Spitfire Review: Daisy in Chains

I’ve started downloading audiobooks to listen to on my commute. I have an 8th generation iPod Nano and with apple headphones that have a play/pause button under the right earpiece. I’ve enjoyed listening to audiobooks in public, the only time I’ve struggled was on the tube and the train was too noisy, but this isn’t a review on audiobooks. This is a Spitfire Review of Daisy in Chains by Sharon Bolton.

Daisy in Chains is about Maggie Rose a criminal lawyer who only takes on cases she knows she can win. She is presented with the case of Hamish Wolf, a triple murderer, and asked to help free Hamish from his sentence. The evidence against Hamish is damming and the evidence for his innocence is flimsy at best.

While Hamish’s case is the main plot of the story it’s really the various subplots and avenues of investigation that drive the book along. Each character has motive and alternate motives for their actions. The book is told from the points of view of Maggie, Hamish and other notable character as well as extracts from email chains, newspapers, letters and other sources.

Several reviewers have criticised the shock ending (I won’t tell you what it is) but personally I liked it. I was walking down Euston Road when I reached the twist and stood at a set of traffic lights, mouth open in shock, ignoring the green man, My only gripe with the book ( and this isn’t the author’s fault) is that the blurb and descriptions of the different versions online do give away major plot details.

I believe that Daisy in Chains is one of the few books to meet the hype. I’ll award the book nine daisies out of ten.