Book Review: People Who Eat Darkness By Richard Lloyd Parry

Time for the review of the first of October's reading list (have a look here if you missed it!).

My review of People Who Eat Darkness by Richard Lloyd Parry

 

 

Blurb from the back cover

 

In the summer of 2000, Jane Steare received the phone call every mother dreads. Her daughter Lucie Blackman - tall, blonde and twenty-one years old - had stepped into the vastness of a Tokyo summer and disappeared forever. That winter, her dismembered remains were found buried in a desolate seaside cave.

Her disappearance was mystifying. Had Lucie been abducted by a religious cult? Who was the mysterious man she had gone to meet? What did her work as a "hostess" in the notorious Roppongi district of Tokyo really involve? And could Lucie's fate be linked to the disappearance of another girl some ten years earlier?

Over the course of a decade, Richard Lloyd Parry has travelled to four continents to interview those caught up in the story and been given unprecedented access to Lucie's bitterly divided family to reveal the astonishing truth about Lucie and her fate.

 

My thoughts on the book

 

This book gives a fantastic insight to the life of a foreigner in Tokyo. The lifestyle, the work etc all form an integral part of Lucie's story and I think the author documents the lifestyle very well.

From the point of Lucie's disappearance to the point of the trial (and a little beyond) the information is well presented, clear and easy to follow. The author has obviously done a lot of research and it shows. He comes across as someone who knows what they are talking about, and makes a clear distinction between fact and opinion.

 

Conclusion and rating

 

Very well written and researched, this is an informative, but interesting read. It is a little frustrating that some questions remain unanswered, but that isn't the author's fault, the questions remained unanswered by the police or any other authority. 4/5

 

Have you read this book? What do you think? Let me know in the comments!

 

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Amanda Knox: Finally Free 30th March 2015

Amanda Knox has finally been cleared of the murder of Meredith Kercher.
Not before time. When I realised how little evidence there was that she was even there on the night in question, let alone had committed the murder, it makes me wonder how she was even a suspect, let alone the accused.
In this country, or the USA, the police would have struggled to get an arrest warrant, let alone get the case to trial.
It's scary to think how easy it is to be blamed for something you didn't do in a country where the language is unfamiliar and you don't understand the justice system.
The police did no real investigation - they just jumped on someone they thought the media would have a field day with. They were right about that. The media condemned her from day one, and had the general public all up in arms.
How she was ever found guilty I just can't fathom. You would expect the judge to be above media manipulation.
Its not justice that she is finally acquitted. That's not going to bring back the 4 years she spent in prison for a crime she didn't commit, its not going to erase all them memories and it won't stop the "no smoke without fire crowd" from always doubting her. She should be given a huge compensation payment - this won't undo the wrongs she's suffered, but it would help her start over.
It's also not justice for Meredith and her family. Her killer has been allowed to get away with this while everyone jumped on the Amanda bandwagon. Whoever allowed this to happen should be held accountable.
Check out my other blog lovelifeandeverydaythings.blogspot.com and feel free to comment :)