I really enjoy Marion Todd’s DI Clare Mackay series and Dead Man’s Shoes is a real cracker. This time a fair bit of the action comes from around DundeI really enjoy Marion Todd’s DI Clare Mackay series and Dead Man’s Shoes is a real cracker. This time a fair bit of the action comes from around Dundee and I had no trouble at all identifying with the storyline involving drugs, a dodgy nightclub and a particularly slippy customer that the Police have been trying to pin down for their crimes but to no avail.
In the midst of business as usual, DI Clare Mackay is asked to lead her team in identifying a serial killer who preys on gay men. It’s got to be an undercover operation, because the Serious Crime Agency is keen to make sure that their perpetrator has no idea that they believe he’s in Clare’s area of St Andrews. Without a picture to go on and only the sketchiest of details about his likely occupation and mode of transport, Clare must use her skills and local knowledge of the area to track this man down, working in conjunction with an old acquaintance at the NCA. It is believed that this killer, whom the press have dubbed ‘The Choker’ seeks his victims out at weekends and kills them.
So, when a young man is found strangled earlier in the week, Clare chastises herself for not anticipating an earlier kill, but remains unsure as to whether this young man is actually a victim of The Choker or someone else’s target. The young man was a member of a local family with ties to criminal activity and so other leads need to be investigated, stretching the team to capacity.
One of the reasons I like this series so much is its authenticity. You do get a feel for how police procedure works and for the careful planning that goes into an operation like finding a serial murderer.
Clare has a good team around her and is mindful of their mental and physical well-being – though of course it doesn’t stop her nicking their biscuits! She does though, throw a lot of herself into her work and that means she can be a little forgetful of her home and family life, though she does her best to balance things out, she is not always successful. Her beloved dog, Benjy, though ensures he is never far from her mind! Clare’s life partner. Alastair Gibson, whom she refers to as ‘the DCI’, on the other hand, has to bide his time until she has the headspace to listen to his news as Clare’s investigation ramps up.
Marion Todd does a great job of creating tension and excitement and of throwing in the odd piece of misdirection here and there to keep us guessing. Her understanding of forensics is excellent and provides her with the fodder for an excellent plot line and denouement. The pacing is good, and moves from an even flow to fast paced when things start to really heat up.
Verdict: An excellent read and a terrific police procedural. Marion Todd writes her characters with deftness and brings them to life as rounded individuals, especially in Clare’s team. These are likeable characters with the kind of domestic issues we all have and though the crimes feel all too real, there’s no gratuitous violence or overdoing the gore. I have no hesitation in recommending the whole series to new readers. Dead Man’s Shoes can easily be read as a stand-alone book, but if you read the whole series, you’ll really enjoy the character progression....more
The Malabar House series is so good I read it twice. Once in audiobook, because Maya Soraya’s narration is just fabulous and it is her voice I hear whThe Malabar House series is so good I read it twice. Once in audiobook, because Maya Soraya’s narration is just fabulous and it is her voice I hear when I read Persis Wadia in print. I read the books again in print because there is so much richness to them, such a strong sense of India and Pakistan’s independence struggles and the sense of history in the making that I find two readings are more rewarding to take in the level of rich detail that Vaseem Khan gives us in this stunning series.
It is, though, the character of Persis that keeps me on tenterhooks awaiting the next in the series. Persis has tenacity in spades – though some would call it stubbornness. She is very conscious of the trailblazing role she plays as India’s first woman detective and of the role model she has become for other young women. She also understands all too clearly why so many men resent her progress and are more than happy to impede her and even work to obstruct her efforts. Misogyny and jealousy sit side by side in the newly independent Indian Police force.
City of Destruction is set after partition, though some are still railing against partition. One proponent of reunification was Maulana Abul Kalam Azad. Azad had been a fierce proponent of independence, but his passion was to see Hindus and Muslims working together, side by side. It’s a controversial view and as a minister in Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru’s cabinet, he often attracts controversy when he speaks at rallies.
Persis is contemplating her future when she is present at a protest at which Azad is speaking. As she looks over the crowd, she sees a young man reaching for a gun and realises he is about to attempt an assassination. Calling out for him to stop, he whirls around, lifts the gun and fires. Persis has no choice but to fire back. The young man dies, but before he does so he whispers a few words into Persis ear and slides an amulet into her hand.
When she stands up from the body, she realises that although the bullet missed her, it hit Archie Blackfinch, the Scotland Yard criminalist, with whom she has a personal relationship that is itself the cause of turmoil.
Persis can make nothing of the words this man uttered; they make no sense. As this is a high profile assassination attempt, Persis is of course immediately sidelined, despite being the one who shot the perpetrator. As her superiors frantically seek to gather information about who this shooter was and who is behind the attempt, Persis is asked to look elsewhere; into the case of a man whose burned body has been found at a beach. Though the authorities are pretty sure this is a case of self-immolation, Persis, upon examining the scene, has her doubts. This is a man who had no reason to take his own life nor did his actions suggest that as a possibility. It’s also clear upon further investigation that he has suffered a blow to the head.
And though she pursues this case, she is not prepared to sit back and watch others deal with what should by rights, also be her case. Keeping to herself the small details she has from this young would-be assassin; she sets out to follow her own trail. Devastated by Archie’s comatose state and further complicated by a new visitor to his bedside, she finds herself strangely alone in her endeavours this time. As Persis strives to find out more about these cases, she misses having the redoubtable Archie as a stable presence by her side.
Following her instincts she travels to Delhi to identify the would-be assassin. There she is intercepted by two British Intelligence agents, Julius Barnes and David Astor. They are working with the Indian Intelligence Office in Delhi on the assassination attempt and Persis is keen to find out what information they may have, so gets close to them.
Vaseem Khan weaves a spell-binding tale which operates beautifully on one level as a complex but fascinating dual murder-mystery, taut with suspense, high on adrenalin and full of intrigue. On another level it is a fascinating glimpse of India in a state of turbulence and change. Persis is the embodiment of this new India, young, eager and in a hurry to achieve equality, but not immune from making mistakes.
The characterisation in this historical murder mystery is really good and the prose is so readable. Vaseem Khan wields his pen lightly so that although the history, culture and turbulence of India is all there, it is infused with a prose that immerses you in the time and can still delight and amuse the reader with wonderful characters, warmth and humour. Persis’ colleagues in Malabar House prove to be more than interesting and Persis’ love for her father is tempered only be her frustration with him – usually for having a more interesting social life!
Verdict: City of Destruction is a first class read. It has depth, richness and the most glorious technicolour characters. Vaseem Khan’s creation of a fantastic puzzle as the key to solving his mysteries is clever and ingenious. I loved this book as I love the series and it is on my list as one of my books of the year....more
I do love a good Sharon Bolton psychological thriller and this one is a cracker. Partly that’s because Sharon Bolton has a way of plotting her books wI do love a good Sharon Bolton psychological thriller and this one is a cracker. Partly that’s because Sharon Bolton has a way of plotting her books with myriad twists and turns, a whole heap of misdirection and a belting way of building suspense until the reader feels as if their breath is caught and they are unable to take a breath until the scene is over.
You will get all this and more from The Neighbour’s Secret – a title with more than one meaning, as it turns out.
Anna Brown has recently moved to the small rural village of St Abel’s Chapel in the northern Lakes where she has opened a bakery and café below her living space in a row of adjoining cottages. The divine smells emanating from the café are enough to ensure the success of her new business.
St Abel’s Chapel is usually a quiet place, though scenic, nestled in by the lakeside. Now though, it is bustling as the annual gathering of a religious congregation takes place every summer which brings many families to the area. They keep themselves to themselves, but the economic prosperity that so many worshippers bring to this ‘summer camp’ style event is enough to keep the locals happy and limit their curiosity.
Our introduction to Anna comes through the first-person narration of her next-door neighbour, who is a clearly a busybody of massive proportions. I really enjoyed the voice of this character which is so well done. Not at all likeable, but strangely compelling as we see Anna and her activities through her neighbour’s eyes. Our dislike is enhanced by the knowledge that Anna is being spied upon pretty much 24/7 as the walls in these cottages are so thin that sometimes it is just paper that’s over the lath and plaster cracks.
Anna is interested in the fact that no-one is curious about these summer visitors, especially when she is warned off a right of way by some pretty heavy security when she heads out to go wild swimming. Her curiosity is further stirred when Connie, a young teenage girl from the camp turns to her for help. What she learns suggests that this gathering has more of a cult feel to it than an established religion and she’s determined to find out more.
The Neighbour’s Secret has a dual timeline which moves between this narrative and the story of 17-year-old Jago Morgan, a teenager with deep psychological problems. We meet him when he is first attending a psychiatrist after a violent episode at his private school. His parents are hoping that a diagnosis of mental health problems will help stop his expulsion.
These two threads make up the basis of this explosive psychological thriller. As Anna is driven to investigate the ‘Ingathering’ which is what the annual event is called, she has more questions about the strange events taking place there and the heavy security which surrounds it. Anna is fearful that something very bad is happening at this gathering; something that will bring harm to the Connie who was so desperate to get away from this place and who needed Anna’s help
Verdict: This is a twisty and unpredictable story, full of secrets, lies and some very dubious characters. It’s not at all easy to work out who the good guys are and Sharon Bolton brilliantly keeps all her plates spinning until the action-packed, revelatory end.
You may need to suspend some disbelief, but when the story telling and characterisation is as good as this, it’s very well worthwhile....more
The Company of Rogues series just keeps getting better. In A Thief’s Blood Douglas Skelton has chosen to put Jonas Flynt on the trail of a vicious, irThe Company of Rogues series just keeps getting better. In A Thief’s Blood Douglas Skelton has chosen to put Jonas Flynt on the trail of a vicious, irredeemable serial killer. He has taken as his inspiration, the Ratcliffe murders of 1811 when all London was convulsed with terror at the horrible slaughter wreaked at Ratcliff Highway and New Gravel Lane.
On Saturday 7th December 1811 at around 11.30pm, Timothy Marr, the owner of a draper’s shop at 29, Ratcliffe Highway, was preparing to close his business for the night. Inside the premises were four other people apart from himself: his wife Celia and their three and a half month old baby, also called Timothy, and two non-family members-their apprentice, James Gowan and Margaret Jewell, their serving girl.
Within the hour, Jewell alone would remain alive; all of the others would lie brutally and horribly murdered. They would be the first victims in a series of murders that would both grip and terrify the entire East End of London. It is these real life murders that Douglas Skelton uses as the basis for his work of historical fiction.
Douglas Skelton seamlessly blends fact and fiction together to offer an authentic picture of 18th Century London. We meet two well-known characters of the time as well as returning to characters we have come to know well in this series. It is a real a delight to learn more about Flynt’s relationship with Belle, though there is another lady in Flynt’s life who also makes a re-appearance.
His description of the seamier side of London’s streets and especially of the St Giles Rookeries is vividly evoked, as the dark and dingy muddled streets guide Flynt by their sounds and smells, an olfactory journey he wishes he’d never taken.
The plot is multi-layered. Company of Rogues leader, Colonel Nathaniel Charters has charged Jonas with finding Lombre, a French spy. But Lombre is French for ‘shadow’ and they won’t be easy to find. Colonel Charters and Flynt are also outraged by the recent murders and soon Flynt finds himself confronting Docklands gang leader, the Admiral, about this vicious killer. Jonathan Wild, the Thieftaker General, is also intent on justice for the murdered family and he and the Admiral do not make easy neighbours.
Soon Flynt is up to his neck in murders, conspiracy and a devilish plot designed to bring London under the thumb of malign forces. In a plot that is action packed and full of danger and duplicity, this thrilling read really plunges the reader in to the depths of London’s squalor.
What really makes this series stand out is the character of Jonas Flynt. He is no saint and yet his character is complex. He is no stranger to killing and though it is something he has done many times, it is not something he chooses to do unless he feels it necessary. He makes few real friends, but those he has, he is fiercely loyal to. His relationship with Charters is often strained, but he has no love for Charters’ enemies in The Fellowship. When he finds himself on the verge of being tagged with an aptronym, he finds himself unsure of whether it fits or even if he wants to be depicted as a knight-errant.
Skelton also allows us to see different sides of Colonel Nathaniel Charters and the Admiral, whom we now get to know more closely. Charters is haunted by the idea that Nimrod Boone, a monster from his past, whom he believed to be dead, has returned. He feels vulnerable and that is not something Charters has experienced before.
Verdict: There’s plenty of action, double-dealing and skulduggery in this fast moving and well-constructed plot. I loved the character development, especially the scenes between Jonas and Belle and the way in which Flynt dwells upon what he really wants from his life. Skelton draws all these threads together and leaves us with some satisfying resolution together with possibilities for the future. It’s both a thrilling and a rewarding read and I am looking forward to the next in the series, Ship of Thieves. Jonathan Flynt has fast become one of my favourite historical characters....more
Set in 1950’s London, a place of devastation, still lying in ruins after the bombings of the war. Families have been left homeless, loved ones have beSet in 1950’s London, a place of devastation, still lying in ruins after the bombings of the war. Families have been left homeless, loved ones have been lost and poverty is rife. Addie and Ness are sisters; their mother Stevie not coping well at all. Addie’s father says he’s working nights, but Addie isn’t so sure and when he doesn’t come home, the whole family is left in penury and Stevie takes to drink in a big way.
This is a story of grim times and the richness of the descriptions bring a vivid evocation of the times. Brutal, harsh, full of racism, the criminals and the thugs come together to unleash a new onslaught of violence in slum ridden London. The language will make you cringe but Nolan tells it as it was in his version of what happened in the aftermath of the biggest unsolved case London has seen to date.
A post office van has been held up and robbed in the middle of the night in a violent attack. The van contained many valuable mail bags and the police have no clues. White City tells the story of what happened after that robbery and the impact that it had on those affected.
This brutal robbery was the brainchild of Billy Hill, head of the local crime family. Teddy ‘Mother’, Nunn is his enforcer. Mother is terrifying; there is nothing and no-one he will not sacrifice in order to get the job done and his clean up method is certainly final. No-one will so much as look at him sideways, lest they feel the brunt of his anger. Dave Lander is ex-forces and knows his way around a gun. Now he is up to his neck in the gangster way of life. Dave is caught between a rock and a hard place. He may want out, but he knows there is no way out of this gang for him and so he must be sure to do Mother’s bidding just to keep himself in favour.
Together with Dave Lander and Addie, we meet Claire and her sons Ray and Joe. Claire’s husband is also missing and she fears for her sons growing up in the heart of gangland London. Encompassing the meeting of gangsters and the posh clubbers of seedy Soho to the slums of Notting Dale and Brixton, Nolan has painted a wide canvas on which to roll out his often grotesque characters. His story follows the fate of the key characters and their families through the period from 1952 to 1958, culminating in the Notting Hill riots of that summer when so many West Indians were brutally attacked.
Linked by poverty, slum dwelling and crime, we follow these fractured families alongside the corrupt and the violent as the police and the gangsters more often than not collude and occasionally collide.
Dominic Nolan’s language vibrates with authenticity though the colloquial racism is hard to hear. The pent-up nature of the frustration and violence almost makes the pages crackle.
In Soho it’s all two piece suits for two bit hoods and the glitterati partying to excess while mingling with the well kitted out gangstas. Nolan contrasts that behaviour with the very real problems of poverty, with families in hock to loan sharks; forced into crime or degradation to survive. He draws his characters so vibrantly and when there is a small slice of compassion or kindness, it shines fleetingly like a beacon of light in a quagmire before it is rapidly extinguished. In this remarkable book there is betrayal and there is love. There are tender moments to touch your heart, and there is redemption.
Verdict: Dominic Nolan reflects 1950’s London; full of dark shadows and forbidden places, claustrophobic and menacing. This is a version of London where angels tread with trepidation. White City is a tour -de-force, combining strong characters with writing that excels. Nolan is a master wordsmith and he writes with razor-sharp clarity and precision, bringing scenes and characters to life. I really can’t recommend this book too highly. Go buy it now....more
Frank Grasby is a Yorkshireman and a fine figure of a detective- as he modestly portrays himself in his memoir. Grasby is an ex-soldier. He has a diffFrank Grasby is a Yorkshireman and a fine figure of a detective- as he modestly portrays himself in his memoir. Grasby is an ex-soldier. He has a difficult relationship with his taciturn ex-clergyman father, which may have something to do with Frank’s fondness for wine, women and a spot of gambling. Or it might be the result of his clergyman father’s inability to see any good in his luckless son. The Rev Cyril Grasby seldom has a good word to say to anyone.
It’s true that Frank often lacks the ability to see what’s actually going on round about him. Yet his war background suggests that he’s not without substance and that there’s more to Frank than meets the eye.
Denzil Meyrick does a fine job of recreating the post war period when people were still suffering shortages and the black market was going full tilt. The Cold War is settling in and soldiers like Grasby, who were fortunate enough to return from the war still able to do a job, were nevertheless far from being uninjured. There’s pathos in Frank’s remembrance of his war years and his reflections on those years are sombre and painful – a reminder of what most people have gone through.Many people felt that they had suffered enough and there was a restlessness in the population to experience a return to prosperity.
In this, his second Christmas outing, following the daring escapades of Murder at Holly House, Grasby has earned some brownie points from that case and is enjoying basking in the mild approval of his superiors.
Grasby is mulling over the previous night’s York CID Christmas Party when he is summoned by Superintendent Arthur Juggers and told to prepare for a trip to the secluded fishing town of Uthley Bay.
Frank’s not entirely unhappy with this development as he’s not looking forward to spending a dour Christmas with his father. This mission, which involves a dead man on the beach with a stocking round his neck, will likely keep him in Uthley Bay for a few days.
He’s surprised when Juggers tells him he’ll be going with him, but at least, as Frank knows, Juggers likes a drink and there are worse ways to spend Christmas than in a seaside hotel, he reckons. Juggers seems to know a little more about this mission than he is saying, but whatever it is that he does know, he’s keeping it to himself.
Jugger’s plan is that the pair will pose as ornithologists and conduct covert surveillance until they get the lie of the land, though of course they have barely arrived before the villagers have them pegged for exactly what they are.
Denzil Meyrick’s storytelling is rich and immersive. He melds together different types of humour from the farcical to the sarcastic, from sharp, dry wit to the absurd and it all has its place. Yet there’s no doubting that this caper is very serious and more than one dead body will be found as this murder mystery turns seriously deadly.
In this small community, the villagers know more than they are prepared to divulge. The Trout Hotel houses some strange characters and the talk therein is mainly of stockings, coincidentally a number of pairs of which have been found by Frank and Juggers, washed up on the beach. The appearance of Frank’s father with his psychic paramour, Hetty Gaunt, just puts the tin lid on things for Frank.
Meanwhile, Juggers is still clearly keeping his knowledge under his hat, which allows Frank to go blundering where others less foolhardy might have feared to tread. Juggers is a brilliant character and the physical comedy involving him and Frank is impeccably done. He’s down to earth and as forthright as a blunt Yorkshireman can be which makes even more comical the moments when you can’t help but laugh at his slapstick antics.
Atmospheric and with the early 1950’s period beautifully captured, this Golden Age murder mystery enjoys the feel of an Agatha Christie plot with added glorious humour. As the snow falls and the village is cut off from the rest of Yorkshire, the cruel sea adds to the danger. There may be laughs abounding, but there’s also serious peril and Frank is not always sure that he’s the man to look danger square in the face.
Verdict: Meyrick throws in some wonderful red herrings, a great deal of mis-direction and some fabulous Ealing comedy style moments. This is an expertly crafted, well-baked comedy caper with a serious side of crime and a dash of romance here and there to spice the mix. It’s exactly the festive treat that Santa ordered and I loved it. Best consumed with a glass of robust red wine and a mince pie....more
I do enjoy David Baldacci’s books and I admit to having a soft spot for him, helped by both his philanthropy (he runs a non-profit organization dedicaI do enjoy David Baldacci’s books and I admit to having a soft spot for him, helped by both his philanthropy (he runs a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting literacy efforts across the US) and the fact that he appeared at Bloody Scotland a couple of years ago, looking particularly fetching in a kilt.
To Die For is the third in the Travis Devine series which began with the 6.20 man. Travis Devine is an ex-Army ranger turned Wall Street financial expert and now working for U.S. Office of Special Projects as part of Homeland Security.
His last assignment saw him on a Swiss train, targeted by a female assassin, known by her chosen nickname of ‘The Girl on the Train’. It’s clear from the opening chapters of To Die For that she’s not lost her focus on Travis and that he’ll need to be very wary as he goes about his business.
So Travis is happy to be sent to Seattle to work with the FBI. It keeps him out of his normal routine and hopefully he can work under the radar. His job is to take 12-year-old Betsy Odom to meet her uncle, Danny Glass, for the first time. Betsy has recently been orphaned and the reason she is in FBI custody is because her uncle Danny is under investigation for RICO charges. Unfortunately, the principal witnesses against him keep dying, but he’s evinced an interest in adopting Betsy so the FBI are hoping that their custody of Betsy will keep Glass compliant. She is, in effect, a pawn in a larger chess game and she isn’t happy about it.
Shady businessman Glass has been charged with a range of offences from racketeering, human trafficking, to drug smuggling. Glass wants to become Betsy’s legal guardian, and the FBI isn’t sure if this is because she knows things about him that he does not want to come into the open.
Devine knows Glass from his army days which makes him ideal for this job, but he never expected to find the 12-year-old girl such a smart and likeable child, albeit a very vulnerable one. As Travis gets to know Betsy, he finds some very worrying inconsistencies in the story he’s been given about how her parents died.
When he starts to look into their deaths, he opens up a massive can of worms that spread across Devine’s understanding of his mission and lead him into a questioning everything he understands about all the players, including the government agencies, in this seemingly straightforward assignment.
As Devine starts to look into what appears to be a huge conspiracy, Baldacci tempers the bigger picture with the threat of an assassin bent on killing Devine and the vulnerability of Betsy, whom Devine has vowed to protect with his life.
The more Devine asks questions, the fewer answers there are, and soon he will find himself questioning who his friends are and whether is enemies are really on a different side.
Verdict: To Die For has some great characters and a fast moving and propulsive plot. Baldacci does a great job of muddying the waters over who is friend and who is foe, so that Travis Devine has to adopt the approach of keeping his friends close and his enemies closer. There are twists aplenty and some glorious antagonists, as well as two delightful characters that Betsy can trust – perhaps the only people who are trustworthy in her life.
Baldacci’s novel is exciting, fast-moving and surprising. It’s a smooth and easy read that kept me both thrilled and engaged. It’s a terrific read....more
I love Will Dean’s Tuva Moodyson books. Ice Town is billed as a Tuva Moodyson stand-alone, but the whole series is so good, you’ll want to read the otI love Will Dean’s Tuva Moodyson books. Ice Town is billed as a Tuva Moodyson stand-alone, but the whole series is so good, you’ll want to read the others.
Tuva Moodyson is a deaf journalist, working in the small Swedish town of Gavrik for the local newspaper. Tuva is bright and tenacious and she gets on very well with her Editor, Lena, who knows how good Tuva is and allows her some latitude because she always delivers.
Ice Town takes Tuva from her Gavrik base of operations to Esseberg. Esseberg is only accessible through a mountain tunnel shared by drivers and trains; this tunnel is closed at night. It is a place surrounded by snow and ice, cut off from the nearest town at night, leaving the residents snowbound and in the dark. Dean’s writing is strong and evocative as he describes the geography of the town.
‘The mountains darken, as if retreating. Later this month – solstice, Christmas week – this town will reach peak winter. A few hours of milky daylight buttressed by long, inescapable stretches of gloom. A settlement lost in the base of a valley; the opening of the tunnel like some mythological beast’s eye gazing wearily from the bedrock.’
Tuva has decided to go to Esseberg, because she’s read a missing person’s report. A teenage boy has gone missing and he is deaf. Tuva, who has recently been through major emotional upheavals, including a significant bereavement, is still feeling her loss and is raw and hurting. She is consumed by the thought that she can help find this missing teenager and that because they share the experience of being deaf, he will communicate with her; letting her know exactly what caused him to vanish.
So, she hares off to Esseberg, a long journey of quite a few hours. What she finds is a very small town, which was once a thriving ski resort, but which has been overshadowed by modern and more accessible resorts. This has left the town’s only hotel towering above it on the peak of the mountain, understaffed and largely without guests most of the year. The hotel is only accessible via a shoogly old chairlift which involves a certain degree of risk and bravery to undertake.
Tuva takes one of only two rooms in the town’s B&B which also doubles as a tanning salon. Equipping herself with breakfast staples – chocolate digestives – she immediately starts to find out the lie of the land and to discover the places where this community gathers.
Will Dean excels in drawing a mental picture of this town with its church community, its biker bar, coffee shop and general store.
There are some great characters whom Tuva meets as she sets out to speak to everyone she meets, gathering a picture in her mind of what the missing Peter was like and how he was perceived in this town. As she does so, Dean invites the reader to consider them all; could one of these people be responsible for Peter going missing? Not everyone welcomes her questions and at first the Police are very wary of her intrusive style.
Everything hots up though when a dead body is found, then more deaths occur. Soon the town is the focus of a major murder hunt and the media are following Tuva to Esseberg with their own questions.
Esseberg has become famous for all the wrong reasons and everyone in it is now a suspect. Dean is especially strong in depicting the way the residents of Esseberg react to these unfolding murders. As the days get shorter and the darkness is all pervasive, the local biker gang serve as the town’s security patrol and villagers won’t go out unaccompanied. There’s only a lonely furrow for Tuva, however and she seems really vulnerable as she pursues her story.
Will Dean does a great job in singling out some very distinctive characters for the reader to consider as he ramps up the tension and the atmosphere chills the air, causing my heart to pound a little faster as Tuva increasingly looks to be in danger.
There are some real surprises in this murder mystery, and some fantastic interactions. I really liked the Sami policewoman and the way she described what her life as a member of the Sami community has been like.
Verdict: With chilling settings, a compelling plot and a fabulous mix of well fleshed out characters, this murder mystery is both thrilling and emotive. My heart always warms to Tuva and this time she’s put through the wringer in a way that makes me want to hug her tight....more
Fire is the third in a series of four individual stories with different narrators, which will comprise a literary quartet of Water, Earth Fire, and AiFire is the third in a series of four individual stories with different narrators, which will comprise a literary quartet of Water, Earth Fire, and Air which form the superb four-novella sequence The Elements.
‘The elements – water, fire, earth, air – are our greatest friends, our animators. They feed us, warm us, give us life, and yet conspire to kill us at every juncture.’
In Fire our narrator is Dr Freya Petrus, an accomplished and dedicated burns specialist. At just 36 years old she is recognised in her field, has a plush apartment, drives a sports car and lacks no material needs. Freya has no close friends; no real warm relationships in her life. She is curt with her staff and somewhat stand-offish. She’s probably closest to her secretary/assistant, Louise who is about to retire.
When her intern, Aaron, asks her why she chose burns as her specialism she responds:
‘The elements destroy everything. Think of water. When someone drowns, and their body floats back to shore, their features are so bloated it can be difficult to identify them. Think of earth. When a body is buried, it starts to decompose immediately. Think of air. If we’re deprived of it for even a few minutes, we die. Then think of fire. When someone’s physical appearance is damaged by burns, we turn away, repulsed. We don’t want to know.’
Outwardly cool and composed, Freya’s exterior persona conceals a burning inner rage that eats away at her. She is inflamed by the fire of retribution and as she states starkly early in her narrative:
‘A doctor in the burns unit should know better than to play with fire.’
Freya had a difficult childhood; abandoned by her mother, Beth, who was a teenage mum. She was brought up in Norfolk by Hannah, her grandmother, herself only 36. Every year, Freya was sent to Cornwall to stay with her mother for the summer. Beth, however, didn’t want to know her daughter. She was more interested in whichever boyfriend was in tow at the time and Freya always felt as if her mother wanted her to turn round and go home as soon as she arrived.
Left to her own devices she runs into the older twin boys who are 14 to Freya’s 12 and whose father lives in a nearby grand house which is undergoing renovations. Pleased to have someone to talk to Freya does her best to fit in with the twins, even to the extent of pretending she agrees with everything they tell her. It is her eagerness to please and her need to have friends that stops this very young and girl from realising just how cruel these boys are.
Boyne raises the nature or nurture debate, but there’s no doubt that what happened to Freya that summer coloured who she became. And she became a monster.
Fire is a dark book and as with the previous two, continues the theme of damage and abuse and how this impact on the characters in these books. Though you can read each as a stand-alone, reading them in order allows you to see that there is one character that features in every book and that another character hands the baton on to a character in the next book. This link is both deliberate and fascinating.
Is John Boyne telling us that like seeks out like or demonstrating that victims will, more often than not, become the perpetrator? Or perhaps that the ripple impact of abuse brings it closer to us than we care to imagine?
This device evokes echoes of Freya’s response to why she chose burns ‘When someone’s physical appearance is damaged by burns, we turn away, repulsed. We don’t want to know.’ That’s also true when we confront a perpetrator of abuse. Do we not also turn away, repulsed? How many of us want to know what brought an abuse victim to turn perpetrator. How much sympathy would we have for them? Then there’s the issue of gender; abuse is not solely confined to the male species.
Fire is a read that you will not find comfortable. 12-year-old Freya’s horrific experiences shaped her adulthood. Her lack of parental care and concern also helped shape who she became. It’s impossible not to feel so sorry for her, but that leads us to wonder how much we can also feel sympathy for her subsequent actions. It’s appropriate, too, to remember that it is Freya who is telling this story. How much of what she tells us is designed to make us feel sympathy for her?
Verdict: As ever John Boyne’s writing is sharp, succinct and very challenging. Long after I had finished reading, I’m still thinking about it. Fire is a powerful and thought-provoking work with depth and nuance. Utterly compelling and I can’t wait for Air, due out next May....more
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