The Damage Done

Wow. A Crime novel and a debut work that was not only good, but crosses the line into great. Actually, "debut" isn't exactly accurate because Davidson has written non-fiction books, articles and short stories galore. And I'm hooked enough to want to go back and read them all. Seriously, if she can transport me to one of the places she wrote travel guides for like she transported me to New York and the worlds of Lily and Claudia, sign me up.

Here is a story about fractured families, emotional ties, addictions and love. Here is a mystery, deep and dark, ferreted out by determination. The characters are strong and well developed. Even the gay best friend didn't put me off as it does in so many stories, because the depiction of the show more characters and their interactions were so very visceral. It is not my world, but it is an entirely believable one, thanks to the skill and carafsmanship of Davidson. And I willingly travelled with Lily through the murky worlds of addiction and dependency as she tried to discover what happened to her baby sister.

My only unanswered question for all the loose ends is what is Bruxton's first name. I've gone through the list in my head and I just don't see him as a Cary, Fred, Humphrey, Clark, Errol, Jimmy, Randolph or even a Buster. This will take some thought.

I am so looking forward to Hilary Davidson's next book. This one is due out October 2010 through Forge.

Thanks to my friend Maria for the advanced read on this. show less

Lily Moore is a travel writer, living in Spain. She’s called to return to New York after her sister, Claudia, is found dead in her apartment. Claudia had her share of trouble; she was a recovering heroin addict, living in an apartment Lily paid for. Lily is instantly riddled with guilt; she hadn’t talked to her sister in several months.

When Lily goes to identify the body, she is shocked to find that the body is not her sisters, but another “Claudia” who has been living in her sister’s apartment for months. In investigation is instantly launched, led by NYPD detectives Renfrew & Buxton, aided by Lily.

As if her sister’s death isn’t enough, Lily is forced to deal with her ex-fiance, Martin Sklar, a wealthy hotel owner who show more can’t seem to get over her. When the police find proof that Martin & Claudia had lengthy phone conversations while she was in Spain, Lily can’t help but wonder if the two were “involved.”

Ultimately, the investigation leads police to a rehab clinic & a doctor who had a reputation of becoming involved with his female patients.

My copy of The Damage Done has been sitting on my TBR shelf for several weeks. I was waiting for some quiet time to sit down & completely devote myself to it. This weekend was the perfect time. Within minutes, I was completely absorbed in the story. My expectations were exceeded, something that hasn’t happened recently.

The Damage Done is a stellar debut novel by Hilary Davidson. I appreciated how she incorporated parts of her life (as a travel writer) into the main character, Lily. Lily is an extremely realistic and flawed character: her exterior reveals a strong, independent woman but inside she’s vulnerable.

The storyline is unique & compelling. Throughout the book, Davidson threw out enough curve-balls that I was completely suprised by the resolution. The ending is wrapped up well, finely paced, not rushed at all. I’m hoping there is a sequel or two…the sexual tension between her & Detective Buxton must be dealt with!

Fans of crime fiction will be enamored by this phenomenal piece of debut fiction. Pick it up; you won’t regret it! show less

I was constantly guessing about what really happened while reading this book and I found myself wrong every time. There were just so many possibilities as to what could have happened that I just wasn't close at all. I loved that about this book. It was actually complex enough that I didn't end up figuring everything out halfway through the book.

Lily was an easy to connect with character and she seemed very likeable. I liked reading about her relationship with her sister and reading about how she loved her sister even after all the bad decisions she made.

To my delight I found out that this is a series. I definitely look forward to reading more of this series and hope that they are as twist-filled and refreshing as this one.

I couldn't decide between 3 and 4 stars but went with three because I didn't like these characters much.

I thought the mystery was really interesting and I didn't quite figure it out on my own. Somehow though I wasn't invested. Even though I was getting close to the answers to the puzzles I was easily distracted by TV or other things instead of feeling compelled to keep reading and that's why I went with 3 stars.

I know there is another book in this series and I do plan on reading it to see if the feel of the book improves for me now that Lily might be leaving some of her family baggage behind and getting back into being a travel writer. Globe trotting mystery solving still sounds fun!

I read this book very quickly because it grabbed me from the beginning and held my interest with plot twists and turns. The author is a travel writer who has written 18 non-fiction books, but this is her first novel. I definitely hope she writes more.
I found it refreshing that Lily Moore had a positive relationship with the police in her search for her missing sister, Claudia. That was a nice change from the traditional adversarial attitude that many mystery writers create when private citizens get involved in police matters. I was, however, turned off by the chain-smoking Detective Bruxton and hope that if this becomes a series he'll be able to cut back on the cigarettes.

The Damage Done by Hilary Davidson
Lily Moore returns to NYC from her year working abroad in Spain because her sister, Claudia is dead. But when Lily goes to the morgue to identify Claudia, it isn't her sister lying there. This woman had been calling herself Claudia and living in Claudia's apartment. But who is this woman and where is the real Claudia Moore?
This was a pretty good mystery that delved deeper into the characters of Lily and Claudia than your usual fare. There were lots of suspects and plot twists. Some of the characters were a little too much for me. The one that really bothered me was Lily's ex-fiance, Martin. He was so smarmy and creepy, I just could not stand it. That took away a little something for me. But the plot did show more keep me engaged!
my rating 3.5/5 show less

I read about Davidson's second book, The Next One to Fall, and thought it sounded interesting so ordered the first in the series, The Damage Done. I am glad that I did. Lily Moore, a travel journalist, like Davidson, returns from Spain to New York City in search of her troubled drug addicted sister and the pages start turning, twisting, and turning. This is one of those books that you can and will want to read in one sitting, as the pace moves quickly and coherently. The character of Lily and her best friend Jesse are promising and believable personalities that are worth getting to know in future adventures. Next is Machu Picchu with Lily and Jesse and I am looking forward to archair travelling along. This is a fresh and interesting show more formula with the travel writing and adventure and I can't wait to see where Davidson takes us. show less