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| A Quiet Belief in Angels | 
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Avg. Customer Rating:  (based on 195 reviews)
Sales Rank: 8
Category: Book
Author: R.j. Ellory
Publisher: Orion
Studio: Orion
Manufacturer: Orion
Label: Orion
Media: Paperback
Edition: New Ed
Pages: 352
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.6
Dimensions (in): 7.6 x 5 x 1.3
ISBN: 0752882635
EAN: 9780752882635
ASIN: 0752882635
Publication Date: January 2, 2008
Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days
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| Customer Reviews: Read 190 more reviews...
Very involving read May 16, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
I found the book to very involving and it sucked me right in. From its initial innocence of of the main character to how he developed later in life. The pace of the book was just right, starts slow and picks up pace in the second half.
One gripe I did have (and this is with most crime books), is that the authors never touch on why the bad guys do those things, as in this book, there was no real motive given for the bad guy, had a great opportunity but it seemed as though Ellory wanted to avoid the dark nature of the villain. We knew who he was and the protagonist touched on the reasons why those bad things MAY have been done, but thats all.
All in all a great read and highly recommended.
P.S. Steer clear of The Stand (Stephen king) as suggested by Ellory for other books to read.
 A Quiet Belief in Angels May 15, 2008
7 out of 7 found this review helpful
Spanning over nearly 50 years, A Quiet Belief in Angels tells the story of Joseph Vaughan, whose life has always been a tragedy. Growing up in the 1940s, he was at the centre of series of killings of young girls in his small rural community of Augusta Falls. The girls were taken, assaulted and left horribly mutilated. Barely a teenager himself, Joseph becomes determined to try to protect his community and classmates from the killer.
How do I review such a beautifully written and completely engrossing book, with such powerful storytelling and truly haunting imagination? I read a lot of crime thillers and this one is one of the best and much more. There's no troubled cop as the main character, just a innocent twelve year old boy who's story bgins with the death of his father, followed by his community being terrorised by a mysterious and faceless killer who preys on young girls and shocks Joseph beyond any fear he could ever imagine.
Although the story is told from the present with Joseph as a middle-aged man, the narrative changes throughout the whole story, ranging from the innocent and unknowning thoughts of the young Joseph to the experienced and troubled mind of his older self. There are many hints and clues to the story's outcomes through the book too, many of which that I noticed when reading are highlighted in the Reading Group Notes at the back of the book, so I recommend not reading these until afterwards. The killer is fairly obvious once you get near the end but the way it is written is pure genius. I literally didn't see the ending rolling itself out until I was reading it when all of the pieces were fitting into place.
With so many important world events from the time the book is based, Ellory must have done his research on the subjects he touched on, from World War II to the Kennedy assassination to the Moon landing, which are all extremely accurate and give a lot more realism to the story. A lot of 20th Century American history is also covered so when I found out that Ellory is an author who lives in the UK I was very surprised.
I do have a couple of niggles about this book - in particular, in the second half of the book, when Joseph moves on to New York, a lot of new characters were introduced in rapid succession, which was very different to the beginning where each character was discribed in some depth when introduced to the story. It also jumps quite a few years when he is in prison and didn't go into much detail about what his experiences were there and the people he met (other than the brothers), which I would have thought would have really been good to add to the story. I can only think that Ellory didn't want to introduce anymore unneccessary characters or make the book any longer than it was.
Overall this is one of the greatest works of fiction I have ever read and I will definitely give R.J. Ellory's other novels a read in the near future. This is a shocking yet beautiful story that is one I will most certainly read again and one that I will remember for a long time and one that I am going to recommend to everyone. A real "must buy"!
A Modern Classic May 15, 2008
4 out of 4 found this review helpful
Never before have I felt compelled to write a review of a book. However, A Quiet Belief had such a profound affect on me, it would be an injustice not to.
In keeping with many other reviewers comments, this book is a riveting tale. From the moment the story opened in 1939 through the eyes of twelve year old Joseph Vaughan, I was hooked.
The story covers fifty years of Joseph's life, and tells how his life is linked and overshadowed by a series of grisly murders of young girls. When his own girlfriend is murdered in a similiar way to the young girls, and he is jailed for a murder he didn't commit, Joseph decides to find the real murderer.
Set in a small town in the deep south of America, A Quiet Belief evokes a haunting atmosphere of the people and the times.
It had echoes of To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, and fully deserves all the accolades it's getting. For a british author to capture the period in america so well, is a measure of his talent.
The book would make a great film, as the ending is shocking and unexpected.
Having read this book, I bought all his other books, and can say these are equally as good. His new book is out in September and I look forward to reading this as well.
Brilliant. If there was ever a book to read before you die, this is the one.
Superb story May 14, 2008
4 out of 5 found this review helpful
This is not a book about a mass murderer and his motive, this is a story about the effect the murders have on a small town in southern USA. Joseph is the central character and you become part of him and are taken through every emotion of his life. This is from childhood through to his 40's. His life is quite tragic but he soldiers on and never gives up. I love the life described in small town USA, you really feel like you are there with him, the hot sun beating down, the simple folk that live there and when he goes to New York, the difference in life are well described. You get to know all his friends and really feel part of him. Well written, It'll take me a little while before I can get this out my head and start another book.
Try and put this book down!! May 14, 2008
4 out of 5 found this review helpful
If you only read one book this year, make it A Quiet Belief in Angels. It is unbelievable that this book is written by an Englishman, the depth of the characters is totally amazing, once started I could not put this book down. You can actually feel the emotions of the main character and the whole scene setting is breathtaking. A modern masterpiece.
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