The Mystery Path, part 1

Without any exact planning, I have gone down the mystery path lately. I have read several books that have a mystery and/or murder in it. What I like about them is that they are more like average fiction, rather than a detective story. Only one of them belong to the traditional genre. The other positive thing is that the murders are not that bloody or cruel. Many of the traditional detective/crime stories these days, have these gruesome, cruel and violent murders, which is not so nice to read about. The books I have read lately tend to lean on good, traditional mystery solving à la Agatha Christie.

Ordinary Thunderstorms by William Boyd

Adam Kindred is a scientist, working with climate relating research. He has a meeting with a fellow researcher at his home. When he arrives to the flat, he finds his friend dead, murdered. He is wrongly accused for the murder and has to go underground. In a split second he lost everything; his home and job and his whole life. He can't use his credit cards, he has little money in his pockets.

This is a story of survival. How do you survive without the ordinary comforts we have today, without money in your pockets?  When hunted by the police and the murderer? Kindred encounters all sorts of people on his underworld journey; priests, prostitutes, people sleeping under the bridges and along the Thames, a police woman whom he might be able to trust, or not? It is an interesting journey into the psyche of people with different aims in life. Maybe we can find a happy life, even when we are forced to turn away from the life we expected.  It makes you  think of what is relevant in life. Maybe we don't need all the things we think we need. Quite an extra ordinary story with many twists.

The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides

Said to be the thriller of the year, it is an amazing debut novel. Alicia is a famous painter, married to a fashion photographer. One day when her husband returns home, she shoots him five times in the face, and then refuses to speak. To hide her away from public life she is taken in at the Grove, a secure forensic unit in North London. In spite of various kind of treatments, she remains silent.

Theo Faber is a criminal psychotherapist and has set his mind on working with Alicia. When a position is available at the Grove he manages to secure it. He is sure that he will be able to make her speak. The story is mainly set from Faber's point of view. We follow his treatment of Alice, as well as a story of his private life and relationships. Having been himself a patient in psycho therapy for many years, one can expect a few surprises along the way.

It is an excellently written story. The sympathy lies with both characters, and they are very well molded.  The various doctors within the Institution closely guard their own section of psycho therapy, and something is going on. Faber is a master of analysing the different fractions and actions that are taking place. Not everyone agrees with his take on making Alicia talk. And what does Alicia think?

The ending is a pure surprise and it hits you rather suddenly. I, at least, did not see it coming. The Silent Patient is a psychological thriller that keeps your attention to the very, surprising end. Hitchcock comes to mind. Can't be better than that.

The Muse by Jessie Burton

I loved Burton's first book, The Miniaturist. It came with a lot of good reviews, which always raise your expectation. No problem there, it is a wonderful novel. With such a first book, one has high expectations for the second book, which might lead you to believe that it is really difficult to hit the high mark once again. No worries! This is another wonderful novel and story from Jessie Burton.

Odelle is a young girl, and aspiring author, from Trinidad who comes to live in London in the 1960s. She gets a job as secretary at the Skelton Gallery, to work for the co-director Marjorie Quick. She meets Lawrie in a party and they start going out together. One day Lawrie comes to the gallery with a painting, which is an inheritance from his mother. When Marjorie sees the painting she turns pale.

Olive Schloss is the talented daughter of art dealer Harold Schloss and his wife Sarah. The family lives in Spain in the 1930s, just before the Spanish Civil War starts. They get acquainted with local artist and revolutionary Isaac Robles and his half sister Teresa. She works as a maid in the house, but also becomes a friend to the family. As trouble is looming in Spain, the interaction between Isaac and Teresa and the Schloss family tightens.

Burton's stories, in this excellent novel, is about being talented and daring to do something about it. Odelle, doubts her own talent, and it is only because of Marjorie that she gets a short story published in the papers. Olive Schloss is also talented, but reluctant to go public with her works. Different times, similar parallells. This is a story of daring to follow your dreams, but also a story of, especially, I think, female lack of self confidence in what you are able to achieve. What happens when love enters your life? Does it take over other dreams? Is it possible to combine your love for art with your love for a person? How do you value it, in the years to come?

I love these kind of novels, where the story takes place in different times. It gives you more perspective on the issues, considering the times in which they took place. Burton knots the stories beautifully, but sadly, together in the end. Stories like these, stay with me long after I have finished reading the book.

Jessie Burton is now out with her third book, The Confession. Can't wait to read it.

To be continued...three more novels in part 2.