The Movement - Hardcover

Pearlman, Ruthie

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 156871159X ISBN 13: 9781568711591

Publisher: Diamond Press, 2001

Synopsis

A young woman walks into Golders Green Police Station, and asks to see D.I Colin Sommers. Hysterical, she confesses to killing a young man two months earlier, whom she said she was forced to meet by her fundamentalist Orthodox Jewish parents. Colin assesses her as an attention-seeking anorexic, probably psychotic. There is no record of any such crime on police files, but as he, his forensic scientist wife Leora, and his colleague D.I. Peter White, begin to delve into her story, they discover that all is definitely not, what it seems.

Their investigation leads the team, and particularly Leora, into very dangerous waters indeed..that of the strange pseudo-religious cult known as the Movement, where it becomes increasingly obvious that all the answers lie, and will be discovered as the book moves heart-poundingly to its nail-biting denouement.

This is the second crime thriller written by Ruthie Pearlman, and continues the themes of crime, forensics, and Jewish culture interwoven inextricably as Colin Sommers continues his journey back to his roots. There are some Jewish/Hebrew terms in the book, so she has prepared an online glossary...

She is at present working on a third nerve jangling thriller, called Carers Ltd.

About this title

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

Head held high, Leora Sommers walked slowly out of the dining room, carrying her bowl and plate. She felt all eyes upon her, as if they were at a public execution watching her walk the last few yards to the gallows. For those few moments, no-one in the room spoke. It was eerie and terrifying. She was trying to think how word had spread so fast. Before midday, all had seemed well. Then she had nipped into that little anteroom to make her call to Colin and when she had emerged, it was as if she was in a parallel universe where nothing was the same. The only explanation she could come up with, as she walked slowly out of the dining room and along the endless corridors to Mr. Stein's private offices, was that he had conveyed an emergency Meet and had done some of his mind control mass hypnosis on them, telling them of the traitor in their midst, and how no-one was to help her or speak to her unless it couldn't be helped.

For a heartbeat, she thought of making a run for it, and stopped. But then she turned around.

A wall of women in black. Solid, yet fluid, like a tidal wave. There was no way to go but onwards. As she continued her walk, she heard the thud thud of many footsteps behind her, making sure she was going where she was meant to go. At the head of the mass was Sister Meredith, face unreadable, body language immovable. And yet she moved, ever forwards, and the rest of the throng followed, leaving Leora no choice but to keep walking, to avoid being crushed by the tidal wave of women.

The corridor opened out into the smaller hall, at the far end of which was Mr. Stein's offices. Leora walked stoically up to the door and knocked.

"Come in," said Mr. Stein's voice.

As Leora entered, she took one last look behind her. The wall of women stood a safe distance away, at the other end of the smaller hall, waiting. Totally silent.

Respectful, like at a funeral.

Edition details

• Publisher: Diamond Press
• Publication date: 2001
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 156871159X
• ISBN 13: 9781568711591
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 331