Russell Celyn Jones

This is a novel of the genre I call psychological thrillers--think for example Ruth Rendell. Ray, a river pilot on the Thames, leads an ostensibly content life--good marriage, healthy and happy children, nice home and job. But Ray harbors a deep, dark secret from his past, something his wife, family and friends know nothing about, and one day that secret rears its ugly head. From then on, Ray makes some pretty poor decisions, digging a deeper and deeper hole for himself. To a certain extent it annoys me when characters in books do this--make decisions that are clearly going to end badly. I find myself wondering whether such a character, who has, as Ray, been painted as intelligent and decent, would realistically have made such decisions, or whether my own biases and belief that the decisions are wrong cause me to question the author's ability to develop realistic characters.

Putting this quibble aside, this book explores the interesting theme of whether there are some deeds, including in this instance deeds committed as a child, that can never be atoned for. (This was a theme in another book I read a few years ago that I think is a better book than this one, Boy A by Jonathan Trigell.)

I also enjoyed the background of river navigation on the Thames aspect of this book.

3 stars… (més)

This was an odd read – some great writing that you sail effortlessly through, interspersed with some yawnworthy stretches – thinking particularly of the long descriptions of river navigation – that drag like a dredger stuck in the mud. Not to mention a tendency towards unexpected jump-shifts from calm to turmoil in the blinking of an eye: the car crash (fine, that’s the way they happen) the drama on the beach (to be honest I’m not sure what that section contributed to the whole).

Despite any misgivings I had about the style, this has to be a five star review as far as I’m concerned, because once you get a couple of chapters in the story demands to be read. There is a tabloidy fascination about the plot, not necessarily a bad thing. I read it with a feeling of foreboding lodged in the pit of my stomach. You know what is going to happen and are powerless to prevent it but you have to see how it plays out. Celestine was a particularly brilliant character – causer of so much aggro and yet surely worthy of sympathy too. So much to think about. Not a novel I’ll forget in a hurry.… (més)

An interesting novel, with some different themes.
Set in a north Wales slate quarry in the late 1930s, Aaron is an American private detective, hired by the quarry owner to find out the secret of the quarryman's trade. The quarry workers go on strike for two years and the story follows the life of the family Aaron is lodging with through this time. In parallel, is the story of Aaron's return to the area in 1959, meeting again some of the people he knew at that time.
This is an erotic and dramatic novel with plenty of open air and fierce sex, brooding landscapes and people, aggression and Methodist preaching. It shows the poverty of the time, some of the humour and the difference between the rich and poor.… (més)