I had misgivings about this book. Because I had to read it as an e-book rather than a physical book. I’m not good with e-books. May not be rational, may not be logical, may not even be practical but there you have it! However when a book is as complex and intriguing as this one it wasn’t nearly such a problem as it could’ve been. I fairly raced through it because I was desperate to know “who done it“.
‘In the summer of 1994, the quiet seaside town of Orphea reels from the discovery of four murders.
Two young police officers, Jesse Rosenberg and Derek Scott crack the case and identify the killer.
Then, twenty years later and just as he is on the point of taking early retirement, Rosenberg is approached by Stephanie Mailer, a journalist who believes he made a mistake back in 1994 and that the real murderer is still out there, perhaps ready to strike again. But before she can give any more details, Stephanie Mailer mysteriously disappears, and Rosenberg and Scott are forced to confront the possibility that her suspicions might have been proved true.
What happened to Stephanie Mailer?
What did she know?
And what really happened in Orphea all those years ago?’
There’s a lot going on in this book. And there are a lot of people. And you need to keep on top of them all if you are to have a real shot at keeping everything clear in your head. I’m afraid, rather smugly, I did figure out who did do it. But I didn’t figure out all of the hows, the whys and the wheres. What a plot though!
Obviously the murders form the main thrust of the narrative. But as you read you find out that each character has their own story that is fundamental to their presence in Orphea. So it’s very much a multistranded story. The narrative style is quite novel too. There is almost something visual about it. As if you’re watching a police drama programme with a narrator. And although it’s a French novel I found myself hearing the American accent and that’s to do with the US location as well as the fact that it sounded like a black-and-white B film voice-over! And not to mention the superb translation by Howard Curtis.
The unsuspecting reader is led down many garden paths and false trails to try and find out what’s been going on. It seems that many people have things to hide and things they choose not to disclose. It’s like a huge ball of twine that’s got tangled up within its self and everybody is pulling at different strands to try and sort it all out.
It’s a slow, substantial read. And I guess it mirrors the progress at which a lot of police investigations progress. Some may find it overlong. But I think there are enough subplots to keep the majority of readers interested. Well, it certainly kept this reader interested! I became almost frantic towards the end to know if I was right in my hunch about who did do it! And there is a happy ending. Regardless of the fact that the book is about murder, everything is resolved in the end.
My thanks to Milly Reid, MacLehose Press and Quercus Books for a gifted e-book and a chance to participate in the social media blast.
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