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Mercy

By Jodi Picoult

(32)

| Paperback | 9780743422444

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Book Description

Police chief of a small Massachusetts town, Cameron McDonald makes the toughest arrest of his life when his own cousin Jamie comes to him and confesses outright that he has killed his terminally ill wife out of mercy.

Now, a heated murder trial plunges the town into upheaval, and drives a wedge Continue

4 Reviews

I tried several times to read this but at last abandoned it. Jodi Picoult is one of my favourite authors but this book was a poor effort.

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V Krazi said on Jun 10, 2010 | Add your feedback

I first discovered this author two years ago and have enjoyed reading every one of the previous six novels, which I have read so far. ‘Mercy’ is another typical Jodi Picoult formulaic novel published in the USA in 1996, but not in the UK until last year. I felt that this is one of her early novels s ... (continue)

I first discovered this author two years ago and have enjoyed reading every one of the previous six novels, which I have read so far. ‘Mercy’ is another typical Jodi Picoult formulaic novel published in the USA in 1996, but not in the UK until last year. I felt that this is one of her early novels shows in the lack of balance that she has acquired as her writing style has matured. Normally I am drawn quickly into the story but this time I struggled to keep reading, I was about a third of the way through before I felt much emotion and I just did not generally like it much. As this is the first disappointment I have experienced with reading her novels it has certainly not put me off her writing.
Her novels are definitely formulaic and it seems always were. She always successfully seems to manage to tackle moral and sensitive subjects. This time tackling the themes of euthanasia, betrayal and infidelity within marriage; through two relationships that of Maggie and Jamie and Cam and Allie.
It is cancer that comes between the first couple and Mia another woman between the latter pair.
Jamie has killed his wife out of mercy and is now on trial for murder, whilst Allie the submissive wife copes with her husband’s betrayal.
In a twist to the story the characters are related to each other as the inhabitants of ‘Wheelock’ USA are nearly all Macdonalds who were originally from ‘Carrymuir’ Scotland By tradition the clan chief is in modern days the police chief! Not really sure why we needed the flashbacks or the love letters interspersed through the text. Maybe I missed the point completely with these two aspects within the story.
Interesting enough; but certainly for me not up to the standard of her more recent novels.

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Lindyloumac said on Oct 2, 2009 | Add your feedback

I could not get into this book. I was suprised because I loved everything else I read by her. Oh well...

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Joyce Hair said on Feb 11, 2008 | Add your feedback

It's a disappointment. The story isn't gripping at all, as compared to the author's other book My Sister's Keeper. The message of the book (my guess!) is about how much you are willing to do for the one you love. A man was willing to kill his wife who was suffering from terminal cancer. For anoth ... (continue)

It's a disappointment. The story isn't gripping at all, as compared to the author's other book My Sister's Keeper. The message of the book (my guess!) is about how much you are willing to do for the one you love. A man was willing to kill his wife who was suffering from terminal cancer. For another couple, as a contrast, the wife gave everything to her husband but he took her for granted and ended up having an affair with another woman. I find parts of the story somewhat distracting, including the part on Scottish history.

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Tiny said on Jul 26, 2006 | Add your feedback