With such a whimsically morbid title it stands to reason we might expect something unusual. The basic premise this novel is that murdered children return to life by inhabiting a new and adult body at the moment the adult dies a sudden death. A sort of possession or channelling you will, though the host body dies as soon as the child achieves their purpose in visiting retribution on their murderers.

They are assisted by a so-called Porter whose psychic abilities allow them to assist the children on their purpose and guiding them.

The hero, or perhaps more precisely anti-hero of the tale is a former New York detective,, ageing alcoholic Willow Wilde.

Wylde labours under the crushing sense of failure that may afflict someone in late middle age, who know they have made a total mess of their life - including never having been able to solve the mystery of the disappearance of two young children from a barbecue party several decades decades ago.

But this case is now about to be reopened. Willow hs two young cops working under him who seem to have reasons of their own for being interested......

The old Porter Is dyiing and this now means that there is disruption to the old ordered things and questions bring asked about how reliable the guide for the murdered children really is. Mistakes are made too...

A Guide for murdered children as a novel seems to be as much about redemption as it is about retribution. Willow has,a great deal to come to .terms with.

Plot wise there' are real surprises at work, as the real villains get unmasked, bringing a welcome unexpectedness as the tale twists and turns.

A highly unusual. and interesting novel. Recommended.

Despite trying hard I couldn't get any further than 25% through this book. Too odd for me

Not exactly what I expected. The story was original, that's for sure. Along with the cover, I was really excited to read it. Unfortunately, pretty early into the book I was so confused and didn't really understand what was going on. I got frustrated and honestly, I'm not sure why I continued. I guess I wanted to see where this was going. Overall I think my expectations were too high for this one and it fell short. It was hard to follow and didnt flow very well. I'm sorry to say it wasn't my favorite.

A Guide for Murdered Children is a supernatural-realism thriller centered around the belief that one day, a murdered child gets to find their moment of balance when they are resurrected into the body of an unsuspecting landlord who themselves have recently died.

First and foremost I have to say that I have never read a book like this before in my life. The concept was inventive and for the most part was executed very well. There was a perverse sense of justice to the moment of balance and the book stirred up issues of questionable morals, and I am a firm advocate of books that make you think no matter how weird the thought.

That being said, the book started on very rocky ground. The mystery that was trying to be maintained about the world of the story went so far that I was utterly confused and nearly stopped reading a number of times. Personally I don’t like not finishing a book so pushed through, but a lot of people won’t wait to get a fifth of the way through (which is where things started to get a lot clearer) before putting it down.

Ex big city narcotics turned cold case cop, Willow “Dubya” Wydle is drawn back to the sleepy Detroit town where he used to live. His team reopens the case of missing brother and sister Troy and Maya Rummer that shook the town twenty years ago. Whilst solving that mystery Willow is also trying to solve one that has him drawn to a woman called Annie who introduces herself to him as The Porter. Willow is that tough corrupt cop that you’re meant to love despite his past, but in reality you don’t care to much about his journey and mostly wait in anticipation for the penny to drop about things the audience already knows.

The main arch was about tenants Troy and Maya finding out who abducted and murdered them so they can have their moment of balance. It was confusing at first differentiating between tenant and landlord as both hosted the same body and could come and go without any warning/trigger but it was smart once you got your head around the switcheroo’s. It wasn’t until two thirds/three quarters of the way in that anything really interesting happened, which was too far in. But once the clues started dropping and unexpected twists literally made me gasp, I couldn’t wait to read to the end.

The term “Haywire” was used as scapegoat for a lot of inconsistencies (which I can’t elaborate on without spoilers) and for me the book just left to many major questions unanswered that was blanketed by the continued message of the Porters to “Not ask the big questions” and to just “Trust and accept.” – Others may be okay with it but for me some sense of explanation – even a hypothetical one to Who is in charge of this whole Porter, Train, Children’s Justice malarkey?! would have been nice.

Something that I couldn’t understand was the way the characters spoke. Everyone seemed to have their own way of speaking which was more obvious when they interacted with one another, I found it very jarring especially as they were all from the same town and that it didn’t fit with the present day Detroit setting. Even Roy who was an ex-teacher spoke in fragmented and loopy sentences (perhaps it was a side effect but it was never commented on) that made him seem like he was from a southern bayou in the 1900’s than a former scholar.

Lastly the ending had a nice sense of full circle completion, but it was definitely dragged out where it could have ended in a place where the audience figured out for themselves what was going to happen next instead of being shown.

Instinctually I would not recommend this book. On the other hand now that I’ve read it I want others to read it too so it can be discussed and also appreciated for how unique it is. Okay that’s all folks, but bear in mind that as this is an advanced readers copy, so by the time this book comes out (March 2018) some of my dislikes about it may have been ironed out.

'No: closure wasn’t relief or release, it was a balancing of scales, that’s all. When the scales were balanced, order and some kind of serenity returned to the world, in spite of oneself.'

When I first started to read this novel, I was lost. I just couldn’t flow with it then I couldn’t really figure out what the heck was going on. Children are dead, we meet two young siblings Troy and Maya at the start pnly to know the will be snuffed out, then something strange happens to Deputy Lydia and her partner Daniel and everything turns bizarre. By the middle of the book I’m finally moving along and realizing this is other-worldly. Children are returning to avenge their deaths in host bodies of adults, a sort of merging takes place but it’s not all rainbows and unicorns. The children have their own painful memories, fears and longings. What happened to them is disturbing. Willow is the cold case detective who has a connection to the siblings that seemed to have ‘dropped off the face of the earth’ in 2000, it was personal to both he and his daughter. Willow has always had a gift with visions and dreams, ‘spooky stuff’ that aided him. But nothing he has imagined can compete with reality.

The returning children of the deceased are called Tenants, they are merged with Landlords (adults) and I won’t give away how the adults are ripe for housing the children. They all have a mission, and a time limit to attain their ‘moment of balance.’ I realize all of this is gibberish until you actually read the novel. This is one of the hardest stories to review for me, it’s a very strange creation. A part of me felt horrified for the parents in the aftermath, then for the children who had to return and often I was dizzy with trying to keep track of everything that had happened in the past and how it tied into the present. I think my blood-lust for revenge on those who harm children in particular is off the charts, so I kept waiting to feel ‘all is right with the world, there is balance’. Of course, there could never truly be an equal balance, there is nothing in this world that can ever avenge the murder of an innocent, I’ll never be convinced otherwise. Still, there most be some sort of justice, someone must be held accountable, regardless of how many years have passed. Without answers, it’s just added, unimaginable torture for those left behind.

I was lost in several early chapters, the middle I started to get into the story and the end moved me, then I was wondering if this is intended to become a series for Willow? Not sure. I think some readers will struggle with it, it’s crazy but I can imagine this as a TV show, maybe it would be easier for others to wrap their mind around that way. There are a lot of readers out there into this type of fiction. I had a hard time with it but it is a unique story-line.

I liked it for it’s originality, and I certainly felt sorrow for Troy and Maya and wanted to see it to the end for their sake. Not my usual read.

Publication Date: March 20, 2018

Penguin Group

Blue Rider Press

A Guide for Murdered Children is a genre defying book. I had no real expectations when I began reading it and was completely unfamiliar with the author. I also try to avoid looking at reviews before I am finished with a book and have my own review mostly completed, so I had quite a lot of difficulty in getting into sync with the narrative and, frankly, understanding what was going on before about 50%. The premise is quite creative, it's just that the prose was so very difficult for me to read and understand. I didn't find the host (landlord) characters particularly sympathetic, and Willow Wylde (bizarre name) was off putting to say the least.

The book -is- full of unpleasantness and rape, abuse, murder (of children and others). It's ostensibly a revenge book, which would normally work for me, but in this case it's muddled and confused and I couldn't follow a lot of what was going on, and the bits I understood clearly didn't move me much. There was a huge *squick* factor for me because the kids were 'rooming' with adults who were acting like adults... if I had a child sharing my mind/body, I would be hyper aware of doing adult things with them present...

As others have stated, this is a polarizing book. Readers seem to love it or hate it. I really believe the author has prodigious creativity and talent. There is huge potential here. With a gifted/committed editor this novel could be mind-blowing.

I could definitely see this book becoming a phenomenon and I feel like I probably wasn't cool enough to 'get it'. (I admit, I've had problems with other books that my bookish friends *gasp* and swoon over). Definitely difficult themes and a difficult narrative.

Stats:
Title: A Guide for Murdered Children
Author: Sarah Sparrow
Publisher: Penguin - Blue Rider Press
Publication: 20 March, 2018
500pages, Hardcover, audio, and ebook format

Three stars

Where to begin. Well, when I started this book, I thought it was just one book. When I kept reading to no end, I realized that it was actually 3 books put together. It does make for a VERY long read that way, however, as a person that really dislikes a cliff hangar without being able to jump right into the next part of the story, I appreciated being able to read all of it together. It was well written, detailed. As having lived in the area that the story line is based out of, I could see the places that author was describing. There wasn't a singular main character but there were a few and then supporting characters, of course. Dubya, the recovering alcoholic cop who returned home with his tail between his legs and trying to hang on to his sobriety and sanity, is presented with a once in a lifetime opportunity. He is asked to head up a new division for the police department, a cold case division. Annie, the eternal mother of the children on the train, is trying to hold it all together even though she knows her time is coming to an end. Lidya and Daniel are young cops finding their way through the ropes and get pushed into Ol' Dubya's path. As the story progresses, Dubya (real name Willow) is trying to teach his two new recruits how to work the cold cases and they are drawn to one in particular. One that Dubya has a personal attachment to. As they stack the blocks to solve what is happening, Dubya is trying to figure out his dreams about the train and the blue children he keeps seeing on the train. Without giving too much away, to summarize what is happening, a person (usually an adult) dies suddenly and a child that has been murdered comes through and reanimates that body. Both persons reside there as "landlord and tennent". It is up to the tennent (the child) to find their killer and seek their "moment of balance" in order to board the train one last time and finally cross over. The person that leads the children by offering support and support groups is the Porter (Annie). It's a race against time and when things start to go "haywire", everyone becomes concern that not all will be revealed.

Awful, Awful ,Awful

Oh my god this book is awful, it was so bad I could not read it. The start of the book was not good. There was not a proper start to the book and I did not like the main characters if he was the main character. I just gave up which is a shame maybe the book got better but if the first few pages don't grip you then I cant keep reading sorry.

A new take on how we move on from horrible acts. This book follows a pair of siblings who were murdered, as well as the detective who always wondered what happens. What if the souls of murdered innocents are given a chance to come back and try to right the wrong, to seek justice? This story has many poignant moments, and though it is an unconventional twist, brings to mind "The Lovely Bones". I highly recommend this one.

A page-turner from start to finish... Highly recommended.

I abandoned the book; it was a difficult read. It’s not for me, but I’m sure other people will enjoy it.

I'll admit, I was drawn to this book based just on the title. And then I read the synopsis. A book about murdered children returning to Earth through a recently deceased adult to exact revenge? Sign me up! The first few chapters were actually really difficult to follow. I thought about giving up, but the premise was too enticing. I'm glad I stuck with it, because once I was able to figure out who was who and what was what, it was one heck of a roller coaster! Some of the subject matter was pretty heavy (it IS a book about murdered children, after all) but nothing was overly gruesome. It was one of the most imaginative books I've ever read!

I'm not a huge reader of the mystery / thriller genre, but the premise of this book was so intriguing that I found myself really wanting to read it anyway. And I wasn't disappointed! A Guide for Murdered Children shifts between many perspectives as it tells the story of the spirits of murdered children who come back to co-inhabit the recently deceased (think less zombie and more magical life extension) as they try to discover the identity of their murderer and achieve their mysterious “moment of balance.”

My one real complaint with the book is that it started quite slow and began by introducing the story and characters in such a sporadic and confusing way that it almost felt impenetrable to me at first. Fortunately, one I was able to dig a little deeper into the book the story started to take a more coherent shape and as I got to know the characters a little more (particularly Detective Willow Wylde and his two cold case protégés Lydia and Daniel) I was hooked. The idea of murdered children getting a second chance at justice / revenge is such a strange and fascinating concept and was very well executed in the book. Sparrow didn’t get too bogged down in the details of how or why it was happening and instead just focused on the story and the fact that it was. It’s probably fairly obvious from the premise, but it is also worth noting that the book gets incredibly dark at points—we’re talking murder and rape of both adults and children. It generally cuts away before showing anything too explicit, but it definitely skirts right up to the point of showing and doesn’t shy away from the horror aspect. Though unlike some books that use that kind of violence for shock factor, these issues felt more central and necessary to this book because of the plot—and they’re never brushed off or dismissed.

Overall, a really fascinating and well-written book. I wouldn’t recommend it to everyone because of the subject matter and degree of violence, but for people who enjoy mysteries / thrillers or crime novels, this would probably be a great read.

A very unique read. The premise was new to me, as I have not read anything like this before. It was a great idea and drew me in. Sometimes I had to re read to check which character I was learning about but otherwise I found this book quite engaging.

I had a really hard time getting into this book, so much so that I didn't finish it. The story just didn't grab me, and the characters weren't that unique. I'm sure there is an audience for this. It's just not for me.

I would understand if people didn't like this book. It took me past the character introductions to start figuring things out. Once I understood how weird this book was going to be, I was spellbound. It's about murdered children who cohabit another body until they get their revenge. The other body belongs to another person who had died and came back to life for the purpose to help the child get revenge and once that happens, they both die. There are some decent twists. Throughout the whole book I didn't like the main character. Yet that didn't hamper my enjoyment of the book.

The title caught my attention, I mean, how horrible. The concept of the story is interesting, once I figured it out, the transfer of spirits of children that are killed into the bodies of adults who technically have died- prolonging the adults physical life and sharing consciousness in some weird ways. The idea is that the living dead have a chance to to 'balance' the crimes.
It was hard to follow the story and narration, it took a while to figure out what was what. Things go awry, of course and the plan is in jeopardy,
While I really do like the idea of murdered child having some way to right such a heinous wrong, there might be a better way.

I'm just going to take a moment to admire the cover, it's amazing. The retro feel really caught my eye, and then when I read the synopses I was hooked.
The premise of the book is that murdered children can be reincarnated into the bodies of the recently deceased (so recent that no-one knows they have dies) and seek revenge against the perpetrator of their crime. The process isn't as straight forward as it sounds though, and the children, in the body of their "caretakers" must go to a group meeting led by the "porter", Annie, and be guided through their adventure. Unfortunately Annie is terminally ill, and this means that the usually straight forward process has become erratic and she needs to find a new porter before everything goes "haywire" .

The book deals with dark themes, and is in turns heartbreaking and scary. The characters are all so well drawn. None of then are perfect, and are more likeable because of this. The killers are genuinely creepy (as they should be!) and the book is full of horrors.

Despite the nature of the book I really, really enjoyed it, as there is also an uplifting thread of hope running through the book. My only complaint would be that it was difficult to keep track of all the characters that the book introduces and at times the writing was a little confusing (maybe this will be amended before the book is released?)

I received an advanced copy for review courtesy of the publishers and net galley.

The title of this book seemed intriguing but I think I could only get about five pages in before I was just so annoyed with it. The lingo used was very immature and I just couldn't connect at all.