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Hell hath no fury - Chapter 2

by VGw 

Posted: 29 January 2007
Word Count: 2819
Summary: Just a few remarks: Jakes name has been changed to Marc, Jake was too good and I thought I might need another Jake further on. This was actually the third chapter, but I am not convinced about the 2nd yet, so for the moment the 2nd chapter is out.


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Chapter 1
August 2005

The summer had taken a long time to make its entrance this year. At the beginning of June, most people were still wearing their coats and jackets. During the daytime, the sun did its best to warm up the sky, but after the evening fell, there was a nasty chill in the air. But just as everyone feared that springtime would somehow magically turn into fall and the year would skip summer altogether, the sun finally came around. It was as if she thought she had to make up for lost time, because by the start of the summer holiday, people were complaining about the heat and already thinking longingly of the fall.
The people in Brideford however, were happy to welcome summer. The wooded area allowed for soft and gentle evenings and cool nights and the summer heat guaranteed good business for the local shops and restaurants. As long as you took care not to stay out between noon and three, you’d be OK. At least, that’s how it was on most of the days.

On this particular Saturday, late August, however, the heat was starting to become unbearable even before eleven in the morning. The main road lay simmering in the summer heat. The flowerbeds had cracked after weeks of draught and the brown grass around the playground was only a sad excuse for a lawn. Still, children were skipping and hopping happily while their parents attempted to finish their weekly shopping run before the heat of the noon. By the side of the road, where the sunshades offered a little more protection from the blistering heat, a few elderly people strolled around. Younger people walked on the sundrenched sidewalks, their tanned skin flaunting under shorts, dresses and miniskirts.
Grace took another sip of her iced tea and sat back in her chair on the café terrace and listened absentmindedly to the clickety clack of heels on the wooden sidewalk as she took in the sights and sounds of late summer. The air was filled with the sound of children laughing and shouting and teenagers chattering away. The boys whistled at the girls walking by; the girls giggled at the attention they got. Somebody was already firing up the barbecue. There was a faint smell of burning charcoal in the air. Grace loved how, when the sun came out, the whole town seem to come alive with a vibrant energy and activity.
She’d gone out to town early today, hoping to be back in the comfortable coolness of her woodside two storey house before it got too hot. As she sat on the terrace, sharing an iced tea with her friend and discussing the plans for the charity event they had been hosting for the past four years, she let her mind drift away to the barbecue she and Marc were having tonight. Alan and Barbara Marchfield, the head of the police department and his wife, were coming over later on today. Since Marc had become an active member of the neighbourhood watch they had gotten to know the Alan and his wife as kind and loving people. Even though he ruled the police with a tight hand, once he got home, Chief Marchfield couldn’t have been a more gentle man. He and his wife had been married for over 35 years and he still loved her as if it was the first year. She had the looks of a fragile film diva, which contrasted sharply with his strong tall figure. Grace would sometimes wonder if she and Marc would grow old in the same loving manner as Alan Marchfield and his wife.
From the head of police and his wife, Grace’s thoughts moved over to her shopping that she had to do this morning. If she hurried, she might even be able to squeeze in a bit of window shopping as well. Last week she saw a skimpy red summer dress in a little boutique off the High Street that was actually too expensive and too bare for her taste, but that she wanted to try on anyway. And before she got back home she had to remember to pick up some supplies that Marc needed for the dark room.

“So, what do you think?” Muriel’s voice pulled her out of her thoughts. She looked up and confusion must have shown on her face.
“You weren’t even listening.” Her friend sounded only slightly accusing. “You were thinking about that dress again.” Muriel waved a long thin finger at her.
Her nails were painted a bright pink, which clashed violently with the electric blue of her dress. That was Muriel all the way. With her bizarre sense of fashion and amazing wardrobe of dresses, skirts and barely-there tops, her liveliness and love of glam rock, she couldn’t have been more different then Grace. Grace, who wore jeans, T-shirts and turtlenecks, Grace who was the pensive and quiet one, Grace who loved classical music and opera. And yet, within weeks of Graces arrival in Brideford they’d become friends and had been ever since.
Grace smiled at her friend.
“Well then, let’s go and get it.” Muriel had already gotten up and threw a few pounds on their table.
“It’s just not me, and it’s too expensive anyway” She knew she sounded as if she was making excuses, which, truth be told, she was.
“Too expensive, bullocks. Let’s at least go and try it on”. Muriel strode of the terrace and was already halfway across the street, when Grace shrugged and went after her.

The dress fitted like a glove. It wasn’t a bright red, which might make a dress this exposing look cheap, but a rich deep burgundy red. The colour brought out the soft tan of her skin and the dark maroon of her hair. Over the past months, Grace had gained a few pounds at just the right places and the dress clung to every curve as if it was made for her and left her looking fabulous and incredibly sexy. She could only imagine Marc’s surprise if she came out tonight wearing such a dress. And yes, it was expensive, but it had been ages since she bought anything for herself and she knew that Marc would be only too happy if she’d gone out and treated herself for once.
Looking in the ceiling high fitting room mirror she twirled around, a movement that made her feel all girlie and carefree for a moment. She looked over at Muriel, who leaned against the fitting room door, her grin giving away her approval. She held up her hands in surrender.
“Hey, don’t look at me. You know you look amazing in it. Just take it and make that husband of yours a happy man.”

As she walked out of the shop with an embossed white bag, tied together with a pink ribbon, in her hand, she smiled a genuinely happy smile. The sun was out, she had friends, she had Marc and for the first time in years she had bought a dress, something that actually looked flattering on her. Life was good. This was how it was all supposed to be. She felt a ridiculous urge to start skipping and giggled nervously. Muriel gave her a warm smile.
“You know, it’s not often that I see you this happy. You usually have this stern look behind your eyes. You should do this more often. It suits you.”
In an impulse, Grace gave her friend a hug and kissed her.
“Thanks for pushing me on this one.” For all her loudness and energy, Muriel was not used to displays of affection and seemed to be actually moved by this one. She gave a shy smile and took Grace by the arm.
“Come on you, let’s go and get your groceries.”

It was already past noon when Grace and Muriel finally came out of the supermarket. The heat made the parking lot feel sticky on their thin leather soles and both of them hurried to get the grocery bags to Graces car.

“There you go” Muriel placed the paper bag she had been carrying in the car and bend over to airkiss Grace goodbye.
“Have to run. It’s my turn to pick up Kevin from football practice. His father had another lame excuse not to make it.” She shook her head in exasperation.
Grace bent over to Muriel and then froze. Looking over the roof of her car she saw a ghost of the past, waving at her.


* * * *


Miller felt like he had been standing in the sweltering heat for hours already. While he looked at his watch impatiently, he lit another cigarette. His seventh already and it was only noon. She’d be furious if she knew.
“You silly boy, you’ll kill yourself with these horrible things.” In the back of his mind he could hear the dismay in her voice and all of a sudden the cigarette didn’t taste half as good anymore. He threw it across the parking lot.
Instead of the nicotine he took a sip from the can of lukewarm coke that was standing on the hood of the car that he was leaning against. She wouldn’t really approve of caffeine either, but at least it was not as bad as the cigarettes that he loved so much.
He finished the coke and looked at his watch again. Ten past twelve. He had only left home little over two hours ago, but he felt that he had to get back soon. He never left her alone for more then three hours. That was one of his rules. He had once read that everyone should eat every three hours. And even though he did leave water and a straw so she could help herself to a drink if she needed, he couldn’t really leave any food. Eating was only allowed under his strict supervision, so he could make sure she ate all he prepared.
At one time, not even so long ago, she had tried to starve herself of water. Luckily he had caught it in time and he had made sure she never tried anything like it again.
“No mother, it’s not time for you to go yet.” A thin wolf like smile slid across his face. He still had plans for her. It had taken him a long time to get here, a long time and a lot of searching, waiting and planning. Now that he was getting so close, he couldn’t let mother go yet. He still needed her.
As he turned to take another sip of coke, from the corner of his eye, he saw a movement by the dark grey station wagon.

He looked up and grinned viciously while he made a small wave with his hand.
“Well hello there, Caroline. Miss me?”


* * * *


Time seemed to stand still for Grace. The grocery bags dropped from her hands. She vaguely saw tomatoes rolling across the tarmac. The bright red seemed in sharp contrast with the black of the parking lot. The bottle of champagne crashed to the ground and she heard the faint sizzling sound of the bubbles on the hot surface.

“Grace, are you OK? Grace? Talk to me, hon. What’s happening?” Muriel’s voice was tight with concern, but Grace barely heard her.
“I have to go now, have to leave, have to find Marc” Grace was stammering the words and stumbled into the car. Later she would wonder why Muriel had let her leave, considering the state she must have been in. She assumed Muriel was as shocked by her reaction as Grace was by seeing Him again.
Once inside the car, she seemed to have completely forgotten how to drive a car. It took forever to realise she had to put a key in the ignition to start the car. All the while she could see Him standing across the road, just looking at her. Muriel was standing outside the car, gesticulating frantically at her.
In hindsight, it couldn’t have taken more than a minute or so before she managed to get out of the parking lot, but at the time, it felt like forever.

In a haze she drove out of town and past the high school and its playing fields. She could see the local football team round up their practice, their blue and white uniforms stained with sweat and dirt. The boys were punching each other playfully in an attempt to impress the few girls that were standing by the side of the field. She could see Kevin’s tall blond figure. He was talking intimately at a petite brunette who seemed to laugh at everything he said. Even at the early age of fifteen, Kevin had everything to go on breaking hearts when he grew up. Muriel had gotten pregnant with Kevin when she was only twenty. His father hadn’t been thrilled at the thought of having a kid, but under significant pressure from his family, he still married Muriel and made a pathetic attempt at being a father. The marriage had lasted for five years. Once Kevin was out of his toddler years, Muriel decided that she didn’t really need, or want for that matter, another toddler to look after for the next twenty years and had filed for divorce. Contrary to his father, his paternal grandparents were crazy about the little blond boy, their only grandchild. Even ten years after her divorce, Muriel still had a close relationship with Kevin’s grandparents. They were the ones that paid for Kevin’s private school and his summer camps, and Muriel had the grace to accept it and be thankful for it. Looking at Kevin, somehow, brought Grace back to her senses.
Her first sane thought since seeing Him again, was to wonder if Muriel would manage to pick up Kevin in time and to think that even if she was late, Kevin didn’t look like he would mind a lot.
She drove the car to a stop area by the side of the road and pulled over. Her hands were still shaking with shock, but her breathing had gotten easier and her heart wasn’t pounding as much anymore.
She still couldn’t imagine how he could have found her there. They had been so careful to erase every trace. She looked in the rearview mirror, she didn’t even look like the same woman anymore.
Maybe it had just been her mind playing tricks at her. Maybe it was just a man standing there looking at the two of them. Was she even sure that he waved at her? He might just have waved at Muriel, who was used to getting male attention everywhere she went.
Carefully she went over the events in her head again. Had she even gotten clear look at his face? He had been standing at least 100 meters away and the sun had been very bright. She couldn’t say why she was so sure it had been him. When they had just moved here, she saw him everywhere in the back of her mind. But over the years, the nightmare had faded and she had stopped seeing him. Was it all in her head, or had it really been him this time? She couldn’t say. After a while, she shook her head and decided that it was impossible that he could have found them.
Much calmer now, she drove home, wondering how on earth she was going to explain this to Muriel.



* * * *



From his spot by the car, Miller had enjoyed the whole scene. With perverse satisfaction he saw how Caroline completely panicked. The grocery bags dropped to the ground and the bottle of champagne she had been carrying shattered to pieces on the hot tarmac. So she did remember him. He grinned, he hadn’t been absolutely certain that she would still recognize him after five years, but he shouldn’t have worried. He had changed. Taking care of mother all that time had left him little time to take care of himself. Where he had been strong and muscular five years ago, the lack of regular exercise had made him fat. He hated being fat. He hated the soft, soggy feeling of his stomach. And he blamed them for it. Well, he could really only blame Ben, but he wasn’t one for discriminating. If he could hurt Ben by hurting Caroline, than that was how it was going to be. And this time, he intended on succeeding. He’d had five years to plan, nothing would go wrong this time. The friend, though, might cause a problem. That was a feisty one. He’d have to take care of her soon. And he knew just the way to do it.
An eye for an eye. A life for a life. You take my mother, I’ll take your wife.








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Comments by other Members



Irina at 22:04 on 30 January 2007  Report this post
Hi Vicky

Some really compelling and chilling writing here, especially when the PoV switched to Miller. I thought he was particularly well drawn, especially the detail about hating being fat. Wonderfully scary ending!

Although the scene (small town life in a long hot summer) was well constructed I did wonder a bit at the pacing. For a second (or third) chapter is it taking a bit too long to get going? I think this early in a novel, especially in a dark thriller type thang (which I'm assuming this is), you need to thump your readers with a bit more action. When the sighting of Miller does kick off it's great - very chilling - I just wonder if it might not be possible to restructure it so we get some action - or the threat of action earlier? There also seems to be quite a lot of telling about Grace and her life: we know that she is happy and content, that she is friends with Muriel and with Alan and Barbara, but only because she is conveniently sitting thinking these thoughts. Likewise the detailed information about Muriel's son Kevin (fourth para) from the end, felt like a drop in to give the reader information and interrupted the tension.

For me, Grace's contentment is perfectly captured with trying on the dress: maybe cut straight to there? Show us Grace in action rather than telling us about her? The rest of the info you need to get across to your reader could then come across as thoughts between the dialogue with Muriel? Sorry if that's crossing a line to suggest rewrites! It's just that's where I felt that Grace really came alive for me.

It's an intriguing situation though, and would definitely read more. Hope that's at all helpful and not overstepping the mark at all.

Elizabeth


VGw at 14:27 on 31 January 2007  Report this post
Hey you

Thanks a million for this eloborate and also very helpful review. Just a few remarks back from me (and a few qestions as well).

I did intend to break the tension in this chapter. I was hoping for building tension by describing Miller and then breaking it again. Would you think it'd be better if I started by the first Miller POV part? And then switch over to Grace?

I feel as if it is important for the reader to start off this chapter in Grace's laid back life, as she has it now. Tha's what the red dress episode is about. At that moment, drinking ice tea and chatterning away with Muriel about things not worth mentioning, and buying that extravagent red dress, she was happy.

En then, boom, Miller comes in.

The Kevin part was also intended to break the tension, because for Grace the tension was also lifted. What I tried to achieve was for the reader to feel what Grace was feeling, rather then simply state that she felt better after a while. Maybe I'm taking this 'show not tell'issue the wrong way, or am I overdoing it?

Anyway, Really really appreciated your comments. Don't take this the wrong way, I'm keeping it as it is, for just now, but I did print out your post and ut it in my folder. I've actually spent quite a bit of time thinking about it last night, so it was helpful!

Irina at 16:58 on 31 January 2007  Report this post
Hi Vicky

I'm glad that some of that stuff was useful.

Re the opening: I understood that we were seeing Grace's everyday life before Miller arrived (and I think definitely stick with this way round, it makes Miller's arrival all the more shocking): I just wondered if the two scenes (drinking tea and then dress shopping) might not work better combined together? For me Grace was strongest when she was in action - trying on the dress, talking to Muriel - and that might offer the reader more of this. But it's just a suggestion and depends entirely on what you want to do with the pacing of the whole peace.

Re Grace noticing Kevin, it was not her seeing Kevin I meant (sorry, not being very precise!) it was more that Grace reviewing Kevin's rather complicated family history was a distraction. For me it would have been enough to know that he is Muriel's son - observing Kevin as a heartbreaker and wondering if Muriel would remember to pick him up, all this was great, I just wondered if the info about his absent father might work better at a later place?

Like I say, these are just personal thoughts, and apologies if it comes across as too presumptuous.

Elizabeth

VGw at 17:31 on 31 January 2007  Report this post
Not presumptuous at all! I'll have a go at it, see if I can make it happen ;-)

Thx

strangefish at 18:26 on 03 February 2007  Report this post
Hi Vicky,

Sorry for taking so long to get around to reading this but hell I've been busy. Anyhoo.

I was a little thrown off by a mish-mashing of locations. Not physical locations but location by language. All through the first piece you put up and this, I noticed that you were using Americanisms such as hood (bonnet), parking lot (car park), which led me to believe it was set in the US, but the town is called Brideford, not very US, and Grace pays for the coffee in pounds... so instantly I'm beginning to wonder about the story and where it's set. That's a big distraction. You might need to keep an eye on this.

You also seem to write around the action with back story (the police couple, Muriel's son and husband). There's nothing wrong with that, as long as it has a bearing on what's happening and what's about to happen. For example, the whole thing about Kevin and his football practice and Muriel's entire back story in one paragraph... Does the story need that information in the first chapter? Has it any bearing on the main thrust of the story? If not, does it really need to be there? I learned this from personal experience -- a first draft of my finished novel was 110,000 words. When I cut unrelated backstory I lost 35,000 words. All of which really had little to add to the main story.

The introduction of Miller did jolt me. It's a good piece of writing, but I wonder if it's in the right place. He certainly sounds like a main character in the work, but I think his introduction would be better down, for the reader, if you allow Grace to show us how he's related to her, perhaps in a terrified phone call to her husband, etc. The ways he's introduced here doesn't allow you work in more of Grace's character and situation, ie that she seemed to be living a secret life or a reconstructed one. And you get more mileage out of mystery.

Please don't take this as negative criticism. Have a read back and see if my critiques make any sense to you.

Michael

It was as if she thought she had to make up for lost time, because by the start of the summer holiday, people were complaining about the heat and already thinking longingly of the fall.

Again, an Americanism that seems out of place in a place such as Brideford

The dress fitted like a glove.

A bit of a cliche. Perhaps some other way to say this.


Later she would wonder why Muriel had let her leave, considering the state she must have been in.... All the while she could see Him standing across the road, just looking at her. Muriel was standing outside the car, gesticulating frantically at her.

If Muriel was letting her leave, she wouldn't be standing outside the car, gesticulating frantically.

And he blamed them for it. Well, he could really only blame Ben, but he wasn�t one for discriminating. If he could hurt Ben by hurting Caroline, than that was how it was going to be. And this time, he intended on succeeding.


Who's Ben? We're just getting used to this interloper Miller, when along comes Ben?

Account Closed at 10:36 on 04 February 2007  Report this post
Hi Vicky,

I really do like this story – it’s drawn me in and I’m very curious to find out what happens. I think, though, that this chapter contains rather a lot of ‘telling’ and quite a lot of detail that you could maybe cut, particularly in the initial paragraphs (I thought the Miller paragraphs were more taut – and very scary!). The comments I’ve made are very much initial gut-reactions (and not particularly well-organized – sorry!) – so obviously please ignore anything you don’t agree with.

Generally I thought the description of the town worked well, but I think it could be tightened up.

For example, I’d be inclined to simply cut:

It was as if she thought she had to make up for lost time, because by the start of the summer holiday, people were complaining about the heat and already thinking longingly of the fall.

and
As long as you took care not to stay out between noon and three, you’d be OK. At least, that’s how it was on most of the days.

- this last sentence seems to be in a different tone to rest of the paragraph

In the second paragraph, I’d cut:

Grace loved how, when the sun came out, the whole town seem to come alive with a vibrant energy and activity.

- I know you want to say Grace loved it, but the vibrant energy and activity has already been described.

I’d also cut ‘happily’, and ‘the air was filled with the sound of’ and just put in a simple sentence about children laughing and shouting. I’d cut the bit about teenagers chattering – the next bit about the boys whistling and girls giggling is more interesting and is all that’s needed about this age group. ‘Younger people’ felt a bit clunky – maybe change to ‘young women’, or ‘girls’ ?

Grace took another sip of her iced tea and sat back in her chair on the café terrace and listened absentmindedly to the clickety clack of heels on the wooden sidewalk as she took in the sights and sounds of late summer.

- I’d break this up, eg. . . . café terrace. She listened . . .

And I think this sentence:

Even though he ruled the police with a tight hand, once he got home, Chief Marchfield couldn’t have been a more gentle man.

- might be stronger if changed round to something like:
Chief Marchfield ruled the police . . . . but once he got home . . .

Tiny point: I might change
Grace’s thoughts moved over
to, eg, Grace’s thoughts shifted

I don’t know whether this is important or matters, but I had an impression in the first few paras of Grace sitting alone – and then Muriel’s voice comes in which confused me a bit. Maybe you need to plant the idea/possibility of Muriel being there before this. Hmm, not sure – just a thought.

Further on down, I’d probably cut:
a genuinely happy smile


And

For all her loudness and energy, Muriel was not used to displays of affection and seemed to be actually moved by this one.

- the action and dialogue in the sentence that comes after this one pretty much ‘shows’ everything you’re ‘telling’ us in this sentence

Looking over the roof of her car she saw a ghost of the past, waving at her.

- I’d cut this. I think it’s much stronger to end on ‘then froze’; that’s a great sentence, simple and vivid, but the one that follows dilutes the effect of it, I think.

I would definitely re-think the Kevin section. It’s great to have him there as something that brings Grace back to the present etc. but the passage about his history slows the pace, and detracts from the moment. What is great, is the picture of him chatting to the girl, the girl laughing etc –a real ‘in-the-moment’ vignette which contrasts with Grace’s state of mind, and also serves to bring her back to some kind of feeling of normality. I would guess you don’t need to say much about him for that to remain a powerful image.

As I said, these were very much my first reactions on reading this, and are mainly to do with what I would prune out, to tighten it up a bit. I’ve now had a look at the other people’s comments – just to say that I agree with Irina that maybe you could get to the action between Grace and Muriel sooner. A lot of what you want us to know about Grace’s character and situation can conveyed through her interaction with M. Yes, and setting up Grace before Miller comes in definitely works, I wouldn’t change that.

Re Michael’s comments about the americanisms – actually, I read it as being in America (apart from the pounds). I think Brideford’s fine for a US small town name. I definitely agree with Michael about the back story (eg. Kevin) - too much ‘information-dumping’ does slow down the pace in what is otherwise a fantastically thrilling set up.

Apologies if I’ve rambled a bit and not been very concise in my comments, and I hope I’ve not said the wrong thing, but just to reiterate that this is a great story, with loads of potential – can’t wait for the next instalment,
All the best,
P xxx



VGw at 14:47 on 04 February 2007  Report this post
Thanks all about the comments.
Michael, thanks so much for the Americanisms. I try to kick them out when I do the first edit, but seen that English is not my native language I overlook a lot of them. I will definitely kick out the rest of them!

Seen that there's concensus on the Kevin story, I'll cut that short as well.

Rereading the chapter now myself (two weeks after writing it) I can see where the comments are coming from, so thanks a lot!! They have been very usefull.

Xena at 20:24 on 08 February 2007  Report this post
Hi Vicky,

I really enjoy your style of writing, and to be honest, the small town in summer was the thing I enjoyed most. I bear in mind the criticism of others, but I can say no more, as I don't know the intricacies of this genre and have no idea if it permits this pace.

I have noticed a few clichés, which I don't necessarily suggest you should get rid of. Again, this genre may well permit (or even rest on) certain stereotypes. It's just something for you to think about: the grocery bags dropping from Grace's hands, the contrast between Muriel and Grace (quiet-loud, classical music - rock) and that cuddly police officer who rules his department with a tight hand.

Having said that I loved the way you conveyed Grace's shock and horror in the falling pieces of her grocery:

Time seemed to stand still for Grace. The grocery bags dropped from her hands. She vaguely saw tomatoes rolling across the tarmac. The bright red seemed in sharp contrast with the black of the parking lot. The bottle of champagne crashed to the ground and she heard the faint sizzling sound of the bubbles on the hot surface.



Cheers.


VGw at 08:24 on 09 February 2007  Report this post
Hey Xena,

Thanks again for the very heartwarming comments.

Account Closed at 15:41 on 09 February 2007  Report this post
Lots of nice tension and build-up here - not much I can add that hasn't already been said - but I do think you should cut the long nature descriptions at the start and simply begin with Grace trying on the dress and chatting to Muriel.

I didn't mind the switch in viewpoints and rather enjoyed the Miller moments.

I'd also cut the back history of Kevin & Muriel when she's at the school - we don't need that. Otherwise great!

A
xxx

debac at 12:12 on 12 February 2007  Report this post
Hi Vicky,

I'm new to this group so this is my first crit here! :)

I agree with a lot of the comments already made. I also noticed the Americanisms - specifically "fall" rather than autumn, "gotten", "Chief" for the policeman Marchfield (I don't think they have that title in the UK), "parking lot" - so I found myself wondering where it was set. Paying with "pounds" suggests it's set in the UK, as did neighbourhood watch (I'm not certain that's a UK-only thing but I only know it as UK). Summer camps may also happen in the UK (I'm not certain) but I believe they're primarily a US thing.

Out of interest do you read a lot of US fiction?

As mentioned by others I think it might work better if we were launched into the action a little sooner. I realise you want to set the scene with Grace feeling very happy before disaster strikes, but I think that could be done quite quickly with a few very well-chosen sentences or paras without going into back story. I think it would also be possible to put her in a situation of minor conflict which would make for an interesting opener and still allow readers to be shown her happy, stable state of mind (by how she handles the minor conflict) and develop her character from the very start. So I'd suggest less backstory and more action to show rather than tell.

I agree that the para about Kevin and Muriel's background seemed like an information dump. I think it can work well to not give all this info away early in the novel, because if things are hinted at but not explained fully it arouses interest, and it avoids information dumps, which can be dull and can also be confusing early in a story before you've got a full sense of which character is which.

I agree the Miller passages are lovely and sinister, and that they are "tighter" writing than the Grace passages. I think the Grace passages are sometimes a little wordy, which makes sentences harder to read. If you cut some words from some of the sentences I think it would come over as a bit snappier.

There were some phrases I particularly liked:

There was a faint smell of burning charcoal in the air.

barely-there tops

She vaguely saw tomatoes rolling across the tarmac.

He hated being fat. He hated the soft, soggy feeling of his stomach.

...she saw him everywhere in the back of her mind.

BTDT with my ex-husband so that really rang true!

If he could hurt Ben by hurting Caroline, then that was how it was going to be.

You take my mother, I'll take your wife.

Obviously I'm familiar with "an eye for an eye" but where does the rest of this line come from? Is it all from the bible? (I'm a heathen ;)) Or is it from a poem elsewhere? Or is the last part of that italicised sentence your own? Either way I like it very much, and think it works really well here.

I liked it, Vicky, esp the Miller bits! You're setting up a nice interesting storyline here! :)

Best, Deb

VGw at 14:20 on 12 February 2007  Report this post
Hey Deb,

Just a quick on that last. I thought of it myself and actually kind a liked it ;-))).

Thought it sounded just like the creepy thing that Miller would think!

Thanks so much for your comments.

debac at 14:55 on 12 February 2007  Report this post
I thought of it myself and actually kind a liked it ;-))

Yeah - I think it's a great line! Lovely stuff!

As you say, very creepy, and the rhyme makes his character seem even more freaky, somehow. (Not that people who like poetry are freaky at all but YKWIM I hope.)

Will be interested to read more of Miller.

Deb

VGw at 15:33 on 12 February 2007  Report this post
Well I had been struggling with that one. Originally it was

An eye for an eye. A life for a life. A wife for a mother.

But it bothered me that it didn't rhyme. And then I had a middle of the night inspiration moment, and there you go. :)

Account Closed at 21:14 on 22 February 2007  Report this post
Hello, sorry I'm so late, I missed this, maybe I was thrown cos' you're in the host spot, I always seem to screw up on seeing when hosts put up work. Oops.

Everything's been said now, I'm still really enjoying the plot and where this is going,

A05




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