The Abortionist's Daughter
by Elisabeth Hyde
Pan, HK$90
Don't be put off by the title, whichever side of the right-to-life debate you're on. There's no John le Carre-type polemic, no hero or heroine, and no clear demarcation between black and white. Dr Diana Duprey - the abortion provider, as her daughter calls her - does have foes, some of whom mail her death threats. However, the story revolves around not so much what she does as a profession, but her skills as a wife and mother, details of which are teased out as an investigation begins into her death. Married to a lawyer and mother to a 19-year-old girl, Megan, the abortionist is killed on a day from hell: she leaves a confrontation at work only to be greeted by an angry husband accusing her of poor parenting. Earlier in the day she has a fight with her daughter, who wants money for a ticket to Mexico. Then, Megan's ex-boyfriend turns up ranting about how she has to help the two get back together. It's up to detective Huck to determine who is guilty. To complicate matters, Huck falls for Megan. Elisabeth Hyde's novel contains many of the ingredients used in other crime novels. That's not to say it won't satisfy the appetite of fans of the genre.
