Dark Saturday is the 6th book in the Freida Klein series of crime stories written by the husband and wife team of Nicci French. It’s been awhile since I read one of these dark and complex books but I still found the set up and the characters interesting. Following psychotherapist Freida Klein allows the reader not only to meet depressed and unhappy people, but also to meet an entire group of characters who support and help Freida in her quests.

In this outing Freida has been called upon to investigate a thirteen year old crime where 18 year old Hannah Docherty was arrested for the brutal murder of her family. The case was quickly brought to court and Hannah has been incarcerated in a gruesome secure hospital ever since. Freida finds it all too easy to identify with Hannah and finds that her questions and concerns are being deflected by all involved parties which only makes her dig that much deeper. When one of her witnesses is murdered she realizes that someone is desperately trying to cover their thirteen year old tracks.

Dark Saturday is an excellent entry into this compelling series. Although we see very little of Frieda’s policeman friend Karlsson, it was interesting tosee Frieda taking over and acting much like a detective would. There was also an advancement on the story of Frieda’s stalker and one can sense that this story arc is coming to a head. I am looking forward to the next book, Sunday Silence. ( )

There are threads and characters that connect this novel to ones earlier in the series of which it is #6. You'll see from my list below that I haven't read #5 so I guess that explains why I struggled to "remember" some of the connections.

Once Frieda is asked to look at the case of Hannah Docherty, it is almost inevitable that she is going to consider whether Hannah was wrongly convicted. Hannah is certainly being badly treated, not protected at all from abuse by other inmates, in the psychiatric hospital. And Hannah herself looks much older than she actually is. She is also almost totally uncommunicative. She seems convinced that she actually did kill her family, her mother, stepfather and young brother, but she is also confused and traumatised by the thought.

Frieda becomes convinced that the police investigation was too hasty. In addition only Hannah was asked to identify the victims and she did that when she was in total shock. The police became quickly convinced that Hannah was the murderer, but also unfit to stand trial.

As Frieda expands her investigation it becomes clear that someone does not want her to find the truth.

The other thread that runs through these novels is about Dean Reeve, a man who stalks Frieda, but at the same time appears to protect her. He is elusive but Frieda is convinced he has recently been in her house. This thread is designed to link the novels together, but I actually find it annoying and distracting.

My rating: 4.4

I've also read
4.3, BLUE MONDAY
4.5, TUESDAY'S GONE
4.7, WAITING FOR WEDNESDAY
4.7, FRIDAY ON MY MIND ( )

This one started off so slow I almost didn’t get going. But then…..glad I finished it. Perfect ending to bring you into the Sunday book (which I read first ).

Freida Klein owes someone a favor and it’s time to collect. This rather shadowy character named Levin (who may or may not be involved with the Metropolitan Police) helped her out once. He’s very mysterious. Anyway, in return he wants her to evaluate a mental patient. This patient, Hannah Docherty, was accused of murdering her family 10 years prior. She is now in an institution, old before her time and clearly is being abused.

When Frieda is called upon to give an assessment she comes to the conclusion that Hannah may well have been innocent. Naturally this stirs up a hornets nest with the Commissioner of the Met Police, a man who seems to have a serious and unreasonable dislike of Frieda. Now add some eerie events which may or may not involve Dean Reeve, a stalker the police believe is dead. It gets real in this book!

Food and drink

“Josef was cooking some rich, meaty casserole and Reuben was smoking a cigarette and drinking red wine out of a vast goblet.”

A conversation between Reuben and Frieda after he has been diagnosed with cancer:

“You’d be irritatingly stoical, not me. No one is going to say he lost his brave fight against cancer, “said Reuben.
“You haven’t lost it yet, anyway.” is Frieda’s reply….
“They’re not going to say that because I’m not in a fucking battle. I’m the battleground. That’s what. You remember that. Dying isn’t a moral failure, it’s not a sign of weakness.”

“I agree.”

“Good. Wine?”

“Please.”

I totally get Reuben here. Been there.

Another quote – this (to me) is a great description when the murderer’s identity is revealed and how the person reacts after some bluffing and bravado:

“Frieda had seen dynamite demolish buildings from her consulting room window. After the explosion they would stand for a few moments, holding their shape, then their edges would lose solidity and all of a sudden the edifices would waver, then dissolve into a shower of bricks and mortar. Now XXX’s face lost it’s fixed expression of outrage; the body seemed to fold in on itself. XX was diminished.”

I could just see that scene play out, it was tense.

So, food notes – not too many but I thought of an older recipe I haven’t made in years once I read about Josef’s meaty casserole. It’s called Julie’s Noodle Casserole. Check it out at Squirrel Head Manor site. ( )

DARK SATURDAY: A NOVEL by Nicci French. This is the sixth title in the Frieda Klein Mystery series.
The first thing I noticed was the absence of a map; a map with a forgotten, buried, London river.
These rivers are one of the highlights (for me) of the Frieda Klein series. The rivers are their own character and play their own parts in the stories.
On page 51, Frieda is drawn to the River Fleet on one of her night rambles. And then on page 139, we find out about the River Effra. Frieda is looking at the street where she finds Jason Brenner. FK “There’s something about this street.” “The shape of it, the direction, it reminds me of something.” JB “That’s the river.” You can’t see it. It runs underneath, along this street and under the car park.”
This was the river Hannah remembered. The River Effra flowed underground and went all the way from Upper Norwood to the Thames. This was one thing, one fact, one memory that Hannah related to and plays a pivotal role in DARK SATURDAY.

Frieda describes her insomnia and increasing feelings of dread. “Dread of a reckoning.”
The book is divided into a prologue, chapters and interludes. The interludes refer to Hannah Docherty in the Chelsworth Hospital (think prison).
There is quite an ending which segues directly into Book 7 - SUNDAY SILENCE.
A very interesting, very suspenseful, very detailed title. Highly recommended. ( )

Frieda Klein, psychotherapist, is discretely called back into serving the London Met PD to look into a case thought to have been solved 13 years ago. Hannah Docherty was accused of gruesomely killing her mother, stepfather and little brother and is serving her life sentence in a mental hospital but Frieda's not so sure she should be there.
Try to uncover the truth with Ms Klein as she also battles a dangerous man from her past. Lots of red herrings are tossed in to through you off and keep the reader guessing.

I jumped into this mystery series, the sixth, thanks to Librarything's Early Reviewer's program and after reading this intend to read the other five. ( )