Goody One Shoe by Julie Frayn is a 2015 publication. I was provided a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I have read books by this author in the past, and was always impressed with her work, which is often literary in nature, with a more serious tone to them. So, as I began this book, I could tell right way the author had decided to branch out and show another side of her personality... humor, allegory, wit and tongue in cheek sarcasm are peppered all through this dark psychological super hero style novel. This is one of the most unique stories I have read in a long while and I was utterly mesmerized by it.

Just like Bruce Wayne, in the Batman graphic novels, Billie's parents were killed in a senseless crime, which has remained unsolved, and Billie, only eleven years old at the time, lost a leg in the melee. As an adult, Billie works as a proofreader, but aspires to become a book editor. While wielding her red pen, both literally and figuratively, Billie fantasizes about retribution and vigilante justice. But, somehow, someway, Billie's imaginary edits are becoming a reality. Billie will have to figure out how this unknown personal crusader of vigilante justice is pulling this off , and in the process may very well find a way to make peace with the past once and for all.

If you have any kind of working knowledge of the publishing world, editing or proofreading, you will find yourself laughing out loud at Billie's musings. The writing here is crisp, sharp, and spot on. This story is very multi-layered and since I have a thing for dark humor and quirky characters this one was right up my alley.

Obvious parallels between Batman are woven inside Billie's story as she could truly relate to this tale of an unsolved crime involving her parents and the drive to find the killer and see justice done. But, Billie's tale is just a little bit more twisted, and while Batman is pretty dark stuff, this story takes it a step further, or maybe several steps further. I will admit I don't read graphic novels and other than being a big Batman fan myself, and having a son who is a HUGE Dark Knight enthusiast, I really am not a fan of any of the other superhero comics or big budget movies. However, I will go out on a limb and say I do think if you like graphic novels you will certainly enjoy the homage to the superhero genre and the imaginative way it is presented.

I only have one complaint and I hate to even bring it up, but I feel I should advise you that if graphic violence is something you have a hard time with you should know up front there are a few disturbing scenes and one scene for me was just a bit too descriptive for my taste.

For me this book was quite different from my usual fare and I hope I have gleaned from it what the author was hoping for, but it could be open to various interpretations. I think it's one of those books you can read more than once and pick up something new from it every time you read it. In fact, I've left this one in my 'favorite' folder because I want to read it more leisurely and really absorb all the various nuances of it I may have missed the first time around. ( If my schedule ever permits me to, that is)

Once again, I was impressed with Julie Frayn's ability to weave so many elements together into one cohesive story that is sure to capture your imagination and challenge your senses, and is a testament to her skill and talent as an author.

I recommend this novel to those who enjoy a good crime novel, psychological thriller, graphic novels with superhero elements, maybe even those who read fantasy novels or enjoy whimsical tales, and those who enjoy dark humor as well. 4.5 stars ( )