Death of a Thousand Cuts

by Barbara D'Amato

Book Overview

The first winner of the Mary Higgins Clark Award, Barbara D'Amato has been widely praised for her engrossing novels of crime and suspense. Now she opens the case file on a singularly savage murder, set in a uniquely disturbing setting. The Hawthorne House School for the Treatment of Autistic Children was once known for its pioneering educational approach and remarkable success rate. Now, fifteen years after this celebrated institution closed its doors...

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0765303450
• ISBN13: 9780765303455
• Release Date: June 2004
• Publisher: Forge
• Length: 350 Pages
• Weight: 1.46 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.2" x 6.5" x 9.5"

Customer Reviews

Great book!

I'm a very picky reader. I hate reading anything that can not keep my interest, and anything that you can pretty much just guess the ending. However, this book was amazing!! It kept you on your toes. You never know who's at fault in this book, and its very interesting. It's very descriptive, and I love it!! I have already read this book, and I'm reading it yet again. Though I know the ending, I can't quite remember everything, as I read it about 2 years ago, and it still has my interest! I definitely recommend this book! Infact, I already have!

Could be the best yet from this author.

Being a big fan, I think I may have enjoyed this one the most from D'Amato. The author's discriptive skills are some of the best I have read in this particular genre. Her police procedural discriptions are flawless and the subject matter, autistic children, was quite informative. I actually learned new things with this one, and was given some wonderful points to ponder. Ms. D'Amato was able to skillfully make me actually feel the environment of the city as I read. Character developement was excellent as always. All in all, I enjoyed this one and very much recommend it.

A fascinating book

Marvelous descriptions of Chicago and Hawthorne House build the foundation for this well-written book. However, it's the relationship between the two detectives and the characters of the patients, particularly Jeffrey, that draws you in and keeps you reading. While the mystery is good, it is the look at autism that makes this a fascinating book.

D'Amato joins the club

I love it when favorite authors surprise you. For years D'Amato has written wonderful mystery books.Great and timely plots with engaging characters. This time, she blew me away. I cannot explain the difference between a favorite author writing another very good book and an author looking into themselves and pulling out a great read. This book is that and more. Perhaps the best police procedural I've read this year. The relationship between our two police is so on the money. The tale horrific. And the setting oozes out of the pages to create a story. You cannot help but feel the heat radiating off of the Chicago concrete. Hawthorne house, where the action begins, is portrayed at the very beginning of the tale from the point of view of several of our players. It is one of the best "settings as a character" passages I have ever read.D'Amato isn't done with the reader at this point. For the murder victim is a pioneer in the treatment of autistic children and many of the suspects are his former patients. It is a locked room mystery with modern themes. D'Amato's best work to date. I would recommend this book above all others as the read of summer 2004.

excellent police procedural

It has been fifteen years The Hawthorne House School for the Treatment of Autistic Children closed its doors but this weekend the founders, doctors, counselors and some former patients are having a reunion. Dr. Jay Schermerthorn, the designer of the protocols, is looked upon as an expert in his field since he had such good results with his treatment. He is now writing books and is going to be the medical expert for a television station on medical information.The morning after the first night of the reunion, Dr. Schermerthorn is found dead in the basement, the victim of torture. Detectives Emily Folkestone and Ollie Parker believe that this was a premeditated killing done by someone who hated the victim very much. The more they investigate, the more they realize that the doctor was a charlatan who abused the kids under his care. Emily and Ollie are being pressured by the higher-ups to make a quick arrest but the cops believe the only real suspect they have is innocent.Hopefully Emily and Ollie will be featured in other novels because they make such a dynamite team and give readers an inside look on how a high-profile case is conducted as politics interferingly come into play. Many people had reason to hate the victim but Emily doesn't know how to examine autistic adults so the case gets even more complex. Barbara D'Amato has written about families not just the person with the disability. DEATH OF A THOUSAND CUTS is another excellent mystery by Ms. D'AmatoHarriet Klausner