'You will live to regret this!' is Clara Brown's opinion when her headstrong daughter Fifi secretly marries Dan Reynolds, a handsome but itinerant bricklayer. Dan and Fifi move to London and a seedy flat in Dale Street, Kennington, and despite initial feelings of horror at her new surroundings, Fifi finds London and the freedom from her middle-class family background exhilarating. Insatiably inquisitive, Fifi is fascinated by her new neighbours and wants to know what goes on behind all those shabby front doors. Why is Yvette, the French dressmaker, such a hermit? And why doesn't widower Frank join his daughter and grandchildren in Australia? But most of all she is ghoulishly fascinated by the Muckles who live opposite in terrible squalor. When Fifi tries to help the Muckles' youngest child, who has been physically abused by her father, she unwittingly unleashes a chain of events that will bring not only heartache to her and Dan, but terrible danger to all the inhabitants of Dale Street . . ."I was hooked on to reading the book, until the wee hours of the morning, just to finish it. The storyline was fantastically thrilling, and full of suspense, rather unusual of Lesley Pearse books but this is one of my favoruite reads from her. The plot will keep you guessing till the very last page. Brilliant! "
It took me a few weeks to read this, as I found it a bit heavy going. But each time I began to flag, it hotted up again. Parts of the story cover a theme that is gruesome, and sadly, is still happening today; in fact on a larger scale. Abuse and cruelty to children is sickening! There were times when I was deeply moved, which is a credit to the authors writing skill.On a negative note, I did not like some of the language used. I believe, with good imaginative writing, character emotions can be expressed quite adequately, without resorting to a plethora of bad language.It spoilt, what was for me on the whole, an enjoyable read...in parts, exciting, moving, and with well fleshed characters. The relationship between Fifi and Dan came across very well.Not sure what genre this would come under, I guess it could be a romance, come thriller. There was a great twist towards the end. I didn't see that coming!On the whole, a good summer read.
What do You think about A Lesser Evil (2015)?
I think I only have a few more of Lesley Pearse's books to read now. A lesser Evil started off a little slowly but pretty soon it had me gripped. Fifi and Dan are caught up in the murky world of 1950's London. Murder, child abuse and abduction almost threatens to finish them both. They rise above it and live happy ever after. This is the impression I seem to get from all the books, love and sex runs through most of the novels but couple that with murder and intrigue it keeps you going through to the end.
—Madelaine Kirk
