A Quiet Belief In Angels
A Quiet Belief In Angels is a thriller penned by R. J. Ellory, published on 22 August 2007 as his fifth literary work. The book has achieved sales exceeding 2.5 million copies and has been rendered into twenty-six different languages, such as French, Japanese, Norwegian, Lithuanian, and Brazilian Portuguese.
Plot
Set in rural 1940s Georgia, the narrative centers on Joseph Vaughan’s upbringing. Following his father’s death due to a fever, Joseph interprets a white feather found on his pillow as a sign of his father’s angel. When a serial killer starts abducting and murdering young girls in the area, Joseph and his friends establish a group called "the Guardians" to safeguard the town’s female youth. Amidst the wartime atmosphere, suspicion targets a German farmer named Gunther Kruger. The community retaliates by setting fire to Kruger’s residence, resulting in the death of his youngest daughter—whom Joseph had promised to protect—prompting the family’s departure and seemingly halting the murders.
Writing style
Ellory utilizes a first-person narrative style enriched with vivid descriptive language, illustrated by expressions such as: "Blame is a bitter and indigestible thing, even when the blame is a coat you cut for yourself..."
Reception
The book was met with favorable critiques, maintaining an Amazon rating of 4 out of 5 and a 3.5 out of 5 score on Goodreads. During its television feature week, it attained third place on the Sunday Times bestseller chart. It earned nominations for multiple honors including the Barry Award for best British crime fiction (2008), the Prix Du Polar Européen (2008), Le Nouvel Observateur Crime Writing Prize (2008), and the Quebec Booksellers' Prize (2008). Highlighted in the 2008 Richard & Judy British Book awards, it secured several accolades such as the Roman Noir Nouvel Observateur Prize (2009), Best Thriller from Strand Magazine (2009), Livre De Poche Award, Southern Independent Booksellers' Award (2010), and USA National Indie Excellence Award for Best Mystery.