In this remarkable memoir a harrowing true story of family violence guilt and atonement a
journalist reflects on his own journey to come to terms with his brother's terrible crimes-and
to find justice for the young girl he killed.In the gritty docklands of south-east England
Alix Sharkey and his younger siblings grew up in awe of their charismatic yet violent father a
vicious alcoholic. Yet it was Alix's kid brother Stuart-button-cute and fearless-who defended
his siblings at home at school and on the streets. Their fraternal bond was deep and powerful
until Alix moved away from their rough hometown. Stuart remained-and slid into a furtive life
of sexual violence against teenage girls punctuated by prison time.Having started out
inseparable their paths diverged radically. Alix became a journalist cosmopolitan and
bilingual working for upmarket media in London Paris New York and Los Angeles. Today
Stuart remains incarcerated in Britain's mostnotorious high security prison awaiting imminent
parole. Twenty years ago he was convicted of the kidnap and murder of his 15-year old niece
Danielle daughter of his wife's brother. Despite his conviction a lost appeal and repeated
pleas by her parents Stuart has steadfastly refused to reveal the location of his victim's
remains condemning the girl's parents to two decades of unresolved grief.How do two brothers
choose such different paths? Could anything have prevented Stuart from becoming a killer? What
factors contributed to his fall? What does Alix owe to Stuart-the fiercely protective kid
brother-and what does he owe to the truth? With the clock ticking can he convince Stuart to do
the right thing and give the victim's family the closure and peace they've sought for so long?
Or will Stuart walk free unrepentant and defiant?In this piercing and unforgettable memoir
laced with bleak irony and heartrending honesty Alix tackles these questions and confronts a
harsh reality: that the younger brother he once adored not only deceived their own family for
decades but destroyed another with his truly heinous crime.
