When I started reading Blacklands I had no idea it was Bauer’s first published novel and, now that I’m finished, I still wouldn't know if I hadn’t learned it from another review. This is an outstanding debut that has all the things in it I liked in her later books - suspense, grim humor, and the little touch of absurdity that kept the tension from going too far outside of my comfort zone. In addition, the book's desolate moorland setting gave every page a sense of foreboding that made it hard to put down. I’ll definitely be going on to the next one in the series. ( )

I very dark book about a 12 year old who gets into the mind of a serial child rapist and killer in hopes of finding the body of his Uncle, who disappeared 18 years ago. The author does a fantastic job of expanding vividly the twisted thoughts of the killer. This is a very good chillingly told story. ( )

Steven tiene doce años y pasa su tiempo libre cavando agujeros en el páramo de Exmoor, con la esperanza de encontrar el cuerpo de su tío Billy, desaparecido dieciocho años atrás, víctima de un famoso asesino en serie llamado Arnold Avery. Steven está decidido a terminar con el sufrimiento de su familia. El paso siguiente será intentar ponerse en contacto con el asesino, lo que le llevará a mandar una carta a la prisión donde el asesino pedófilo cumple condena a cadena perpetua. Y así comienza un peligroso juego del gato y el ratón entre ellos…

This review first appeared on criminolly.wordpress.com
‘Blacklands’ is a gripping crime novel with a simple, effective concept - a boy on the cusp of adolescence tries to find the corpse of his uncle who has killed years before by a child murderer. It’s more than that though, author Belinda Bauer’s first book is also moving, humorous and often insightful in its examination of family relationships.
Bauer has been getting a lot of attention recently after her latest novel ‘Snap’ was long-listed for the Booker prize. I’ve read ‘Snap’ and really enjoyed its mix of mystery and humour, but for me ‘Blacklands’ is more deserving of critical praise. It’s one of the most convincing crime novels I’ve read this year, and that sense of realism comes largely from the great work Bauer has done in creating her two central characters.
Twelve-year-old Steven is heartbreakingly sympathetic. An unhappy, uncomfortable boy who just wants to make things right for his bereaved grandmother. He’s wonderfully written, his determination utterly engrossing and the pain he feels horribly real. I’m not sure I’ve rooted for a protagonist quite as earnestly as I did for him in quite a while.
On the flipside, the book’s villain Arnold Avery is despicable but just as credible. Bauer has done a brilliant job of getting into the mind of a psychopath, making his motivations believable without ever giving the reader any reason to feel anything other than hatred for him. Plenty of fictional lunatics end up being grotesque cartoons, but Avery is chillingly real.
It is the interplay between these two that makes the book so effective and enjoyable. The plot progresses inexorably, fuelled by both characters’ broken psyches, pulling the reader along like an unwitting observer to something unspeakable. The narrative is quite linear, but the tension is beautifully done and the ending satisfying. Throughout, Bauer eschews over the top theatrics in favour of realism and the book is all the stronger for her restraint. There is one deus ex machina moment in the second half which felt both bizarre and unnecessary, but it’s so beautifully written I forgave it.
The parallels between Avery’s crimes and those of the Moors Murderers are obvious, but the book never feels exploitative or cheap. Bauer apparently started it as a short story examining the effects of murder on the lives of the victim’s families. That theme comes over beautifully and the book is a thoughtful examination of grief as well as a touching coming of age story. Taken as a whole the book is quite an achievement and one I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend. It’s thrilling, chilling, convincing and touching and I enjoyed every page.
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If I had noticed any tags for this book it would have put me off reading it. I'm glad that didn't happen because it was a gripping story of a boy who wanted to find the site where his long dead uncle was buried by a pedophile. This would improve his status at home and make his Nan happy. In the course of the story, the boy contacts the killer in prison hoping to trick him into identifying the spot. Instead he inadvertently identifies himself. Bauer is successful at getting inside the head of the most repellant character without being graphic, as well as creating a believable twelve-year-old boy.

This was Bauer's debut, gripping and chilling, a story that doesn't flag on the suspense throughout. I will definitely be reading more by this author. ( )