Find out what Mumsnetters thought of Rattle by Fiona Cummins

Thank you for my copy of this book which I have just finished reading.
I was a little nervous of starting it at first, knowing that the story centres on child abduction and a serial killer. However, most of the violence is implied rather than heavily described and I did find myself really enjoying it.
It is a unique and unusual story whereby the killer, dubbed The Bone Collector, preys on children who have a disability such as cleft hands or a skeletal deformity. He is very similar to Hannibal Lector, hiding in plain sight, and I did guess where he worked.
The author, Fiona Cummins tells the story from several different viewpoints including the victims families and the detective involved. I really liked this as the voices were different and it gave us more insight into how the families dealt with the unbearableness of not knowing what has happened to their children. Short punchy chapters make it easy to read and kept me turn ing pages late into the night.
The author has created a perfect character in Etta Fitzroy, obsessed with a previous case, her marriage imploding and still coming to terms with the loss of her baby.
The ending is fast and action packed with more than a little violence.
There are a lot of loose ends left and I really hope that there is a sequel or even better a series to come.
Thank you again for this book which I loved.

Only just finished this, as I had a couple of books I had to read first, but I certainly saved the best till last. What a pageturner! It is gripping, scary Stone man syndrome being creepy and causing inner torture. This book is right up my street, and I will be looking for more from this author.

Thank you for my copy! I'm a third of the way through so far, and wanted to Coke and read other people's reviews of this book. The first few pages I wasn't sure if this was something I could get into. It's very sinister and a very dark subject matter- a man who collects bones, the rarer the better, like his father did before him. The abduction of a child with a bone abnormality to add to this collection- its all very difficult reading but I am now hooked, and trying to race through this book to find out what happens.

Brilliant Book!!! Couldn't put it down. Wonderful debut novel. Fiona Cummins will definitely be a name to watch out for. Thanks Mumsnet. Very much appreciated.

my kind of book, my partner has read and said is brilliant

Thank you for my copy of "Rattle" which I've just finished reading.

I thought it was quite a good book on the whole, especially at the start, but I felt the book was definitely too long and found the ending very unsatisfactory.
Also I believe the so-called ending was far too long drawn out and became almost unbelievable at stages.

I've never read about anyone called "Erdman" and hadn't heard the name before reading this book, it just seemed a very strange name to use somehow. That said, he was the best character by far for me, and the most convincing up until the last 75 pages.
The detective I found very very annoying indeed, the back story with her husband was never developed - he hardly got a mention, and the constant references to her sister I found intrusive and distracting from the plot.

The children's characters were very well portrayed I thought, especially Jakey, and this aspect of the book was illuminating and poignant.

I was annoyed by the number of ridiculously short chapters - one being the grand total of 37 words long. The brevity of many chapters didn't add anything to the plot and merely served to unnecessarily elongate the book into nearly 500 pages, many of which were half-filled or mostly blank of script.
It would have been better to shorten the book and condense some chapters in my opinion.

I'm glad I read it, and would definitely read another book by Fiona Cummings, but don't really feel that the main malevolent character is comparable to Hannibal Lecter, despite the book's inside sleeve boast that he is.

Thanks for my copy - arrived yesterday and I'm nearly finished already. It's creepy and I have a son same age as the missing boy so I can empathise with the parents. Really well written for a first novel and a proper page Turner- more please

My copy has just arrived - I didn't even know I'd been chosen! Can't wait to start this tonight...

Thank you so much for my copy which arrived today. I will be back to post my review asap.....

very gripping, but probably not one for an evening read, it keeps your mind going!

This book deserves a rave review. Out of hundreds and hundreds of books read in the last two years sometimes a few come along that just really stick with you. These are the ones that you know you will remember in great detail and have impacted you on a deep level as a reader. Rattle is one such book.

Loved this book! Was definitely a page turner. Very chilling and sinister, the whole concept was five stars. It'd a story I would reread over and over as there's a lot of twists and turns which I throughfully enjoyed.The story was brilliantly told and the characters, although psychopathic, were very likeable and made you want to read more to find out what's next.

OMG! Seriously creepy. Keep having to put it down and certainly not one for bedtime reading. May have to put this aside for sunlounger time in a few weeks

I'll be honest and say I really didn't like this book. I only managed to get about a third of the way through and I just couldn't red any more. It was really creepy and scary, not the sort of thing I'd normally read but I didn't realise how unsettling I would find it. I really didn't like the child abduction part and my partner put his foot done after the three nightmares over three nights in a row! I know I'm just a big scaredy cat at the bottom of it all!

I haven't read it yet. But I will be starting soon.

Loved it...gripping!

I read Rattle in February after hearing good things about the book. I thought it would be really gripping and creepy however for me it was an average slow paced thriller. Cummins did do a nice job on her characters especially for a first novel.

well written book, kept my attention til the end

I haven't read it yet. I tend to read mostly at bedtime and I don't think it would be good for bedtime reading.

Sounds fantastic. I will look for a copy this weekend. Having read the blurb and a few reviews it looks like this is going to be quite a gripping and gory book! I hope the story isn't too much!

Sounds like an enthralling read

it looks like a good read but I haven't read it yet

A good read that held my attention throughout.

LOOKS LIKE A GOOD READ

This was right up my street!