The Redeemer - Confusing But Impelling!

The Redeemer, by Jo Nesbo is the sixth in the Harry Hole series, which takes the Oslo Police Department's best investigator on the hunt for the killer of a Salvation Army singer who was shot in the street on the run up to Christmas. But there seems to be no obvious suspect, no weapon and no motive. However, we, the reader, know that there is a Croatian assassin on the loose and heading home thinking his work is done. But, it turns out, he has shot the wrong person! With little to work on, and trying to stay sober, Harry finds his way to the former Yugoslavia to hunt for clues ... and the temptation of the bottle hits hard once again. He returns to Oslo, battling his own demons but trying to become the redeemer for the victim, an injured colleague and a new love interest who may not be all that they seem. This is a confusing book, with many characters who are similar and I found it hard to get my head around who was who on quite a few occasions. Despite this irritation, Harry Hole os a compellingly flawed character, who you cannot help but root for despite his shortcomings! The plot is twisty and intriguing and introduced me to new concepts - like hyperplasticity - which makes facial recognition tricky ... ideal for an assassin! The lines between good and bad, and indeed, what makes a redeemer are explored. You are also left guessing as to what's going to happen until the very end, which is always satisfying in a thriller! Recommended, but maybe using the print or ebook, as when you use the audio edition - though fantastically narrated by Sean Barrett - it's tricky to "flick back" to check who each particular character is and how they relate to the plot!

My STAR rating: FOUR

Length: 397 print pages.

Price I paid: £3.99

Formats available: print, unabridged audio download, ebook.

Booth - Interesting Take on History

Booth, by Karen Joy Fowler, recounts the story of the Booth family - an American theatrical dynasty that produced Abraham Lincoln's assassin. In 1822, Englishman Junius Booth, an unstable, but  charming, celebrated Shakespearian actor, moves into a remote cabin outside Baltimore with his wife, who bears him 10 children. The life of this family, of whom only 6 children survive, is told primarily through the eyes of several of the siblings, which is a great device to give differing viewpoints on the same set of circumstances and relationships. We see how their father flits in and out of their lives between tours, and how his sons all want to follow in his footsteps to tread the boards. One, Edwin, becomes as renowned an actor as his father, but, then we also have John Wilkes who, despite having the same upbringing, doesn't have the same acting chops as his brother, but does become radicalised, ending with him killing the president of the United States. How this much loved, but hot tempered middle child becomes the man who changed the course of history is explored through the years of his youth and American Civil War, though at a distance. We don't hear directly from him for much of the time, and he only really takes centre stage towards the back end of the book. What's more interesting perhaps is how does a family, so deeply affected by love, hate, success, failure, addiction and, of course, slavery, even begin to function after one of their own commits such a heinous act? There are some indications of this right at then end, but I would have loved to see more - though perhaps there isn't further information to be found on that score! Widely researched and easy to read, I found this an interesting take on a period of history whose ripples can still be felt in the world today, and can completely understand why it was long listed for the Booker Prize in 2022. I used the audio edition, which is excellently narrated by January LaVoy.

My STAR rating: FOUR.

Length: 496 print pages.

Price I paid: £2.98

Formats available: print, unabridged audio download, ebook.

Tom Lake - Warmly Intimate

Tom Lake, by Ann Enright, is set on a cherry farm in Michigan where Lara and her husband live with their three grown up daughters during the pandemic of 2020. As they harvest the cherries, the daughters beg their mother to tell them the story of her love affair with a famous actor - Peter Duke. And so the narrative switches between the present and the past, as Lara goes back over her youth and early adulthood when she ends up acting in a production of Our Town almost by accident, and finds out that she is really rather good at this acting lark. She ends up in Hollywood for a short time and then goes to Tom Lake as a last minute replacement for the part she knows so well, Emily, in Our Town. It is here she meets the up-and- coming star that is Peter Duke. She falls under his spell and they begin a breathless love affair. During this time, they take a trip to a cherry orchard run by the parents of the director (Joe), and Lara senses the magic of the place. Back at Tom Lake, however, Peter's predilection for drink takes over, and he ends up sleeping with Lara's friend (who is also an actress), and things fall apart, not helped by Lara having an accident that leaves her unable to perform. She gives up acting and somehow finds her way back to that cherry orchard... The characters are well drawn, though the daughters can be a little irritating - especially the eldest who is convinced that Peter Duke is her father! This tale of fame, family and love, in all its forms, is beautifully told, and I found myself rooting for Lara despite her youthful follies. Whilst Lara reveals much of her past, it is really pleasing that some details she just shares with us, the reader, rather than her needy children! This helped give the novel a feeling of intimacy. I used the audio edition which was fantastically narrated by Meryl Streep. Definitely can recommend this to almost anyone, and I will be searching out more by the author.

My STAR rating: FOUR.

Length: 336 print pages.

Price I paid: £7.99.

Formats available: print, unabridged audio download, ebook.