Ordinary folk living ordinary lives until the day that their only daughter Sophie was killed by the very evil Clayton Weatherston.
Sophie a golden child, like her two brothers gifted, talented and hardworking, determined to traverse a life pathway to success and fulfilment until she fatefully fell into the clutches of her University of Otago Lecturer, the intelligent but otherwise lacklustre, manipulative, devious and narcissistic Clayton Weatherston who had an appalling history of disruptive relationships, narrow minded, petty and jealous behaviour.
Over a period of time he niggled and nagged at Sophie, stripping her self-esteem and leaving her feeling vulnerable and isolated.
Sophie in a show of character that was typical defeated Weatherston at every turn and shucked him for the job he so desired at the Treasury in Wellington, everything he wished to be and have was Sophies, so in a what I suspect was a long suppressed rage at Women he viciously murdered and mutilated her in her own home while her Mother listened, helpless to stop what could only be described as carnage.
Her Mother Lesley in a show of character that can only leave you breathless has written an amazing testimony to her daughters life, no stone is unturned, the gore is there but so is the love, the joy and tripping lightly over the book is Sophies spirit.
The Elliotts painful journey through our justice system is horrible reading at best, we support the perpetrator not the Victims, while we ease and grease their path, so little is done for the families left behind, so little consideration is given to them it makes you want to cry, shout and wave your fists in the faces of those who make it so much harder for those who know a grief unlike any other, change is needed and Lesley and Gil Elliott are determined to do whatever they can to make it happen.
Don't let the fear of the 216 stab wounds inflicted on Sophie put you of reading this book, it is an outstanding testimony to courage,to the power and pain of grief, the goodness of those who come in and help when you most need it,to the ability of the human spirit to keep on going and to the need that we all need to acknowledge, our Justice system sucks but most of all it is a testimony to the love a parent has for their children and in this Lesley and Gil Elliots; Nick, Chris and Sophie are blessed beyond belief.
