All agreed that this fast paced thriller kept the reader hooked from start to finish. Although clearly inspired by Patricia Highsmiths' 'Strangers on a Train' Swanson avoided producing a carbon copy of that classic work by adding a dramatic and shocking twist. The characters are interesting and engaging although all slightly mad, making it quite hard to decide who to root for ( Americanisms allowed as this is an American book). An enjoyable read during which the action crosses continents and reflects varied lifestyles within modern day America. Although the story is quite violent it has a light hearted tone which transcends the most gruesome parts of the story. Many and varied murderous acts, motivated by greed and deceit, are sugar coated, softening the true horror of the plot. This psychological thriller is a well crafted cat and mouse tale that isn't afraid to take risks. There are so many twists and turns that its almost impossible to predict who will emerge triumphant in the battle for revenge. The style of swapping narrators and recapping main plot points at regular intervals means that even the dopiest of readers can keep up. It is a little far fetched and relies heavily on coincidence but over all most loose ends are satisfactorily tied up.
This is Peter Swansons' second novel and is certainly a good advert for the author, we will look out for his debut novel 'The Girl With A Clock For A Heart'.
The Hussies returned to Vercellis Restaurant in Hexham for this months meeting, still noisy but again good value tasty Italian food. The service was no better or worse than you would expect in an Italian Restaurant, although it always seems a little odd when they blow out the candle and start setting the table for the next night, were they trying to tell us something?
This month we will be reading 'The Lie' by C.L.Taylor....
