Gripping Title… Shame About the Book (The Abortionist's Daughter)

Okay, well I didn't exactly do the catching up I expected to do the other night. But it wasn't so much out of laziness, as out of writer's block in regards reviewing Elisabeth Hyde's The Abortionist's Daughter. I initially saw this novel advertised by that literary duo (yeah right) Richard & Judy because it is part of their 'Summer Reads' promotion. Although I have enjoyed a couple of R&J endorsed books (Lovely Bones, The Time Traveller's Wife), they don't particularly strike me as the most trustworthy of critics; plus, the term 'Summer Read' really puts me off because it connotates mindless reading on a beach in Spain.

So you could say the odds were stacked up against this book from the start. So call it the prime product placement (R&J have pull, you know), or call it me needing another book to fulfil my buy-1-get-1-1/2 price deal, but I decided to see what TV's 'favourite' married presenters were reading this summer.

The title is very intriguing, it has to be said. It conjures up Vera Drake-esque visions and alludes to a battle of morals and ethics. The blurb on the back supports these ideas, describing the suspicious death of well-known abortion doctor Diana Duprey and the implications it brings upon her family, particularly her daughter Megan who is high on ecstasy when she receives the news.

This book has very little to do with abortion (and even less to do with drugs). Hyde quite obviously does not want to offend any of her readers so she embraces all points of view on the abortion front--a move that obviously doesn't work based on the extreme beliefs on the issue. The drug thing is barely mentioned again and is just a clever ploy to add controversy to a book which nothing more than a detective thriller masquerading under a glorified, 'deep' title.

That isn't to say I didn't enjoy the book. Thrillers are good in their place and perfect for a loud, busy commute, so I actually enjoyed its entertainment value and finished it quite quickly. But I was disappointed by its blandness, especially because I had such high hopes for it based on the title.

Don't judge a book by its cover. No more R&J 'Summer Reads' for me.