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Visibility
In 1950s London, an MI-5 outcast stumbles upon a secret that will change the world – if he can stay alive long enough to tell it. A page-turner for fans of ‘Enigma’ from the bestselling author of ‘Messiah’. London, 1952. As the fog rolls in, the chase begins… A stranger's approach offering highly sensitive information seemed routine to an ex-spy turned policeman. But when a body turns up instead of state secrets, Detective Inspector Herbert Smith finds himself in a race against time to solve the murder. For he is not the only one after the dead man's secret. It seems the CIA, KGB and MI-5 are all vying to get to the truth first and some are prepared to kill for it. As the Great Smog descends on London, bringing chaos and death, Herbert finds himself facing one of the greatest evils of the twentieth century. At stake is the biggest prize of the key to life itself.
Paperback
First published August 14, 2006
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About the author
Boris Starling
57 books142 followersBoris Starling's writing career began at the age of eight, when his English teacher spotted that his short story was (a) unusually good for a child his age (b) copied verbatim from Tintin's 'Prisoners Of The Sun.' (That was also the first time he learnt the word 'verbatim', not to mention the term 'copyright violation'.)
All his work since then has been strictly his own. He has written eight novels, including Sunday Times and New York Times bestsellers. Five appear under his own name (Messiah, Storm, Vodka, Visibility and, in a daring breakout from one-word titles, The Stay-Behind Cave) and three as Daniel Blake (Soul Murder (UK)/Thou Shalt Kill (US), City Of Sins (UK)/City Of The Dead (US) and White Death). Every one of these books features someone dying horribly somewhere along the way. Sometimes they even deserve it.
Boris also created the 'Messiah' franchise which ran for seven years on BBC1, and has written screenplays for productions in the UK and US.
He has inherited his grandfather's male pattern baldness, but sadly not his prodigious height. He is a keen sportsman, though he has now reached the age where enthusiasm and experience are beginning to trump sheer skill. He lives in Dorset, England, with his wife, children, greyhounds, and however many chickens manage to keep clear of marauding foxes.
All his work since then has been strictly his own. He has written eight novels, including Sunday Times and New York Times bestsellers. Five appear under his own name (Messiah, Storm, Vodka, Visibility and, in a daring breakout from one-word titles, The Stay-Behind Cave) and three as Daniel Blake (Soul Murder (UK)/Thou Shalt Kill (US), City Of Sins (UK)/City Of The Dead (US) and White Death). Every one of these books features someone dying horribly somewhere along the way. Sometimes they even deserve it.
Boris also created the 'Messiah' franchise which ran for seven years on BBC1, and has written screenplays for productions in the UK and US.
He has inherited his grandfather's male pattern baldness, but sadly not his prodigious height. He is a keen sportsman, though he has now reached the age where enthusiasm and experience are beginning to trump sheer skill. He lives in Dorset, England, with his wife, children, greyhounds, and however many chickens manage to keep clear of marauding foxes.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 63 reviews
September 3, 2016
As a fearful fog moves through London, Herbert Smith of London's murder squad is on the hunt for a suspect who killed a young scientist in the murky waters of Long Water. London is gripped by this fog which is such a pea souper that it causes ambulances and police to lose their way and hinders people who become lost though they know the area as well as the back of their hand. The fog is also toxic and it makes many people sick and unable to breathe. The hospitals are full of people suffering from breathing difficulties and bronchial ailments. Herbert meets many people of interest in his quest to find the killer. During his investigation he makes friends with Hannah, a blind diver who searches the river for evidence in the case. Her help proves to be invaluable in the fog since she doesn't depend on sight to help her get around.
Shady characters come out of the woodwork and spies are around every corner. It seems that the young scientist had proof of something that could change the entire world.
After the war, there was spy activity from Russia, England, USA and elsewhere. The hunt was on for Nazi war criminals and there were hunts for communists. And everyone wanted intelligence. Who could be trusted? Who was a spy? Who was a Nazi, or a commie or a double agent? Who had secrets that could change the world? The unsettled atmosphere of post World War II is present in this spy caper set in enshrouding fog in the city by the Thames. The dense fog adds to the mysterious atmosphere as the story skips back and forth between Nazi occupation and the hunt for the mysterious killer where the suspect list grows with each piece of evidence that Herbert discovers.
I really enjoyed this story. It was the first book I've read by Boris Starling and I will look for more of his work. If you like a good post World War II yarn with all the paranoia and intrigue, this is a great story and it is filled with the atmosphere of London in 1952.
Shady characters come out of the woodwork and spies are around every corner. It seems that the young scientist had proof of something that could change the entire world.
After the war, there was spy activity from Russia, England, USA and elsewhere. The hunt was on for Nazi war criminals and there were hunts for communists. And everyone wanted intelligence. Who could be trusted? Who was a spy? Who was a Nazi, or a commie or a double agent? Who had secrets that could change the world? The unsettled atmosphere of post World War II is present in this spy caper set in enshrouding fog in the city by the Thames. The dense fog adds to the mysterious atmosphere as the story skips back and forth between Nazi occupation and the hunt for the mysterious killer where the suspect list grows with each piece of evidence that Herbert discovers.
I really enjoyed this story. It was the first book I've read by Boris Starling and I will look for more of his work. If you like a good post World War II yarn with all the paranoia and intrigue, this is a great story and it is filled with the atmosphere of London in 1952.
August 5, 2012
Police procedural turned spy thriller in the 1952 Great London Fog. This made the rounds of my disabled friends with general approbation for the blind police diver turned love interest for the protagonist. She is, indeed, lively and independent and smart and fierce, and she is allowed to have a sex life without being killed off! And her regular putdowns of the protagonist’s standard-issue ablism are pretty great.
I wish I could have liked this more, but despite her, I found this intensely tedious. I generally have that reaction to spy nonsense, and I also found this thematic London fog/blindness/visibility/seeing with your eyes versus seeing with your mind thing kind of obvious and tiresome. This also took a few . . . odd psychological turns, and when it was all said and done, I just . . . didn’t get it. Not even enough to know whether someone who digs spy nonsense would dig this.
I wish I could have liked this more, but despite her, I found this intensely tedious. I generally have that reaction to spy nonsense, and I also found this thematic London fog/blindness/visibility/seeing with your eyes versus seeing with your mind thing kind of obvious and tiresome. This also took a few . . . odd psychological turns, and when it was all said and done, I just . . . didn’t get it. Not even enough to know whether someone who digs spy nonsense would dig this.
March 3, 2022
Very impressive thriller which also contains a love story, a holocaust survival and a murder investigation.
I had it in my shelves for years before i picked it up two days ago. whe know that this unknown Englishman Boris Starling wrote good thrillers!
I had it in my shelves for years before i picked it up two days ago. whe know that this unknown Englishman Boris Starling wrote good thrillers!
May 8, 2008
VISIBILITY (Police Proc-Herbert Smith-England-1952) - VG
Starling, Boris – 4th book
An Onyx Book, 2008, US Paperback ISBN – 9780451412508
First Sentence: The fog was coming, without and within.
Det. Herbert Smith is dealing with a body found in the shallows of the Long Water and trying to investigate a case where England’s Five, the espionage division of which Smith had been a member, the CIA and the KGB.
Making the investigation even more difficult is the worst fog London has ever seen, but Smith is aided by Hannah Mortimer, a police diver with a tragic past.
Starling created an excellent sense of place. The denseness of the fog becomes integral to the story. He also excels at character development allowing you to learn about the characters continually thorough the story, as one would get to know people in real life. In fact, the core of the story really was about Herbert and Hannah and what made them who they are. The rest felt secondary around that.
The story also lacked a strong element of suspense until you were more than half way through the story. There was a lot of detail, some I found fascinating, some boring but I learned a lot.
A firm editing hand would have helped this book tremendously. Although nothing with ever touch Starling’s first book “Messiah,” I did enjoy this book.
Starling, Boris – 4th book
An Onyx Book, 2008, US Paperback ISBN – 9780451412508
First Sentence: The fog was coming, without and within.
Det. Herbert Smith is dealing with a body found in the shallows of the Long Water and trying to investigate a case where England’s Five, the espionage division of which Smith had been a member, the CIA and the KGB.
Making the investigation even more difficult is the worst fog London has ever seen, but Smith is aided by Hannah Mortimer, a police diver with a tragic past.
Starling created an excellent sense of place. The denseness of the fog becomes integral to the story. He also excels at character development allowing you to learn about the characters continually thorough the story, as one would get to know people in real life. In fact, the core of the story really was about Herbert and Hannah and what made them who they are. The rest felt secondary around that.
The story also lacked a strong element of suspense until you were more than half way through the story. There was a lot of detail, some I found fascinating, some boring but I learned a lot.
A firm editing hand would have helped this book tremendously. Although nothing with ever touch Starling’s first book “Messiah,” I did enjoy this book.
February 27, 2014
I knew I was in trouble quite early when the protagonist checked a car out of the New Scotland Yard motor pool, drove it to a crime scene, and then took the train home. After one hundred pages, the car is still sitting on the street at the crime scene with no one missing it. After one hundred tortured pages of numbing boredom, I still have only a vague understanding of what the story is about or who the fuzzy characters are. I can't finish it. The over the top faux-sophistication and obnoxiously flowery language is pretentious and overblown to the point of being laughable. There aren’t even chapter breaks in the traditional sense, only never-ending pages of boredom with assorted ill-defined scene breaks that jar you back to consciousness long enough to question what’s going on. Can’t sleep? This “thriller” is the perfect solution!
June 15, 2016
Há muito tempo que não lia um livro tão "secante" e confuso como este, e se não fosse a grande admiração que tenho por este autor, garanto que já o tinha largado há muito. Fiz um esforço enorme para chegar ao fim do livro e, em mais de 300 páginas, deve ter havido cerca de uma dúzia que me entusiasmaram.
A história é confusa, personagens em excesso que são abolutamente desnecessárias para o enredo do livro, muita "palha" e pouca emoção.
É a prova que até os bons autores têm os seus maus momentos...
A história é confusa, personagens em excesso que são abolutamente desnecessárias para o enredo do livro, muita "palha" e pouca emoção.
É a prova que até os bons autores têm os seus maus momentos...
July 27, 2019
This story began well, but then slowed down and became a minutely described series of improbable events. The atmosphere of 1952 London did add interest, although I found the endless descriptions of the fog tiresome. Not so tiresome as the people who had to live through it, I suppose.
Although the background research is sound, as other reviewers note here, the language is that of the 1990s rather than the 1950s. Other reviews pointed out the use of "awesome" and "do the math." I noticed "serial killer" - in the the 1950s such a person would be termed a psychopathic murderer - and also "party" used as a verb, not a noun. Another jarring moment was when a nurse walks into a ward to talk to a patient and visitor, and they both address her immediately by her first name. Most unlikely. In a 1950s British hospital, she would be "Nurse xxx" or "Sister xxx" if in charge of the ward.
Although the background research is sound, as other reviewers note here, the language is that of the 1990s rather than the 1950s. Other reviews pointed out the use of "awesome" and "do the math." I noticed "serial killer" - in the the 1950s such a person would be termed a psychopathic murderer - and also "party" used as a verb, not a noun. Another jarring moment was when a nurse walks into a ward to talk to a patient and visitor, and they both address her immediately by her first name. Most unlikely. In a 1950s British hospital, she would be "Nurse xxx" or "Sister xxx" if in charge of the ward.
November 29, 2010
The book is set in 1952 London when the worst 5 day fog took place; travel was impossible, pollutants in the fog were making people ill and killing the vulnerable population. Policeman Herbert is sent to investigate a murder and becomes involved in politics, espionage, treason and high-ranking Nazis. The book moves along quickly, will keep you up reading long after you should have gone to bed. When you finally finish it, the question is -- was this a true story? If not, then one of the most clever endings I've ever seen. I still can't decide.
August 11, 2008
The terrible fog of 1952 permeates every page of this thriller set in London. There are murders, links to the Holocaust, scientific discoveries & espionage, a war-weary policeman, a blind girl tortured by Dr. Mengele, Americans & Russians, & idiotic bureaucrats. Did transitor radios exist in 1952??
September 18, 2008
I certainly wouldn't recommend this to anyone. The plot was dull and predictable, the characters were thin and none stirred any emotion. The fog was a cheap tool to force suspense when none existed in the story. Ultimately it was flat and forced.
July 2, 2014
Took too long to get to the point. Too many anachronisms. Too much moralizing.
August 24, 2017
Sadly I'm disappointed with this read. I loved the book Messiah, but this one didn't live up to that.
the story was boring , slow and characters weren't of much interest.
the story was boring , slow and characters weren't of much interest.
March 22, 2018
When I had finished this book I was crushed that it was over. I read it in two days not willing to put it down. I think I even skipped a couple of meals!
June 17, 2020
Having read Vodka & Messiah I was interested in this when I saw it at the bookstore, and the large swastika on the cover had me intrigued as a fan of historical fiction involving that period of European history.
Is it on par with the prior mentioned books? For the most part yes, it is certainly a very atmospheric portrayal of the great fog that occurred in 1952 in London and this forms a crucial part in nearly every scene.
The story involves an ex-spy turned policeman investigating the murder of a scientist in a London park. As investigations proceed it turns out this scientist may have been trying to sell cutting edge scientific knowledge to British, American & Soviet spies. There's a good element of mystery, a few twists and turns and a reasonable level of character depth.
What I found most interesting was the afterword, which like Ranulph Fienness' Secret Hunters implies that the events portrayed are in fact factual, but presented as fiction in order to be published.
Overall, it was a solid enjoyable tale.
Is it on par with the prior mentioned books? For the most part yes, it is certainly a very atmospheric portrayal of the great fog that occurred in 1952 in London and this forms a crucial part in nearly every scene.
The story involves an ex-spy turned policeman investigating the murder of a scientist in a London park. As investigations proceed it turns out this scientist may have been trying to sell cutting edge scientific knowledge to British, American & Soviet spies. There's a good element of mystery, a few twists and turns and a reasonable level of character depth.
What I found most interesting was the afterword, which like Ranulph Fienness' Secret Hunters implies that the events portrayed are in fact factual, but presented as fiction in order to be published.
Overall, it was a solid enjoyable tale.
September 9, 2018
The main character, Herbert, derivative from the world of George Smiley.… weary, hollow, and alone. Been there and done that. To say that there are plot digressions is to say that water is wet. For an Inspector with a murder to solve, he spends little time working on it. Even in 1952, forensics turned up useful things. Not in this story, despite evidence readily available. One of those books that offers a nasty choice of slogging on to the end, or finding that you don’t care enough about the characters or plot to bother.
July 24, 2019
Starling wonderfully evokes post-war London with its chest-clogging fogs. An interesting story line, although the pace gets significantly slowed down by lots of details from a blind Jewish girl who describes her time at Aushwitz at various points throughout the story. Although it's relevant to the storyline, it does make it drag at those places.
Overall, though, a very enjoyable read.
Overall, though, a very enjoyable read.
March 23, 2020
Fascinating read, deserves a second (at least) read. Held my interest from the first page, of course, I had it all figured out several times and still floored during the last few pages. Interesting how he took actual people and created a wonderful mystery. Looking forward to reading more of Starling. Thank you for writing, mikiel
February 20, 2018
I enjoyed the look into the characters past and present in the book. Well written, making easy reading. I also enjoyed thinking about about hard solving crimes was before smartphones and out knowledge of DNA!
January 3, 2023
Probably I reading this in page 110, and have a real feeling at any actual description and could have interesting.
Regulary, I think again German crul activity in Belsen and Ausbitchi and so on described in this novel
Hanna, or poor blind girl and twins I love her so much
Regulary, I think again German crul activity in Belsen and Ausbitchi and so on described in this novel
Hanna, or poor blind girl and twins I love her so much
December 5, 2024
Good book. I like the writing style here. The story took a while to warm up, but it was very nicely put together.
The chapters, if one could call them that, are very, very long which makes it difficult to find a place to pause.
The chapters, if one could call them that, are very, very long which makes it difficult to find a place to pause.
April 30, 2022
A story of the Cold War, inserting true life people and events into a fictional story. It took me a long time to read as there was a lot of detail.
May 7, 2022
Really enjoyed this book.
October 3, 2022
The plot is cool but the chapters are too long. Kinda make me unmotivated to read. However the ending saves this book. Ouh one more thing, this book is based on true story
February 8, 2024
Interesting read. A little history thrown in with a murder mystery.
November 28, 2025
Not great. This read like a 1940's pulp book
with childish action sequences.
Not recommended
with childish action sequences.
Not recommended
March 16, 2017
First half intriguing, second half waiting for it to end
September 8, 2016
VISIBILITY is the fourth book from Boris Starling. It is set in 1952 in London in the middle of one of the last great, lingering pea-souper fogs.
VISIBILITY could be a reference to the fog which is all pervading and dictates all of the action and events in this post-war thriller. When biochemist Max Stensness is found drowned in early in the evening, in the middle of the fog, Herbert Smith, ex-MI5 and now member of Scotland Yard's Murder Squad gets the case because it's probably going to be an uninteresting one, and the rest of the murder squad are very unwelcoming and suspicious of Herbert's background.
VISIBILITY could also be a reference to Hannah, the underwater diver called on to search the location where Stensness's body is found. Hannah is Hungarian, blind and a refugee from the Nazi concentration camps.
VISIBILITY could also be a reference to the world of espionage. When Herbert gradually reveals more about the victim he finds that he is back looking at the world of spies, informers, the CIA, the KGB and MI5, despite the fact that he's now looking at it from the point of view of a murder investigation.
VISIBILITY finally could also be a reference to the events surrounding the end of the war and the dissipation of all levels of Nazi party members.
The design of the plot of this book intertwines a lot of historical components - setting the place and the time for the book squarely in a world still dealing with the fallout of the Second World War. Herbert Smith is an interesting detective character, having been forced from MI5 and feeling the effects of a life as a spy which has made him a very lonely, conflicted man. He has a complex and difficult relationship with his mother, currently hospitalised with chronic respitory ailments, exacerbated by the fog. Hannah is a lively, interesting, exciting character, who despite suffering dreadfully at the hands of the Nazi's is not a victim. She's a really strong, capable, independent woman and her blindness is not a disability.
The only minor criticism is that the final outcome is a twist of historical fact which is an approach that can be confronting - what is actually the truth and what did you read in a fiction book? Other than that small, probably personal quibble, this is a good, paced, interesting and involving book with some very engaging characters.
VISIBILITY could be a reference to the fog which is all pervading and dictates all of the action and events in this post-war thriller. When biochemist Max Stensness is found drowned in early in the evening, in the middle of the fog, Herbert Smith, ex-MI5 and now member of Scotland Yard's Murder Squad gets the case because it's probably going to be an uninteresting one, and the rest of the murder squad are very unwelcoming and suspicious of Herbert's background.
VISIBILITY could also be a reference to Hannah, the underwater diver called on to search the location where Stensness's body is found. Hannah is Hungarian, blind and a refugee from the Nazi concentration camps.
VISIBILITY could also be a reference to the world of espionage. When Herbert gradually reveals more about the victim he finds that he is back looking at the world of spies, informers, the CIA, the KGB and MI5, despite the fact that he's now looking at it from the point of view of a murder investigation.
VISIBILITY finally could also be a reference to the events surrounding the end of the war and the dissipation of all levels of Nazi party members.
The design of the plot of this book intertwines a lot of historical components - setting the place and the time for the book squarely in a world still dealing with the fallout of the Second World War. Herbert Smith is an interesting detective character, having been forced from MI5 and feeling the effects of a life as a spy which has made him a very lonely, conflicted man. He has a complex and difficult relationship with his mother, currently hospitalised with chronic respitory ailments, exacerbated by the fog. Hannah is a lively, interesting, exciting character, who despite suffering dreadfully at the hands of the Nazi's is not a victim. She's a really strong, capable, independent woman and her blindness is not a disability.
The only minor criticism is that the final outcome is a twist of historical fact which is an approach that can be confronting - what is actually the truth and what did you read in a fiction book? Other than that small, probably personal quibble, this is a good, paced, interesting and involving book with some very engaging characters.
October 18, 2019
This is my first book by this author Boris Starling, picked up on a whim.
In a way, I'm happy to take a breather from "best sellers". What's in the market today? All the best sellers are same, like one reviewer said "Curse you, Dan Brown". At least 50% of the books are DaVinci types, even 3-4 years after the fact, then you got your serial killers, rapists, your comic book adventure (Cussler/Reilly/DuBrul) types, your Kontz's, Kings, Patterson's, etc. Yawn, yawn, and triple yawn.
Then you got this one, a 1952 England post-WW2 police mystery. Alright, I thought I'd give it a chance. Not much happens in 1952 England, right?
Right away, I realized that Boris is a very good writer. I have to separate my comments into two parts. First are the characters, second is the story. When I say Boris is a good writer, I mean that he has a great talent of writing believable characters. The characters come across as having realistic 3 dimensional personalities that really come alive from the pages. Not many authors can do that. To many authors, characters are just to move the story along, not much depth to them, but Boris's characters have a lot of depth. I enjoyed reading these characters.
Second is the story. Unfortunately, I'm somewhat right about 1952 England. After reading reams of pages on serial killers, the Vatican, long lost treasures, hunts across 3 continents, long dead acquaintances suddenly leaving e-mail for you, 1952 England is somewhat of a let down. I won't reveal much of the story, all I'll say is that the protagonist is a Scotland Yard Inspector who used to be in MI5 during the war. However, Boris does a very good job of describing 1952 England. In looking at his picture on the back I'm very surprised to find him so young. OK, he's a Londoner, but how does he write such a realistic background. For this and the characters I give him full marks. For the story, I give him an A for effort.
So, to summarize, this book isn't as exciting as many of the books on the best seller list, but Boris' character development somewhat makes up for it. And if you want to lose yourself from 2007 and put yourself in another place, say 1952 England then this book is just great. And to top it off, Boris is a very good writer. I'll definitely read his other books.
I got this as a free ARC.
In a way, I'm happy to take a breather from "best sellers". What's in the market today? All the best sellers are same, like one reviewer said "Curse you, Dan Brown". At least 50% of the books are DaVinci types, even 3-4 years after the fact, then you got your serial killers, rapists, your comic book adventure (Cussler/Reilly/DuBrul) types, your Kontz's, Kings, Patterson's, etc. Yawn, yawn, and triple yawn.
Then you got this one, a 1952 England post-WW2 police mystery. Alright, I thought I'd give it a chance. Not much happens in 1952 England, right?
Right away, I realized that Boris is a very good writer. I have to separate my comments into two parts. First are the characters, second is the story. When I say Boris is a good writer, I mean that he has a great talent of writing believable characters. The characters come across as having realistic 3 dimensional personalities that really come alive from the pages. Not many authors can do that. To many authors, characters are just to move the story along, not much depth to them, but Boris's characters have a lot of depth. I enjoyed reading these characters.
Second is the story. Unfortunately, I'm somewhat right about 1952 England. After reading reams of pages on serial killers, the Vatican, long lost treasures, hunts across 3 continents, long dead acquaintances suddenly leaving e-mail for you, 1952 England is somewhat of a let down. I won't reveal much of the story, all I'll say is that the protagonist is a Scotland Yard Inspector who used to be in MI5 during the war. However, Boris does a very good job of describing 1952 England. In looking at his picture on the back I'm very surprised to find him so young. OK, he's a Londoner, but how does he write such a realistic background. For this and the characters I give him full marks. For the story, I give him an A for effort.
So, to summarize, this book isn't as exciting as many of the books on the best seller list, but Boris' character development somewhat makes up for it. And if you want to lose yourself from 2007 and put yourself in another place, say 1952 England then this book is just great. And to top it off, Boris is a very good writer. I'll definitely read his other books.
I got this as a free ARC.
March 5, 2012
I occasionally pick up books like Boris Starling’s Visibility for a quick, mindless read. The primary requirement is that the book be free, which doesn’t say a whole lot for my standards but what the heck.
Visibility isn’t awful and is, in fact, entertaining. It serves its purpose, at any rate. Set in London in 1952 during one of the worst fogs in English history, this cop/spy thriller has all the requisite pieces necessary to do the job of being a thriller.
I will say, however, that the book sometimes seems clumsy to me, like carrying a lot of packages and bags and a large coffee and fishing for your keys to unlock your car door. Most of the time, things run fairly smoothly in the dialogue and narration but there were too many bumps in the road for full immersion. The dialogue of foreigners, in particular, is a bit forced. The narration too often strays into the sort of philosophical analysis that should only be practiced by the most skilled writers, who generally don’t practice it, anyway. Lines like, “…lips like lightly plumped pillows (page 29) and “…a line of worshippers at a New Orleans temple of warm sex” are decidedly amateurish. The conversation between Hannah and Rosalind on pages 257 and 258 is absurd.
Starling also kind of slips up here and there with his use of words. Papworth describes a scientist as “awesome” in the modern sense of the word, meaning very good or amazing. Visibility takes place in 1952 while the first recorded use of “awesome” as Papworth uses it is 1961.
On a personal note, I hate when anyone uses the word “retard” unless they put the emphasis on the second syllable and mean, “to slow down.” I understand when an author has a character use the word, or any offensive word, to communicate something about the character’s personality to the reader, but I think it’s unforgivable for an author to use the word in narration, as Starling does on page 218:
Papworth turned to Hannah. “Who-are-you?” he said slowly, as though she didn’t speak English, or was a child, or a retard, or all three.
Using “retard” in that way is, more or less, an author being an *sshole.
And “cockstruck” (page 166) is just a stupid word.
Visibility isn’t awful and is, in fact, entertaining. It serves its purpose, at any rate. Set in London in 1952 during one of the worst fogs in English history, this cop/spy thriller has all the requisite pieces necessary to do the job of being a thriller.
I will say, however, that the book sometimes seems clumsy to me, like carrying a lot of packages and bags and a large coffee and fishing for your keys to unlock your car door. Most of the time, things run fairly smoothly in the dialogue and narration but there were too many bumps in the road for full immersion. The dialogue of foreigners, in particular, is a bit forced. The narration too often strays into the sort of philosophical analysis that should only be practiced by the most skilled writers, who generally don’t practice it, anyway. Lines like, “…lips like lightly plumped pillows (page 29) and “…a line of worshippers at a New Orleans temple of warm sex” are decidedly amateurish. The conversation between Hannah and Rosalind on pages 257 and 258 is absurd.
Starling also kind of slips up here and there with his use of words. Papworth describes a scientist as “awesome” in the modern sense of the word, meaning very good or amazing. Visibility takes place in 1952 while the first recorded use of “awesome” as Papworth uses it is 1961.
On a personal note, I hate when anyone uses the word “retard” unless they put the emphasis on the second syllable and mean, “to slow down.” I understand when an author has a character use the word, or any offensive word, to communicate something about the character’s personality to the reader, but I think it’s unforgivable for an author to use the word in narration, as Starling does on page 218:
Papworth turned to Hannah. “Who-are-you?” he said slowly, as though she didn’t speak English, or was a child, or a retard, or all three.
Using “retard” in that way is, more or less, an author being an *sshole.
And “cockstruck” (page 166) is just a stupid word.
October 14, 2014
I am a big fan of Boris Starling's Messiah so, although I wasn't particularly struck by the blurb of this book, I thought I'd give it a whirl. Either fortunately or unfortunately, my copy contained a hugely misleading blurb which spoke excitedly of a rising body count (there isn't), and the tagline "Now you see it, now you're dead" (you aren't).
This is a very claustrophobic novel and it does a decent job of evoking the thick London fog the characters move through as they go about their investigations. However, there's little feeling of threat. There's a secret the MC, Herbert Smith, is trying to find out but - and particularly because this is set in the 50s - it's not exciting enough. At the grand reveal I was waiting for a second denouement, or some tension, or anything at all to get me past the mild disappointment (particularly as if I had a better memory for names I would have had an idea where this was going within the first third).
This book reminds me very much of Robert Harris' Fatherland - it has the same cold atmosphere and gradual pacing, but where that had an emotional impact (by pulling a neat little trick with what we, the modern reader knows, vs what the MC in that knows), here Starling's neat plotting is slightly too dull. The pieces are there and they all line up well enough, but ... I could easily have given up on this one.
This is a very claustrophobic novel and it does a decent job of evoking the thick London fog the characters move through as they go about their investigations. However, there's little feeling of threat. There's a secret the MC, Herbert Smith, is trying to find out but - and particularly because this is set in the 50s - it's not exciting enough. At the grand reveal I was waiting for a second denouement, or some tension, or anything at all to get me past the mild disappointment (particularly as if I had a better memory for names I would have had an idea where this was going within the first third).
This book reminds me very much of Robert Harris' Fatherland - it has the same cold atmosphere and gradual pacing, but where that had an emotional impact (by pulling a neat little trick with what we, the modern reader knows, vs what the MC in that knows), here Starling's neat plotting is slightly too dull. The pieces are there and they all line up well enough, but ... I could easily have given up on this one.
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