I really like this novel (I'm not known for liking much) and find it very moving. I like the intelligent discussion of spirituality within (I'm a somewhat practicing Zen Buddhist), but really, the emotional impact of Inez's story and character is what makes the novel so compelling and emotionally satisfying. If I was handing out a literary award, I would consider this novel richly deserving. Congratulations!
~ Allister Thompson, Senior Editor, Dundurn
When I began to read this book I had no idea what to expect. It is not my genre of choice and I am unfamiliar with both the setting and the psychological problems that Inez suffers. As a consequence it was a real adventure for me; a journey into a world that I soon found totally absorbing and it was immediately apparent that I was in very capable hands.
I highly recommend this book whether you enjoy psychological drama or not. The characters linger long after the turn of the final page. Like people that you have met once and may never meet again, you worry about them and wonder how they are. This is not a book that you will want to give away, put it on your book shelf and read it again and again.
Read the entire review Here.
~ Judith Arnopp, Medieval Scribe
Sheila Dalton's THE GIRL IN THE BOX leaps right into the tangled emotions of Canadian journalist Caitlin Shaughnessy, whose life partner, psychiatrist Jerry Simpson, has just been murdered by Inez, a mysterious, beautiful, and mute Mayan teenager he found in the jungles of South America and brought back to his home in Canada for treatment.
In a departure from most novels involving a murder, the question is never who did it but why. The extremely unorthodox method Jerry uses of having this damaged beauty live in his house while he treats her, and the subsequent murder, forces Caitlin to question the purity of Jerry's motives and actions, and to launch an investigation into Jerry's past, their relationship, and the enigma that is Inez, all the while terrified she'll discover that the Jerry that she loved was an illusion that masked a sexual predator.
Dalton moves the story along at a good clip and weaves compelling flashbacks into the narrative that illuminate the present tale, adding richness, and most importantly, relevant, information to both the plot and the emotional landscapes of the characters.
Recommended for those who enjoy both psychological dramas and literary mysteries.
~ Carlyle Clark, co-author The Apocalypse Gene
A psychoanalyst visiting Guatemala accepts a desperate plea to visit the makeshift shelter of a native couple. In broken Spanish, the man and woman beg for help for a girl they say is their daughter.
When Jerry Simpson arrives, he finds Inez locked inside a windowless shed no larger than a box and tethered to a chain. She appears autistic. She is semi-feral. She likely was abused by Marxist guerrillas and government soldiers who are fighting in the hills. And she is mute. The couple also believe Inez is cursed.
Jerry brings Inez to Canada with him and begins treatment. Four months later, Jerry's long-time lover, journalist Caitlin Shaughnessy, receives a call. Jerry has been murdered, and Inez was found covered in his blood.
In a gripping series of flashbacks, Sheila Dalton's The Girl in the Box (Dundurn, 2011) takes readers on a twisting journey of drama and psychological mystery as Caitlin seeks to understand how Jerry was killed - and why.
With a well-researched, fast-paced plot and powerful descriptions, Dalton deftly weaves Guatemalan customs and shamanism with glimpses into the inner workings of the human mind. Readers will be as compelled as Caitlin to discover the mystery that is Inez.
Complex, fascinating, subtle and intensely emotional, this is a book that, like Patricia McCormick's Sold, will profoundly impact its readers.
~ Michelle Fayard, author The Underground Gift
A confusing timeline doesn't detract seriously from this solid mystery where the killer of psychoanalyst Jerry Simpson is known from page one. It was the eponymous "girl in a box" whom Jerry brought back to his Ontario home from Guatemala; the mute Inez whom he most surely rescued from, at worst, certain death and, at least, imprisonment.
But the knowing isn't enough for Jerry's longtime girlfriend, Caitlin. Accepting that the feral Inez did the murder and that she's serving time in a mental institution doesn't do much to resolve Caitlin's gnawing need to know more. In a series of deftly handled flashes between 1988, the time of Jerry's death, and when the pair met in Guatemala in 1978, Caitlin obsessively rehashes every detail of their relationship and what she knows of his efforts to save Inez.
Even after disjointed pieces of information begin to assemble the picture is still a broken mirror until Caitlin decides to visit Inez. She hopes to give Inez words to finally reveal the whole truth of what happened that day in Jerry's home office.
This novel is a tidy package that successfully juggles themes involving relationships, commitment, professional jealousy and helplessness in the face of international issues.
~ ABNA Publishers Weekly Review, 2009
The human conditions existing in Guatemala are among the subjects tackled by Sheila Dalton. This book speaks to human relationships of love, friendship, trust, jealousy, pain, suffering, and enlightenment. The characters are complex and the plot line is intricate and deftly woven by the author.
While not technically highlighted as a mystery novel, there were many elements of mystery throughout this novel. I found the most intriguing mysteries were between the characters, how relationships developed, changed, grew, and in some cases, deteriorated.
To say that I thoroughly enjoyed this novel sounds trite given the nature of the book. But, it is true! I thoroughly enjoyed this novel!!
I surprised myself by my depth of involvement with the characters. The book became more about the characters, than about solving the murder mystery. I grew in my knowledge of some international issues. And the ending was one I accepted on an emotional level.
What more could I ask for?
Read the entire review Here.
~ Patricia - The Joy of the Written Word
Dropping you right into the heat of Guatemala, Sheila Dalton proves from the first few pages that she has an incredible eye for detail. The story moves around to a number of diverse locations, but Dalton handles them all beautifully, adding in small details which really enhance the imagery.
I also found the mystery within The Girl in the Box to be well plotted and paced. I felt the same level of adrenaline pretty much from beginning to end. I was also in a pretty solid state of suspense for most of the book. I had no idea what to come or what the answer to the big mystery would be.
Finally, I want to mention this book is told from multiple points of view and the story doesn't move along in an exact linear time line. I felt this was a gutsy move to use this method but it definitely paid off.
The Girl in the Box has definitely been added to my list of great Canadian fiction and I will definitely be reading more work from Sheila Dalton in the future.
Read the entire review Here.
~ Christa - Hooked on Books
