horror territory. It's a genre I tend to enjoy - Phil Rickman, for instance, is a favourite of mine, and indeed, Blood Harvest, another Bolton novel of this type, was also fun. But this time, the extra elements are so daft and so confused in execution that I just wanted to roll my eyes. I could happily accept the presence of a sinister cult with roots in Norse mythology, but the villains of this piece appear to be some of kind of cross between trolls and freemasons. Moreover, we're expected to believe that one character who has spent his entire life trying to escape from this horror would suddenly decide to return to Shetland for no clear reason. On the police procedural front, we're apparently meant to accept that within a couple of hours, a hospital pathologist would not only have detected something as tiny as strawberry seeds in the gut of a preserved corpse, but also have identified the variety of strawberry from which they came, and throughout the book convenient deus ex machina events are clumsily executed. Heightened reality is one thing, but the suspension of disbelief in Sacrifice for me was far, far from willing.
Most of the characters just didn't work for me either. Consultant obstetrician Tora is reasonably likeable until it transpires that she doesn't really understand how her husband bought their house, muttering something about a 'trust fund', and that she drools and simpers idiotically over not only her husband but also her boss, both of whom are set up as being desperately attractive and charismatic and yet are both dull as ditchwater. The only character I really liked, and who is by far the most three-dimensional, is DS Dana Tulloch, a police officer who enlists Tora's help in getting to the bottom of the mystery, but she's absent from large portions of the novel.
I wasn't expecting this to be a gritty, realistic thriller, but after enjoying Blood Harvest, and being aware that SJ Bolton's books have been nominated for various crime-writing awards, I did want it to feel cohesive, atmospheric and chilling. I didn't feel Sacrifice was any of those things, and as such, it was a disappointment.
While I've been in Shetland, the bookshop in Lerwick and in the local museum have drawn my attention to Ann Cleeves' Shetland Quartet, a series of crime novels also set on the islands (and in fact, there was a crew on the islands last week filming a TV adaptation of one of them). I've ordered the first one, Raven Black, in the hope that it grip me a little more than Sacrifice did and capture the unique spirit of Shetland.
August 31, 2016
SWEDISH REVIEW
Sharon Bolton has a underbar förmåga att skriva böcker som håller ens intresse uppe från början till slut. Som med alla andra böcker jag har läst av Sharon Bolton så är offer både fängslande och fascinerande att läsa. Men inte bara berättelsen är bra. Karaktärerna; Tora, Duncan, Kenn, Dana och Andy får liv och i och med att det är en thriller så vet man inte heller vem man ska lita på medan man läser boken. Precis som Tora inte hade en aning om vem hon kunde lite på. En sak som jag verkligen gillade var att Dana Tullock är med i boken. Jag har läst om henne i Bolton's Lacey Flint böcker och det var en trevlig överraskning att ha en henne plötsligt dyka upp i handlingen.
Handlingen är intressant och besynnerlig och alla verkar arbeta emot Tora förutom Dana. Är det så att de faktiskt har något skumt på gång eller är Tora bara paranoid? Att lägga handlingen på Shetland tycker jag är ett briljant drag då det skapar en speciall atmosfär. Alla dessa familjer som känner varandra, kanske de till och med har hemligheter ihop?
Eftersom jag inte vill avslöja för mycket av av handlingen tänker jag bara avrunda denna recension med att säga att det är en briljant bok med intressanta vändningar och jag njöt verkligen av att läsa boken. Handlingen blev aldrig tråkig eller seg, den rörde sig framåt i en perfekt hastighet och jag var nästan liten ledsen över att komma till slutet för jag hade fäst mig vid Tora och de andra.
Tack till Modernista för recensionsexemplaret!
ENGLISHREVIEW
Sharon Bolton has a wonderful ability to write books that keep you interested from the beginning until the end. Sacrifice is just like the rest of the books that I have read engrossing and fascinating to read. But, not only the story is good. The characters, Tora, Duncan, Kenn, Dana, and Andy and the rest come alive through the pages and since this is a thriller you just don't know who to trust while reading the book. Just as Tora don't know who to trust. One thing that I liked very much with the book is that Dana Tulloch is in it. I have read about her in Bolton's Lacey Flint books and it was a pleasant surprise to have her suddenly show up in this book.
The story is interesting and strange and everyone seems to be working against Tora, well except Dana. Are they hiding something, or is it just Tora that's being paranoid? I think having the books setting on Shetland is a brilliant move since it adds a special tone to the book. All those families that know each other are they perhaps hiding something?
I don't want to spoil the story, I just want to say that it's a brilliant book, with twists and turns and I enjoyed it very much. It just never got boring, it didn't move to fast forward, it had a great pace and I was almost a bit sad to read the ending because I grew to like Tora and the rest of the characters very much.
Thanks to Modernista for the review copy!
Sharon Bolton has a underbar förmåga att skriva böcker som håller ens intresse uppe från början till slut. Som med alla andra böcker jag har läst av Sharon Bolton så är offer både fängslande och fascinerande att läsa. Men inte bara berättelsen är bra. Karaktärerna; Tora, Duncan, Kenn, Dana och Andy får liv och i och med att det är en thriller så vet man inte heller vem man ska lita på medan man läser boken. Precis som Tora inte hade en aning om vem hon kunde lite på. En sak som jag verkligen gillade var att Dana Tullock är med i boken. Jag har läst om henne i Bolton's Lacey Flint böcker och det var en trevlig överraskning att ha en henne plötsligt dyka upp i handlingen.
Handlingen är intressant och besynnerlig och alla verkar arbeta emot Tora förutom Dana. Är det så att de faktiskt har något skumt på gång eller är Tora bara paranoid? Att lägga handlingen på Shetland tycker jag är ett briljant drag då det skapar en speciall atmosfär. Alla dessa familjer som känner varandra, kanske de till och med har hemligheter ihop?
Eftersom jag inte vill avslöja för mycket av av handlingen tänker jag bara avrunda denna recension med att säga att det är en briljant bok med intressanta vändningar och jag njöt verkligen av att läsa boken. Handlingen blev aldrig tråkig eller seg, den rörde sig framåt i en perfekt hastighet och jag var nästan liten ledsen över att komma till slutet för jag hade fäst mig vid Tora och de andra.
Tack till Modernista för recensionsexemplaret!
ENGLISHREVIEW
Sharon Bolton has a wonderful ability to write books that keep you interested from the beginning until the end. Sacrifice is just like the rest of the books that I have read engrossing and fascinating to read. But, not only the story is good. The characters, Tora, Duncan, Kenn, Dana, and Andy and the rest come alive through the pages and since this is a thriller you just don't know who to trust while reading the book. Just as Tora don't know who to trust. One thing that I liked very much with the book is that Dana Tulloch is in it. I have read about her in Bolton's Lacey Flint books and it was a pleasant surprise to have her suddenly show up in this book.
The story is interesting and strange and everyone seems to be working against Tora, well except Dana. Are they hiding something, or is it just Tora that's being paranoid? I think having the books setting on Shetland is a brilliant move since it adds a special tone to the book. All those families that know each other are they perhaps hiding something?
I don't want to spoil the story, I just want to say that it's a brilliant book, with twists and turns and I enjoyed it very much. It just never got boring, it didn't move to fast forward, it had a great pace and I was almost a bit sad to read the ending because I grew to like Tora and the rest of the characters very much.
Thanks to Modernista for the review copy!
August 11, 2014
Rating: 4.5 stars
I loved this. It's so creepy and chilling, and packed full of gripping suspense.
Something sinister is happening to young women out on the remote Shetland Islands. Ancient island legends appear to be coming true in the most horrifying of ways, leading the reader into a tension filled page turner.
As Tora (our heroine) begins to uncover disturbing evidence and folklore, everyone falls under suspicion. Many theories are formed, and with one shocking twist after another, my head was soon spinning. I hated having to put it down, but at times I had to in order to digest and regroup.
This story is utterly compelling, and although it's only January 6th, I know I've already found one of my favourite new-to-me authors of the year!
I loved this. It's so creepy and chilling, and packed full of gripping suspense.
Something sinister is happening to young women out on the remote Shetland Islands. Ancient island legends appear to be coming true in the most horrifying of ways, leading the reader into a tension filled page turner.
As Tora (our heroine) begins to uncover disturbing evidence and folklore, everyone falls under suspicion. Many theories are formed, and with one shocking twist after another, my head was soon spinning. I hated having to put it down, but at times I had to in order to digest and regroup.
This story is utterly compelling, and although it's only January 6th, I know I've already found one of my favourite new-to-me authors of the year!
April 27, 2016
This was the first book I read of Sharon Bolton's and I was glued to the pages - loved it and all of her subsequent books that I've read!
November 2, 2012
Wow! Just…wow! I’m so glad I decided to read S.J. Bolton's debut novel. I have read more recent ones, and been very impressed, so thought I’d give this one a go!
The story is centred around Shetland Island in Scotland, where ancient legends abound and terrifying stories of mysterious happenings weave their way into everyday life. Tora Hamilton and her husband Duncan had just moved to remote Shetland, and although Duncan was originally from there, he hadn’t been back for 20 years. Tora got herself a job at the local hospital; she was a paediatrician so slotted in well to the Maternity department.
Duncan was away as he travelled a lot with his job, and Tora was trying to come to terms with the death of her beloved horse, Jamie. She decided to hire a digger and operate it herself, to dig a hole big enough to bury him in their huge field…but with the rain falling in torrents, she was feeling a little unsure and fully aware of the dangers. When suddenly she spotted a piece of brightly coloured cloth in the deep hole, she investigated, and to her horror, discovered the perfectly preserved body of a young woman, with a gaping hole in her chest!
With the discovery of rune marks etched on the skin of the woman, the same markings that Tora knew were on the walls of her cellar, and in other places on the island, Tora knew with a certain chill that things were not right. And as the investigation gained momentum, and more bodies were found, the danger to Tora seemed to intensify. Who wanted her out of the way? Were her amateur investigative skills beginning to uncover truths that certain people didn’t want uncovered? Who could she trust? Was there anyone she could trust?
This gripping thriller was a fast read for me, as I couldn’t put it down! Set amongst the beauty of the island, with the mix of forensic and medical elements, and the ancient legends of Scotland’s past, it had me captivated until the last page.
Highly recommended.
The story is centred around Shetland Island in Scotland, where ancient legends abound and terrifying stories of mysterious happenings weave their way into everyday life. Tora Hamilton and her husband Duncan had just moved to remote Shetland, and although Duncan was originally from there, he hadn’t been back for 20 years. Tora got herself a job at the local hospital; she was a paediatrician so slotted in well to the Maternity department.
Duncan was away as he travelled a lot with his job, and Tora was trying to come to terms with the death of her beloved horse, Jamie. She decided to hire a digger and operate it herself, to dig a hole big enough to bury him in their huge field…but with the rain falling in torrents, she was feeling a little unsure and fully aware of the dangers. When suddenly she spotted a piece of brightly coloured cloth in the deep hole, she investigated, and to her horror, discovered the perfectly preserved body of a young woman, with a gaping hole in her chest!
With the discovery of rune marks etched on the skin of the woman, the same markings that Tora knew were on the walls of her cellar, and in other places on the island, Tora knew with a certain chill that things were not right. And as the investigation gained momentum, and more bodies were found, the danger to Tora seemed to intensify. Who wanted her out of the way? Were her amateur investigative skills beginning to uncover truths that certain people didn’t want uncovered? Who could she trust? Was there anyone she could trust?
This gripping thriller was a fast read for me, as I couldn’t put it down! Set amongst the beauty of the island, with the mix of forensic and medical elements, and the ancient legends of Scotland’s past, it had me captivated until the last page.
Highly recommended.
March 20, 2018
I have read quite a few books of late that are set in the Shetland Isles. Without exception each and everyone of the books take on the same aspect that is The Shetland Isles, dark and brooding.
Sacrifice is no exception to the rule.
After a hiatus of twenty years Duncan Guthrie returns to Shetland with his English wife Tora Hamilton. Duncan is trying to establish a new business and is away from home a lot. Tora is a consulting obstetrician working in the local hospital.
Whilst digging a very large hole, with a hired front end loader, to bury her newly deceased horse Tora digs up a female corpse that has had it's heart removed. The police are called and an investigation is started. Tora is convinced that the police, her work colleagues and members of her own family are covering up the truth.
Tora decides to have her own investigation. What she discovers is so unbelievable she has trouble accepting her own findings. There is only one person that Tora feels she can trust, Detective Sergeant Dana Tulloch, and so takes her findings to her.
The further Tora and DS Tulloch investigate the more sinister and malevolent the whole Island seems to be.
This debut novel by Sharon J. Bolton has everything that you would want in a thriller. The principal characters are intelligent, persistent with high moral standards. The pace is page turning. The possible baddies are so numerous it's difficult to know who to trust. Just when you think you have a handle on things it turns out you don't.
A highly entertaining read and comes with a 4 star recommendation.
Sacrifice is no exception to the rule.
After a hiatus of twenty years Duncan Guthrie returns to Shetland with his English wife Tora Hamilton. Duncan is trying to establish a new business and is away from home a lot. Tora is a consulting obstetrician working in the local hospital.
Whilst digging a very large hole, with a hired front end loader, to bury her newly deceased horse Tora digs up a female corpse that has had it's heart removed. The police are called and an investigation is started. Tora is convinced that the police, her work colleagues and members of her own family are covering up the truth.
Tora decides to have her own investigation. What she discovers is so unbelievable she has trouble accepting her own findings. There is only one person that Tora feels she can trust, Detective Sergeant Dana Tulloch, and so takes her findings to her.
The further Tora and DS Tulloch investigate the more sinister and malevolent the whole Island seems to be.
This debut novel by Sharon J. Bolton has everything that you would want in a thriller. The principal characters are intelligent, persistent with high moral standards. The pace is page turning. The possible baddies are so numerous it's difficult to know who to trust. Just when you think you have a handle on things it turns out you don't.
A highly entertaining read and comes with a 4 star recommendation.
May 14, 2023
Die Geschichte von den „Trows“ – Mythos oder Realität?
Die junge Ärztin Tora Hamilton zieht mit ihrem Mann in dessen Heimat – die unwirtlichen Shetlands. Dort findet sie auf ihrem Grundstück die Leiche einer jungen Frau, verstümmelt und mit eingeritzten Runen. Untersuchungen ergeben, dass die Frau kurz vor ihrem Tod ein Kind geboren hatte.
Doch die Ermittlungen drohen schnell im Sande zu verlaufen und nur dem Engagement der Polizistin Dana Tulloch, welche ebenfalls neu auf den Shetlands ist, und der Neugier von Tora ist es zu verdanken, das allmählich langgehütete, dunkle Geheimnisse der Inseleliten ans Licht kommen. Trotzdem bleiben vielen Fakten unerklärlich, verlaufen Spuren im Sand und die Ermittlungen drehen sich im Kreis. Tora und Dana müssen ihren Horizont erweitern und sich auf die Mythologie und Sagenwelt der Shetlands einlassen denn hier gibt es Bezüge zur Realität und den mysteriösen Todesfällen. Und auch die Familie von Toras Mann sowie der Chefarzt ihrer Klinik scheinen tiefer in der Geschichte zu stecken als ihr lieb ist.
Der Thriller zeichnet nicht nur ein interessantes Bild der Shetland Inseln und ihrer Sagen, sondern bietet auch spannende Unterhaltung mit jeder Menge überraschenden Wendungen, welche aber gerade zum Ende hin sehr übertrieben wirken. Zu bemängeln wären aus meiner Sicht einzig ein paar Längen im Erzählfluss und auch die ohnehin schwer nachvollziehbare „Beziehung“ zwischen Tora und ihrem Chef bekommt zu viel Raum. Hier wäre weniger mehr gewesen.
Aber in Summe ist es ein guter Thriller vor einer spektakulären Kulisse mit jeder Menge Spannung.
Die junge Ärztin Tora Hamilton zieht mit ihrem Mann in dessen Heimat – die unwirtlichen Shetlands. Dort findet sie auf ihrem Grundstück die Leiche einer jungen Frau, verstümmelt und mit eingeritzten Runen. Untersuchungen ergeben, dass die Frau kurz vor ihrem Tod ein Kind geboren hatte.
Doch die Ermittlungen drohen schnell im Sande zu verlaufen und nur dem Engagement der Polizistin Dana Tulloch, welche ebenfalls neu auf den Shetlands ist, und der Neugier von Tora ist es zu verdanken, das allmählich langgehütete, dunkle Geheimnisse der Inseleliten ans Licht kommen. Trotzdem bleiben vielen Fakten unerklärlich, verlaufen Spuren im Sand und die Ermittlungen drehen sich im Kreis. Tora und Dana müssen ihren Horizont erweitern und sich auf die Mythologie und Sagenwelt der Shetlands einlassen denn hier gibt es Bezüge zur Realität und den mysteriösen Todesfällen. Und auch die Familie von Toras Mann sowie der Chefarzt ihrer Klinik scheinen tiefer in der Geschichte zu stecken als ihr lieb ist.
Der Thriller zeichnet nicht nur ein interessantes Bild der Shetland Inseln und ihrer Sagen, sondern bietet auch spannende Unterhaltung mit jeder Menge überraschenden Wendungen, welche aber gerade zum Ende hin sehr übertrieben wirken. Zu bemängeln wären aus meiner Sicht einzig ein paar Längen im Erzählfluss und auch die ohnehin schwer nachvollziehbare „Beziehung“ zwischen Tora und ihrem Chef bekommt zu viel Raum. Hier wäre weniger mehr gewesen.
Aber in Summe ist es ein guter Thriller vor einer spektakulären Kulisse mit jeder Menge Spannung.
November 26, 2011
My first reading experience of author S.J. Bolton, but it will not be my last. Bolton writes the kind of books I especially relish; spooky, mysterious and historical mixed with murder and a dash of romance against an appealing setting (in this case, the wild, lonely Shetland Islands off the northern coast of Scotland).
Bolton's research into some of the ancient legends of the Shetlands is woven into the story and creates a truely atmospheric tale of sacrificial murder, community secrets, page turning suspense and several twists and turns I didn't see coming - both plot-wise and with the characters.
There were, IMO, some problems with the story. I wasn't totally sold on the motivating "why" behind the mystery, but within the context of Bolton's research, it fit the plot (albeit with a little eye-rolling by me after the reveal). In addition, I would have liked more characterization on a few of the minor characters (who went on to become major) near the end. But all in all, the story was well told and very engaging to read (as can be attested by my staying up until 2:00 a.m. to finish it).
Readers who enjoy murder, mystery and history with a touch of the supernatural or otherworldly element (but not aggressively so) should enjoy S.J. Bolton. I'd also recommend Haunted Ground by Erin Hart and the David Hunter series by Simon Beckett, who writes more in a police procedural way.
Bolton's research into some of the ancient legends of the Shetlands is woven into the story and creates a truely atmospheric tale of sacrificial murder, community secrets, page turning suspense and several twists and turns I didn't see coming - both plot-wise and with the characters.
There were, IMO, some problems with the story. I wasn't totally sold on the motivating "why" behind the mystery, but within the context of Bolton's research, it fit the plot (albeit with a little eye-rolling by me after the reveal). In addition, I would have liked more characterization on a few of the minor characters (who went on to become major) near the end. But all in all, the story was well told and very engaging to read (as can be attested by my staying up until 2:00 a.m. to finish it).
Readers who enjoy murder, mystery and history with a touch of the supernatural or otherworldly element (but not aggressively so) should enjoy S.J. Bolton. I'd also recommend Haunted Ground by Erin Hart and the David Hunter series by Simon Beckett, who writes more in a police procedural way.
February 6, 2017
This book gripped me with its first startling sentence: “The corpse I could cope with. It was the context that threw me.” Bolton focuses the reader's attention on her protagonist, Tora Hamilton, the first person narrator of this story. It's a technique that summons the reader's empathy, while instilling a range of emotions: first grief, then morbid curiosity (after all, this is a mystery), and then the compulsion to find answers. The scene opens with Tora struggling with a rented backhoe in her rain-soaked field. One of her beloved horses has died and Tora mourns: “Jamie, beautiful Jamie, as fast as the wind and as strong as a tiger. His great, kind heart had finally given up and the last thing I was ever going to be able to do for him was dig a bloody great hole.” (Location 71) The scene is made even more poignant by the watching eyes of her two remaining horses.
It's important that the reader cares about this character. The narrative traces a gradual passage from amorphous suspicions to the certainty of a conspiracy. All of this ramps up the sense of suspense. Conspiracy entails an isolating distrust of everyone. That sense of isolation is reinforced by the setting. SACRIFICE is set in the Shetland Islands. Bolton captures the severe beauty of these granite outcroppings. Situated in the North Sea, the Shetland Islands are more closely linked in culture to Norway than to Scotland. Its mythology is rooted in pre-Christian ritual, Viking runes, and tales of ghostly changelings and malignant trolls. Insiders are descendants of families who have lived there for generations, and look with suspicion on transplants like Tora, who was born and raised in southern England, and Dana Tulloch, newly transferred to the local constabulary. Bolton sustains that sense of alienation. Tora is not gregarious. Her sense of humor erupts spontaneously, like a nervous tic that elicits awkward silences and hostile stares. Although she is a skillful doctor, she has not yet made any friends at her new place of employment, the Franklin Stone Hospital in Lerwick. Her husband Duncan is a native Shetlander whose job initiated their relocation, but he is frequently away on business. Dana Tulloch is supposedly the lead investigator in the case, but her intensity and brusque outspoken manner are initially off-putting. Only later do we discover she's a sharp observer and a resolute investigator.
The case is intriguing. The corpse Tora discovers in her field died a few years ago, not a few centuries ago. It was wrapped in a shroud of linen and almost perfectly preserved in the dense peat. It's the corpse of a female who was pregnant and delivered shortly before her death. Rune-like markings are carved into her flesh and her heart is missing. The mystery is therefore, not only who the perpetrator was, but why these ritualistic atrocities were inflicted. The assumption is that the victim is an islander, but no identification can be made.
Bolton uses dialogue as well as Tora's narrative to create interesting characters. Tora's boss at the hospital is another native Shetlander, Kenn Gifford. He issues a gag order about the corpse to the hospital staff. Yet, he seems solicitous of Tora's welfare, and plainly respects her medical abilities. He also seems to have secrets. Gifford and Tora's husband Duncan know and seem to dislike each other. No credible reason is forthcoming from either of them. Duncan, particularly as seen through Tora's adoring eyes, is an appealing character: “Nobody, my whole life, has ever been able to make me laugh the way Duncan can. I fell in love with Duncan for a whole host of reasons. The way his grin seems just a little too wide for his face; the speed at which he can run; his complete refusal to take himself seriously; the fact that everyone likes him and he likes everyone, but me most of all. As I say, there were a whole load of reasons why it all started, but it was the laughing that kept me there.” (Location 775)
The resolution of the mystery was, unfortunately, disappointing to me. In order to avoid any spoilers I will not go into this further. That disappointment would have brought my rating down to three stars, but as my husband would ruefully admit, Bolton had me at “horse.”
It's important that the reader cares about this character. The narrative traces a gradual passage from amorphous suspicions to the certainty of a conspiracy. All of this ramps up the sense of suspense. Conspiracy entails an isolating distrust of everyone. That sense of isolation is reinforced by the setting. SACRIFICE is set in the Shetland Islands. Bolton captures the severe beauty of these granite outcroppings. Situated in the North Sea, the Shetland Islands are more closely linked in culture to Norway than to Scotland. Its mythology is rooted in pre-Christian ritual, Viking runes, and tales of ghostly changelings and malignant trolls. Insiders are descendants of families who have lived there for generations, and look with suspicion on transplants like Tora, who was born and raised in southern England, and Dana Tulloch, newly transferred to the local constabulary. Bolton sustains that sense of alienation. Tora is not gregarious. Her sense of humor erupts spontaneously, like a nervous tic that elicits awkward silences and hostile stares. Although she is a skillful doctor, she has not yet made any friends at her new place of employment, the Franklin Stone Hospital in Lerwick. Her husband Duncan is a native Shetlander whose job initiated their relocation, but he is frequently away on business. Dana Tulloch is supposedly the lead investigator in the case, but her intensity and brusque outspoken manner are initially off-putting. Only later do we discover she's a sharp observer and a resolute investigator.
The case is intriguing. The corpse Tora discovers in her field died a few years ago, not a few centuries ago. It was wrapped in a shroud of linen and almost perfectly preserved in the dense peat. It's the corpse of a female who was pregnant and delivered shortly before her death. Rune-like markings are carved into her flesh and her heart is missing. The mystery is therefore, not only who the perpetrator was, but why these ritualistic atrocities were inflicted. The assumption is that the victim is an islander, but no identification can be made.
Bolton uses dialogue as well as Tora's narrative to create interesting characters. Tora's boss at the hospital is another native Shetlander, Kenn Gifford. He issues a gag order about the corpse to the hospital staff. Yet, he seems solicitous of Tora's welfare, and plainly respects her medical abilities. He also seems to have secrets. Gifford and Tora's husband Duncan know and seem to dislike each other. No credible reason is forthcoming from either of them. Duncan, particularly as seen through Tora's adoring eyes, is an appealing character: “Nobody, my whole life, has ever been able to make me laugh the way Duncan can. I fell in love with Duncan for a whole host of reasons. The way his grin seems just a little too wide for his face; the speed at which he can run; his complete refusal to take himself seriously; the fact that everyone likes him and he likes everyone, but me most of all. As I say, there were a whole load of reasons why it all started, but it was the laughing that kept me there.” (Location 775)
The resolution of the mystery was, unfortunately, disappointing to me. In order to avoid any spoilers I will not go into this further. That disappointment would have brought my rating down to three stars, but as my husband would ruefully admit, Bolton had me at “horse.”
May 20, 2017
I hate to say it but this is the first Sharon Bolton book I've read that I just didn't enjoy. The plot seemed very far fetched and odd, I found the main character unlikeable, and the narrative heavy on medical details that I often found myself skimming through. Full review to come
August 3, 2011
Beth could say "I told you so". She's the friend who recommended Sacrifice by S.J. Bolton to me some time ago. Who knows why I didn't pick it up immediately as Beth and I have like tastes in fiction; not just in thrillers but across the board. Beth told me I'd like this one and she was right!
Tora Hamilton is having a bad day. Her beloved horse Jamie has died and Tora plans to illegally bury him on her Shetland property. Her husband's away so she'll need to do this alone, no easy task for this inexperienced woman using a digger in muddy ground with heavy rain in the forecast. Just when Tora thinks she is making headway with the hole, the bucket catches. Getting out, Tora peers into the hole and sees some linen. Gingerly investigating further, which means dropping into a hole she may not be able to get out of she realizes the peat bog is concealing a dead body. After freeing herself from the grave, the police are called and Tora is questioned extensively, not only about the body, but harassed about the illegal burial of her horse. To make matters worse, she is informed one of her patients has gone into labor and she is needed at the hospital. Tora is not Dr. Hamilton but Ms. Hamilton as she a consultant surgeon at the local hospital. If that’s not enough after delivering the baby, her patient is in jeopardy of hemorrhaging and decisions need to be made. All this in the first 25 pages. A bad day indeed!
Sacrifice hooked me immediately with this opening scenario and continued its fast pace throughout. Consider I read this in two sittings. Besides a good "grab you" opening, all characters, and there are many, are interesting in themselves, not all likeable, but people I want to know more about. I loved the character DS Tulloch, female investigator, who starts off as a real thorn in Tora's side and eventually evolves into a strong relationship. I liked Bolton's descriptive passages of her locale, The Shetland Islands, and her blend of legend, folklore, runes and Trows. What are Trows? You'll need to read to book to find out. Bolton did extensive research to conjure up this tale of good and evil and the writing is sound, the plot, good.
Sacrifice was Bolton's debut in 2008 and since she has written three others. I'm definitely adding her to my list of must read authors, becoming a GoodReads fan and checking out her blog.
Tora Hamilton is having a bad day. Her beloved horse Jamie has died and Tora plans to illegally bury him on her Shetland property. Her husband's away so she'll need to do this alone, no easy task for this inexperienced woman using a digger in muddy ground with heavy rain in the forecast. Just when Tora thinks she is making headway with the hole, the bucket catches. Getting out, Tora peers into the hole and sees some linen. Gingerly investigating further, which means dropping into a hole she may not be able to get out of she realizes the peat bog is concealing a dead body. After freeing herself from the grave, the police are called and Tora is questioned extensively, not only about the body, but harassed about the illegal burial of her horse. To make matters worse, she is informed one of her patients has gone into labor and she is needed at the hospital. Tora is not Dr. Hamilton but Ms. Hamilton as she a consultant surgeon at the local hospital. If that’s not enough after delivering the baby, her patient is in jeopardy of hemorrhaging and decisions need to be made. All this in the first 25 pages. A bad day indeed!
Sacrifice hooked me immediately with this opening scenario and continued its fast pace throughout. Consider I read this in two sittings. Besides a good "grab you" opening, all characters, and there are many, are interesting in themselves, not all likeable, but people I want to know more about. I loved the character DS Tulloch, female investigator, who starts off as a real thorn in Tora's side and eventually evolves into a strong relationship. I liked Bolton's descriptive passages of her locale, The Shetland Islands, and her blend of legend, folklore, runes and Trows. What are Trows? You'll need to read to book to find out. Bolton did extensive research to conjure up this tale of good and evil and the writing is sound, the plot, good.
Sacrifice was Bolton's debut in 2008 and since she has written three others. I'm definitely adding her to my list of must read authors, becoming a GoodReads fan and checking out her blog.
March 17, 2017
Dear Reader,
Imagine if you found a body of a woman in your back garden and on closer examination realised that not only was she murdered but her heart was removed from her body!
Yes,you read that correctly!! To add insult to injury,the authorities inform you that she had recently given birth before she took up permanent residence in your back garden some time ago.
Holding the position of resident gynaecologist in the local hospital,you begin your own research into female births and deaths in the recent past and amazingly enough,you discover a .........!!
This was a deeply compelling,dark and twisted mystery where the chief protagonist is privy to certain facts that,to the logical mind,make no sense!!
Feeling distrustful of the local police,weaving through red herrings that force her to meander along a lonely and twisted path,the truth is eventually unraveled and reveals a dark and disturbing history.
Recommended to mystery buffs seeking a tale with a twist.
Imagine if you found a body of a woman in your back garden and on closer examination realised that not only was she murdered but her heart was removed from her body!
Yes,you read that correctly!! To add insult to injury,the authorities inform you that she had recently given birth before she took up permanent residence in your back garden some time ago.
Holding the position of resident gynaecologist in the local hospital,you begin your own research into female births and deaths in the recent past and amazingly enough,you discover a .........!!
This was a deeply compelling,dark and twisted mystery where the chief protagonist is privy to certain facts that,to the logical mind,make no sense!!
Feeling distrustful of the local police,weaving through red herrings that force her to meander along a lonely and twisted path,the truth is eventually unraveled and reveals a dark and disturbing history.
Recommended to mystery buffs seeking a tale with a twist.
September 27, 2013
Hi
I really enjoyed this book and SJ Bolton first book.
Throughout this book there were many twists and turns, and I was changing my mind who were the villains.
The tension and pace is very good and from about half way you do not want to book this down!
I do find it as always hard to give a good full review, because you do not want to leave any spoilers but you do want to recommend it.
So enjoy.
regards
Sean
I really enjoyed this book and SJ Bolton first book.
Throughout this book there were many twists and turns, and I was changing my mind who were the villains.
The tension and pace is very good and from about half way you do not want to book this down!
I do find it as always hard to give a good full review, because you do not want to leave any spoilers but you do want to recommend it.
So enjoy.
regards
Sean
September 22, 2020
Doğarsın, Yaşarsın, Ölürler.
Şimdi daha anlamlı.
Kanımı dondurmaktan çok midemi bulandıran bir gerilimdi. Her ne kadar efsane falan dense de gerçek hayatta da böyle hastalıklı şizofrenler var malesef. Aslında daha kötü şeyler de okuyup izledim ama bu kadar rahatsız olmamın sebebi kendi anneleri olması belkide. A.S.B.G.Y. kısaca😒
Bunların haricinde bir ilk kitaba göre gayet iyiydi. Dilini de çok sevdim (ki bu benim için çok önemli) ve diğer kitaplarınıda alıp okumayı planlıyorum.
Kısacası gayet zevkli ve heyecanlı bir okumaydı. Gerilim sevenlere birebir😊
Not; Bana bu kitabı öneren ve benimle birlikte tekrar okuyan cnm Gülsüm💙 sana da çok teşekkürler😘😘
Şimdi daha anlamlı.
Kanımı dondurmaktan çok midemi bulandıran bir gerilimdi. Her ne kadar efsane falan dense de gerçek hayatta da böyle hastalıklı şizofrenler var malesef. Aslında daha kötü şeyler de okuyup izledim ama bu kadar rahatsız olmamın sebebi kendi anneleri olması belkide. A.S.B.G.Y. kısaca😒
Bunların haricinde bir ilk kitaba göre gayet iyiydi. Dilini de çok sevdim (ki bu benim için çok önemli) ve diğer kitaplarınıda alıp okumayı planlıyorum.
Kısacası gayet zevkli ve heyecanlı bir okumaydı. Gerilim sevenlere birebir😊
Not; Bana bu kitabı öneren ve benimle birlikte tekrar okuyan cnm Gülsüm💙 sana da çok teşekkürler😘😘
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 6, 2008
The mystery and suspense in S.J. Bolton's debut novel aren't its only attractions--although there is plenty of both to please the most devoted fan of the genre. For me it was the unique setting and the carefully-crafted backstory that made the book a good read.
Bolton takes us to what seems like the ends of the earth. The setting is actually the Shetland Islands, the wind-racked and wave-torn granite outposts a hundred miles northeast of the Scottish mainland. The damp, violent climate and glowering, gray skies perfectly match Bolton's bone-chilling tale of ritual murder. She captures it well; the peat bogs, the killing seas, the relentless, flesh-tearing wind.
It's the ideal place for ancient legends to be proven true. Bolton's heroine, Tora Hamilton, literally digs up a clue to a deep, dark secret that has haunted the islands for hundreds of years. She investigates mysterious Viking runes and mundane town records to uncover a secret society perpetuating centuries-old myths and villains with hints of supernatural powers.
From the bloody opening scene to the stomach-churning finale, Bolton weaves a fine tale of murder made sacred and an intrepid heroine determined to stop it.
Dave Donelson, author of Heart of Diamonds
Bolton takes us to what seems like the ends of the earth. The setting is actually the Shetland Islands, the wind-racked and wave-torn granite outposts a hundred miles northeast of the Scottish mainland. The damp, violent climate and glowering, gray skies perfectly match Bolton's bone-chilling tale of ritual murder. She captures it well; the peat bogs, the killing seas, the relentless, flesh-tearing wind.
It's the ideal place for ancient legends to be proven true. Bolton's heroine, Tora Hamilton, literally digs up a clue to a deep, dark secret that has haunted the islands for hundreds of years. She investigates mysterious Viking runes and mundane town records to uncover a secret society perpetuating centuries-old myths and villains with hints of supernatural powers.
From the bloody opening scene to the stomach-churning finale, Bolton weaves a fine tale of murder made sacred and an intrepid heroine determined to stop it.
Dave Donelson, author of Heart of Diamonds
September 15, 2012
This book is all right as a light read but it has serious flaws.
1. It is far too long. It quickly reached the point for me that I lost patience with the unbelievable plot drivers. Too many people doing too many unexplainably daft things to keep the story going.
2. A whole series of one-dimensional characters - a medical consultant who left all financial dealings to her husband and was unaware that he received regular payments into his bank account from an unknown source!
3. The author has researched certain subjects such as medicine and folklore but I don't think she really understood them. Hence huge sections of the book read as though she is quoting a textbook.
4. I realy feel that if a writer is going to set a novel in a particular place he or she should at least visit it before writing. By her own admission this writer only actually went to the islands at the end of the process - and it shows.
I am probably being too picky and I know a lot of people liked this book but I was left feeling that I had wasted my time by the time I reached the end.
1. It is far too long. It quickly reached the point for me that I lost patience with the unbelievable plot drivers. Too many people doing too many unexplainably daft things to keep the story going.
2. A whole series of one-dimensional characters - a medical consultant who left all financial dealings to her husband and was unaware that he received regular payments into his bank account from an unknown source!
3. The author has researched certain subjects such as medicine and folklore but I don't think she really understood them. Hence huge sections of the book read as though she is quoting a textbook.
4. I realy feel that if a writer is going to set a novel in a particular place he or she should at least visit it before writing. By her own admission this writer only actually went to the islands at the end of the process - and it shows.
I am probably being too picky and I know a lot of people liked this book but I was left feeling that I had wasted my time by the time I reached the end.
November 30, 2019
Güzel ve akıcıydı. Değişik ve orjinal bir konusu vardı. Heyecanla ve merakla kendini okutuyor. Sadece Tora'nın kolay yönlendirilebilir olmasını sevmedim. Çok çabuk inanıyordu.
Gerilim ve poliseye sevenlere kesinlikle tavsiye ederim.
Gerilim ve poliseye sevenlere kesinlikle tavsiye ederim.
September 6, 2017
Someday I will learn not to get excited about thrillers based on some sort of ancient gruesome (usually Nordic) pagan rituals being carried out in modern times. The plot summary always sounds so intriguing, and I just love this sort of horror-tinged story, and still...I am usually disappointed. This novel begins with a consulting OB-GYN who has just recently moved to the Shetland Islands, who discovers the mutilated corpse of a young woman buried on her land. The police immediately try to dismiss the find, but because our heroine, Tora, has recognized that the victim had given birth just prior to her demise, she can't let it go. She keeps prying away at the mystery, digging into hospital records and bothering the local police, until she has discovered too much and is herself in danger.
My reactions throughout the novel:
First 25% or so--creepy and suspenseful. I like this!
Up until the halfway mark--quickly losing my willing suspension of disbelief, but still a page turner.
Up to three quarters of the way through -- seriously, this would never happen! Never, ever, ever! Was I expected to check my brain at the door?
Last quarter of the book -- And finally it's over. I'll give the heroine points for sheer persistence, but otherwise, she was pretty clueless. And let me reiterate: soooo unbelievable. Also kind of squicky. I guess just not for me!
Overall: this is not too bad of a thriller, as it is a page-turner and competently written, but it simply strained my willing suspension of disbelief, and all too quickly abandoned the creepy atmosphere of pagan rites (runes, bodies buried in the peat, ancient legends, etc.) to a rather far-fetched medical thriller
But if I'm going to get excited about a story about Nordic superstitions, I think I will have to just embrace the supernatural: The Ritual by Adam Nevill. Now that book is well-written, creepy and never disappoints.
My reactions throughout the novel:
First 25% or so--creepy and suspenseful. I like this!
Up until the halfway mark--quickly losing my willing suspension of disbelief, but still a page turner.
Up to three quarters of the way through -- seriously, this would never happen! Never, ever, ever! Was I expected to check my brain at the door?
Last quarter of the book -- And finally it's over. I'll give the heroine points for sheer persistence, but otherwise, she was pretty clueless. And let me reiterate: soooo unbelievable. Also kind of squicky. I guess just not for me!
Overall: this is not too bad of a thriller, as it is a page-turner and competently written, but it simply strained my willing suspension of disbelief, and all too quickly abandoned the creepy atmosphere of pagan rites (runes, bodies buried in the peat, ancient legends, etc.) to a rather far-fetched medical thriller
But if I'm going to get excited about a story about Nordic superstitions, I think I will have to just embrace the supernatural: The Ritual by Adam Nevill. Now that book is well-written, creepy and never disappoints.
October 9, 2018
I was gonna give this a five...
Then later, halfway-through, I said, nope maybe a four...
Now I'm down to three. Good thing it wasn't any longer.
The story of a woman, Tora Hamilton, living in the Shetland Islands who finds a body buried on her property. She's about to dig a huge trench - via machinery, not shovel - to bury her poor dead horse in. However, she digs up a linen-wrapped, corpse with strange runes carved on her body and her heart ripped out. Oh, she's also recently given birth. This whole idea was creepy, fantastic, enticing, exciting. I read with rapt attention and loved the MC - she's so un-liked by all the other characters you just have to cheer her on!
Then new elements are thrown in: an organization-obsessed, female police detective; a charming yet slimy head doctor who oversees Tora's work at the local hospital; Tora's excessively handsome husband; Tora's weird in-laws, and so on and so on...
Throw in elements of native folklore, discussion of runes and what they mean, the fact that Tora's house is built on an old ...
So an entirely incredible story which started out so GREAT. I am so disappointed and I think Ms. Bolton is now off my 'to-read' list. :(
Two and a half stars rounded off to three.
Then later, halfway-through, I said, nope maybe a four...
Now I'm down to three. Good thing it wasn't any longer.
The story of a woman, Tora Hamilton, living in the Shetland Islands who finds a body buried on her property. She's about to dig a huge trench - via machinery, not shovel - to bury her poor dead horse in. However, she digs up a linen-wrapped, corpse with strange runes carved on her body and her heart ripped out. Oh, she's also recently given birth. This whole idea was creepy, fantastic, enticing, exciting. I read with rapt attention and loved the MC - she's so un-liked by all the other characters you just have to cheer her on!
Then new elements are thrown in: an organization-obsessed, female police detective; a charming yet slimy head doctor who oversees Tora's work at the local hospital; Tora's excessively handsome husband; Tora's weird in-laws, and so on and so on...
Throw in elements of native folklore, discussion of runes and what they mean, the fact that Tora's house is built on an old ...
So an entirely incredible story which started out so GREAT. I am so disappointed and I think Ms. Bolton is now off my 'to-read' list. :(
Two and a half stars rounded off to three.
July 21, 2020
I knew I'd circle back to Sharon Bolton after reading Dead Woman Walking. I'm glad I did, I'm sad it took me so damn long. I loved Sacrifice, it's highly suspenseful, action packed and had many twists. I loved all the characters in this book. It's a tad too long but so worth the time!
August 24, 2020
Sacrifice - Sharon Bolton (aka "The Offer" )
The Nevernight Chronicles Book #11
3.5
I really wanted to like this book more. Sharon Bolton has been a long time favorite of mine. I believe I have read almost everything she has written to date. Sacrifice has a mind catching plot. The writing is Bolton through and through so it’s very well written. The problem comes with Tora… the main character that has been placed on this Scottish isle to carry the storyline along. Along with her cool and aloof personality and her outsider status, it makes her the perfect protagonist. She is very difficult for the reader to warm up to but, her struggle to find justice for the murder victim and her search for truth in the face of growing adversity are well portrayed and add to the suspense. Medical and forensic details are a great addition to the story making the early parts of the investigation interesting and believable. Also adding old island mythology gives the story a dark supernatural element that I was thoroughly intrigued with. If you can bypass the fact that a young obstetrician would not be as aggressively getting involved as Tora does …then this is a great story. Tora just comes across as a bit “too much” and unbelievable in her actions. If you can put that out of your mind and just go on with the story… then you will more than likely really like this book. It has atmosphere…a look into the old legends…a brutal murder to solve and the appearance of a character from one of my other favorite series by this author…Detective Sergeant Dana Tullock …a character in Bolton’s later Lacey Flint series.
The Nevernight Chronicles Book #11
3.5
I really wanted to like this book more. Sharon Bolton has been a long time favorite of mine. I believe I have read almost everything she has written to date. Sacrifice has a mind catching plot. The writing is Bolton through and through so it’s very well written. The problem comes with Tora… the main character that has been placed on this Scottish isle to carry the storyline along. Along with her cool and aloof personality and her outsider status, it makes her the perfect protagonist. She is very difficult for the reader to warm up to but, her struggle to find justice for the murder victim and her search for truth in the face of growing adversity are well portrayed and add to the suspense. Medical and forensic details are a great addition to the story making the early parts of the investigation interesting and believable. Also adding old island mythology gives the story a dark supernatural element that I was thoroughly intrigued with. If you can bypass the fact that a young obstetrician would not be as aggressively getting involved as Tora does …then this is a great story. Tora just comes across as a bit “too much” and unbelievable in her actions. If you can put that out of your mind and just go on with the story… then you will more than likely really like this book. It has atmosphere…a look into the old legends…a brutal murder to solve and the appearance of a character from one of my other favorite series by this author…Detective Sergeant Dana Tullock …a character in Bolton’s later Lacey Flint series.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 859 reviews