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The Abortionist's Daughter | 
 enlarge | Author: Elisabeth Hyde
Publisher: Vintage
Category: Book
List Price: $13.95
Buy Used: $0.01
You Save: $13.94 (100%)
New (29) Used (61) Collectible (2) from $0.01
Avg. Customer Rating:  42 reviews
Sales Rank: 226618
Media: Paperback
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 304
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.3
Dimensions (in): 7.9 x 5 x 0.8
ISBN: 0307276414
Dewey Decimal Number: 813.54
EAN: 9780307276414
ASIN: 0307276414
Publication Date: June 12, 2007
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Condition: A nice ex-library copy. Gently used. All pages and cover clear except for a few library markings. Binding solid and tight. No creases. Some pages have some moisture wrinkling.
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Product Description
Two weeks before Christmas, Diana Duprey, an outspoken abortion doctor, is found dead in her swimming pool. A national figure, Diana inspired passion and ignited tempers, but never more so than the day of her death. Her husband Frank, a longtime attorney in the DA’s office; her daughter Megan, a freshman in college; the Reverend Stephen O’Connell, founder of the town’s pro-life coalition: all of them quarreled with Diana that day and each one has something to lose in revealing the truth. Meanwhile the detective on the case struggles for the answers — and finds himself more intimately involved than he ever could have imagined.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 37 more reviews...
 The Abortionist's Daughter July 20, 2008
D.A. Frank Thompson comes home to find his wife dead in their lap pool. It is obviously a murder. Of course, he is on the list of suspects. But there are others too, considering the controversial job his wife has as an abortionist. Mix in this mystery with a promiscuous daughter who's coming of age, as well as a study in family dynamics, and the result is an intriguing story of love, deception, hate, right, and wrong. The reader is afforded a glimpse into the different characters' ethics and viewpoints concerning various timely issues. I recommend this book.
A unique mystery-thriller-family saga combo May 25, 2008
A doctor at an abortionist clinic is murdered - who did it? The husband? The daughter? The anti-abortionists? or any other number of suspects? If that was all this book was - it'd make a good one hour television show and a so-so mystery read. But, as Diana (the murdered women's story) and the lives of those around hers tales are unfolded while her murder is investigated - it becomes much more. The story is as much about the other characters secrets, guilts and crosses to bear (they all have some issues) that unfold in-line with the mystery tale.
This isn't an action packed or investigative thriller of the Harlen Coben or other popular mystery-thriller writer genre. It's a psychological story of lives unfolding whie discovering who-done-it.
Just for it's uniqueness and great writing style - I recommend it.
 The Abortionists Daughter May 18, 2008
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
At first I thought I wasn't going to enjoy THE ABORTIONIST'S DAUGHTER. It seemed to be more about family relationships than murder. However it didn't take long to discover that the family dynamics help inform the murder investigation.
THE ABORTIONIST'S DAUGHTER is written on a number of levels. First and foremost is the murder of Diana and the investigation. We learn the family's back-story and what happened to bring them to this point in time. It is also an exploration of an extremely emotive issue from both sides of the argument into which is cleverly woven a theme of the nature of obsession and what it can do to people.
THE ABORTIONIST'S DAUGHTER is not going to be everyone's cup of tea. There are many who may find parts of the book offensive and many more who will be upset by it.
Hyde has written three other novels; each examining different aspects of family relationships. Her website is [...]
A good novel to occupy your day May 17, 2008
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
This novel from Elisabeth Hyde was the perfect book to blitz through in one day's reading on a just-concluded vacation. I think Publishers' Weekly review hit the nail on the head when they said that "rather than generating suspense, the murder provides a frame for the turbulence in and around a woman propelled by idealism and strongly held beliefs." Agreed. In a bit of a twist on the normal structure of stories of this ilk, the murder gets solved about 30 pages from book's end, at which point Hyde doubles back and plays out the final day of Dr. Duprey's life. It's a microcosm of the forces that have buffeted every day of her life.
This was my first experience reading Ms. Hyde's work. I'll surely consider her earlier efforts.
 Provacative murder mystery, will hook you and offend you (topics, conclusion) January 25, 2008
This book contains descriptions of adolescent sex acts, abortions, and murder. The beginning of the book sucked me into the sad lives of the characters. I was offended, but I had to find out if I had correctly guessed the murderer.
Elisabeth Hyde creates pathetic characters. Murder victim Diana Duprey is an overly permissive parent with several drug addictions. (Should she be praised for providing abortions? Hyde lets the reader judge.) Husband Frank Thompson is a recovering philanderer with unresolved anger towards his deceased, mentally retarded son. Megan Thompson was an underage tramp with substance problems of her own- as an adult, she's still screwed up. Detective Hucks becomes dispicable early on- he can't keep his [male genitalia] in his pants. Rev Steve is a cliche of every pro-life fanatic. (Sadly, Hyde takes this sterotype too far- people from Rev's group kill abortion providers.) Bill, Megan's ex, is a weirdo who earns Diana's sympathy.
There are perpheral characters with just as many problems- child porn peddler, Bill's "girlfriend", detective Ernie, pervy teacher Michael Malone, staunch pro-lifer Eve Kelly, rejected lover Piper.
Who killed Diana? It becomes rather predictable... with a graphic description of her murder.
The "redemption" of Megan is superficial!!! It was the concluding chapter - her redemption- that ruined the book for me! Because of this chapter, I can't recommend this book to anyone who likes a geuine ending. If you don't mind a book crapping out in the last quarter, you might want to read The Abortionist's Daughter.
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