Review: On the edge of madness.....
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 10 2, 2013
What a fabulous find to simply stumble across!  I've always been intrigued by the history of mental institutions/treatment in this country, and Ms. Murray tapped into its' horrors and tragedies with her engaging story.Although the synopsis from Amazon leads you to believe this story is about the young girl Duffino, it is much more the mental evolution of Charlotte as she immerses herself in Duffino's life.  Charlotte's struggle with guilt, faith, obsession, loneliness, and potential madness draw you into her world.  Add to that her interactions with her fellow inmates (which are a quirky, interesting lot), and the growing respect of institution personnel....you have an amazing story to lose yourself in for awhile.In response to reviews that say that Charlotte is "not likable", I'm not sure what more the author could have done.  She is an overweight, slightly clumsy inmate who was abandoned at a convent at birth.  No, she isn't the tragically beautiful girl that Duffino is, but she does have a beauty of spirit.I've seen others mention their disappointment with Charlotte's back story being sketchy on details.  I may be wrong, but I believe that Ms. Murray did this deliberately.  Charlotte's journey in this book is more about her obsession with all things Duffino, and how she grows and learns from that obsession.  Much like Duffino telling Charlotte that it was HER (Duffino's) trial, shifting away from Charlotte's back story (with only a few teasers), placed the emphasis on the real story line.Yes, this book does have some GLARING errors that should have been caught in editing.  While mildly annoying, they did not detract from my enjoyment of the book.  If a story grips me, my mind sort of "autocorrects" and I found that to be the case with this book.I look forward to reading the next installment in the series, although I honestly wish it was going to be about Charlotte instead of Duffino.  *LOL*