Customer Reviews:
Showing reviews 6-10 of 45
 The Abortionists Daughter May 18, 2008
Sunnie Gill (Tasmania, Australia)
1 out of 2 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
Andy Orrock (Dallas, TX)
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
Marie
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
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.
 So Good! January 2, 2008
Katie Guthmiller (Minot, ND)
I actually really liked this book, although the title is a little misleading. It's not really about the daughter...more about the daughter's ex-boyfriend. And I wish it would have been longer, the relationship aspect of the book could have been more in-depth. I'm not really a fan of having to guess what would have happened. But none-the-less it was a very interesting book!
No surprises here December 26, 2007
Bilinguale Mama
1 out of 3 found this review helpful
You can tell that Elisabeth Hyde has done her "Creative Writing" homework.
Rule #1: For a classic whodunnit you need to develop several suspects, and hey, the most obvious suspects turn out to be innocent, of course.
Rule #2: Be specific. That's probably why we learn what everybody in the book is eating (Top Ramen soup being a favorite) and wearing (layering is crucial for menopausal women, just in case you didn't know or never wanted to know).
Rule #3: Be at least a little daring. That's where drugs, oral sex, abortions etc. come in.
It looks like this book has all the ingredients, and still fails to make good on its promise. The characters remain strangely one-dimensional and stereotypical. So does the plot. While reading I was really trying to shake that constant deja-vu feeling and hoping for at least one unexpected twist. It wasn't meant to happen.
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