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Frame 37: The gripping political thriller from a prizewinning author
IN A WORLD OF LIES, PROOF IS POWER.
Ex-journalist John Dyer must take on a dangerous political conspiracy to bring a killer to justice in this gripping thriller by an award-winning writer.
John Dyer is living a quiet life when he receives a call that changes an old university friend, Lia, has been killed. Decades have passed since his last heartbreaking conversation with her, but Dyer finds himself driven to investigate.
What Dyer uncovers puts him in the path of a political conspiracy with one man at its heart. A man who forty years ago committed a crime witnessed by just four people. When another of the witnesses dies in suspicious circumstances, Dyer finds himself in danger of his life. To combat the forces arrayed against him, he needs incontrovertible proof – but will he find it in time?
As Dyer chases his leads from Tasmania to Argentina and finally to Michigan, where it all began, he unwittingly pits himself against an adversary more powerful than he could have imagined, in a race as heartstopping as tomorrow’s headlines.
PRAISE FOR NICHOLAS
'An absorbing thriller with shades of John le Carré' Evening Standard
'A remarkable contemporary thriller... A triumph' William Boyd
'One of our best and truest novelists' The Times
'Exciting... A page-turner' Daily Telegraph
‘Wonderfully well written... with an insidious escalation of menace, and paranoia that fairly shimmers off the pages’ Guardian
Ex-journalist John Dyer must take on a dangerous political conspiracy to bring a killer to justice in this gripping thriller by an award-winning writer.
John Dyer is living a quiet life when he receives a call that changes an old university friend, Lia, has been killed. Decades have passed since his last heartbreaking conversation with her, but Dyer finds himself driven to investigate.
What Dyer uncovers puts him in the path of a political conspiracy with one man at its heart. A man who forty years ago committed a crime witnessed by just four people. When another of the witnesses dies in suspicious circumstances, Dyer finds himself in danger of his life. To combat the forces arrayed against him, he needs incontrovertible proof – but will he find it in time?
As Dyer chases his leads from Tasmania to Argentina and finally to Michigan, where it all began, he unwittingly pits himself against an adversary more powerful than he could have imagined, in a race as heartstopping as tomorrow’s headlines.
PRAISE FOR NICHOLAS
'An absorbing thriller with shades of John le Carré' Evening Standard
'A remarkable contemporary thriller... A triumph' William Boyd
'One of our best and truest novelists' The Times
'Exciting... A page-turner' Daily Telegraph
‘Wonderfully well written... with an insidious escalation of menace, and paranoia that fairly shimmers off the pages’ Guardian
372 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 14, 2026
About the author
Nicholas Shakespeare
41 books116 followersNicholas William Richmond Shakespeare is a English novelist and biographer.
Born to a diplomat, Nicholas Shakespeare grew up in the Far East and in South America. He was educated at the Dragon School preparatory school in Oxford, then at Winchester College and at Magdalene College, Cambridge. He worked as a journalist for BBC television and then on The Times as assistant arts and literary editor. From 1988 to 1991 he was literary editor of The Daily Telegraph and The Sunday Telegraph.
Since 2000, Shakespeare has been Patron of the Anita Goulden Trust, helping children in the Peruvian city of Piura. The UK-based charity was set up following an article that Shakespeare wrote for the Daily Telegraph magazine, which raised more than £350,000.
He is a fellow of the Royal Society of Literature. He is married with two small boys and currently lives in Oxford.
Born to a diplomat, Nicholas Shakespeare grew up in the Far East and in South America. He was educated at the Dragon School preparatory school in Oxford, then at Winchester College and at Magdalene College, Cambridge. He worked as a journalist for BBC television and then on The Times as assistant arts and literary editor. From 1988 to 1991 he was literary editor of The Daily Telegraph and The Sunday Telegraph.
Since 2000, Shakespeare has been Patron of the Anita Goulden Trust, helping children in the Peruvian city of Piura. The UK-based charity was set up following an article that Shakespeare wrote for the Daily Telegraph magazine, which raised more than £350,000.
He is a fellow of the Royal Society of Literature. He is married with two small boys and currently lives in Oxford.
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
July 15, 2026
Lovely Lia whose beauty is hammered into us on a regular basis--why can’t someone write a good novel about a woman everyone’s in love with, who actually has a face like a horse’s butt?--anyway, lovely Lia’s been murdered and the old gang tries to regroup, 40 or so years later, to solve the mystery. For some unknown, unsubstantiated reason I thought this was going to be a spy novel. I had flipped through and seen the word "mole" repeated, maybe that was the hook. (Silly me, they were talkiing about actual moles.) I’d loved the author’s earlier book Inheritance despite its ornate writing, and was pleased to pick this new one up. I’m not sure I’d describe the writing here as flowery, more quirky, singular and occasionally bizarre.
Yes, I’m hammering at my point here, but the deadly serious crime at the heart of this book keeps being buried under writing that distracts from its very seriousness. I did appreciate the real-life setting a few of the characters represent. Canadian Doug works with Indigenous communities in Thunder Bay, and we hear about Minemata disease plaguing the Anishinaabe at Grassy Narrows, which is another whole crime in itself.
In the end, I miss the spy novel I thought I was getting into, and failed to appreciate what in the end is a caricature of a painfully well-known US politician and frankly I’m sick to death of reading anything that reminds me of him. I live and breathe for the day when his name won’t be in the news, and I didn’t need this reminder of his corruptness and duplicity. So maybe it’s just poor timing that makes me give this 2 stars and not the overwrought sentences. Looking forward to reading more from this author - just please no US politics.
Even so, it emasculated Miguel to discover how much past its sell-by was his by-line.Perfect example of the author’s penchant for hyphens and impenetrable sentences that acted, for me, less like literary curlicues and more like verbal spike belts.
That moustache. It seemed lineally descended from Yosemite Sam and the Asterix cartoons. To Paige’s way of thinking, [the baddie] had sprouted it as a carroty shield to conceal whatever brimstone was rumoured to bubble and steam out of view behind the dense ring of conifers that hedged in the family property near Sumpter.His moustache was so big it blocked the scenery? Whew.
In the clear and easy rhythm of her stride he saw a path towards unblocking his future. He had the breathtaking cocksureness to expect that she might fancy a role in his decongestion.Wow, less sex and more phlegm, Nick! Yes, yes, I know we’re talking about the baddie, but these passages just added to his cartoonishness and really detracted from the focus of his crimes. Oh, and he gnashes too, seriously.
The ‘fella with the vibrissae’, as Doug (who in this category fancied himself an expert) liked to refer to him.
Lia looks back and forth, stitching something together with her eyes.
Lia mumbles something. She’s not making sense. Her whelps in the back seat have accompanied the three of them all the way from Cedar Wood.She has puppies?
’Si,si,si.' Miguel repeats it three times, stressing each syllable.Read that one out loud.
Leandro was four when Nissa left Dyer for an English lawyer, Nigel Trenchpain. Her disappearance gouged a hole in the earth next to him.I actually loved that little Easter egg. Oh, and there’s a fun little passage about a Leica camera described as “throbbing and alive.” Um, OK, Nick.
Yes, I’m hammering at my point here, but the deadly serious crime at the heart of this book keeps being buried under writing that distracts from its very seriousness. I did appreciate the real-life setting a few of the characters represent. Canadian Doug works with Indigenous communities in Thunder Bay, and we hear about Minemata disease plaguing the Anishinaabe at Grassy Narrows, which is another whole crime in itself.
In the end, I miss the spy novel I thought I was getting into, and failed to appreciate what in the end is a caricature of a painfully well-known US politician and frankly I’m sick to death of reading anything that reminds me of him. I live and breathe for the day when his name won’t be in the news, and I didn’t need this reminder of his corruptness and duplicity. So maybe it’s just poor timing that makes me give this 2 stars and not the overwrought sentences. Looking forward to reading more from this author - just please no US politics.
Did Not Finish
May 16, 2026The writing style ain't for me. Especially when I'm hit with a sentence like:
"In Oxford, he had been forced to see himself as a surplus by-line put out to grass, let go, who had joined that brotherhood of rusted-up journos writing books that no one bought and fewer read."
Really?
"…books that no one bought and fewer read."
Is there a fewer than no one?
"In Oxford, he had been forced to see himself as a surplus by-line put out to grass, let go, who had joined that brotherhood of rusted-up journos writing books that no one bought and fewer read."
Really?
"…books that no one bought and fewer read."
Is there a fewer than no one?
July 1, 2026
Incredibly far-fetched but quite low key, particularly the life-changing swipe of a library card. The glorious attacks on Trump were very satisfying too: ‘Ockloss had fed into the wood chipper a lot of what was admirable about his country….’ Refs to ‘Fargo’ too.
Wonderfully entertaining and smartly written.
Wonderfully entertaining and smartly written.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 23, 2026
A superior thriller by Nicholas Shakespeare, "Frame 37" moves between the past and present and focuses on the value of journalism, analog film photography, the hypocrisy of politics, and the danger of inaction in the face of evil. Great characters and atmosphere. - BH.
Did Not Finish
February 12, 2026Frame 37 by Nicholas Shakespeare was a DNF at 66% for me.
It was just too much effort for not enough reward. The plot and timeline was all over the place, jumping around like a toad on a hot plate. Random (or seemingly so) paragraphs were slotted within the text seemingly out of place apparently just for the hell of it. One of which included: "Some two hundred yards away a pair of sheep were grazing on the lawn.". That's it. Just that. No relevance to the dialogue, the story, nothing. Just an observation about nearby by ovine mammals chomping down on grass?
Perhaps it was formatting errors in the version of the ARC provided by the publisher in exchange for an independent review, but life is to short to persevere further. And this is from an author of one of my all-time favourite books (& films); The Dancer Upstairs. Such a shame.
It was just too much effort for not enough reward. The plot and timeline was all over the place, jumping around like a toad on a hot plate. Random (or seemingly so) paragraphs were slotted within the text seemingly out of place apparently just for the hell of it. One of which included: "Some two hundred yards away a pair of sheep were grazing on the lawn.". That's it. Just that. No relevance to the dialogue, the story, nothing. Just an observation about nearby by ovine mammals chomping down on grass?
Perhaps it was formatting errors in the version of the ARC provided by the publisher in exchange for an independent review, but life is to short to persevere further. And this is from an author of one of my all-time favourite books (& films); The Dancer Upstairs. Such a shame.
January 28, 2026
I struggled with the plot. This book jumps around far too much and the plot is so easy to guess, it almost tells you what’s going to happen before it happens which I found quite odd. I did enjoy the characters though.
November 27, 2025
One by one the old college friends of John Dyer are being bumped off. The university of Michigan student group comprised Americans , a Canadian , a South American and a Brit. So the action spans several countries as John tries to find the connection between the deaths.
John , a bit of a burned out journalist has moved from Oxford to Tasmania to escape pressure and try to finish an academic book. He has not heard from his old friends for many years when he gets a phone call from Miguel saying that John must come to see him. This starts off a fast paced adventure where the life of every one is at stake.
The group of students dispersed when a particularly nasty incident happened on the last day of their university course. Many things were left unsaid and John always regrets that he never expressed his true feeling for Lia who is now dead. So now he feels some responsibility to uncover the cause of her death and to prove to himself that he has grown up and no longer the reserved and too timid Brit who was too scared to grasp what life could offer.
So much of the book is seen from John’s POV so that we never know so much about the other characters apart from Miguel,s background but I really felt I could empathise with John and all his worries as he starts to discover the political machinations that he has become involved with.
The title of the book is clever and very important as John has to find some proof to support his bold accusations that would otherwise be too fanciful to be believed.
A great read.
Thanks to NetGalley and Random House UK for the ARC
John , a bit of a burned out journalist has moved from Oxford to Tasmania to escape pressure and try to finish an academic book. He has not heard from his old friends for many years when he gets a phone call from Miguel saying that John must come to see him. This starts off a fast paced adventure where the life of every one is at stake.
The group of students dispersed when a particularly nasty incident happened on the last day of their university course. Many things were left unsaid and John always regrets that he never expressed his true feeling for Lia who is now dead. So now he feels some responsibility to uncover the cause of her death and to prove to himself that he has grown up and no longer the reserved and too timid Brit who was too scared to grasp what life could offer.
So much of the book is seen from John’s POV so that we never know so much about the other characters apart from Miguel,s background but I really felt I could empathise with John and all his worries as he starts to discover the political machinations that he has become involved with.
The title of the book is clever and very important as John has to find some proof to support his bold accusations that would otherwise be too fanciful to be believed.
A great read.
Thanks to NetGalley and Random House UK for the ARC
June 4, 2026
John Dyer is in Tasmania working on a book when a phone conversation with Miguel, an old university friend, pulls him into a dangerous investigation. His old university friend, Lia was killed in what her sister Nova believes was a deliberate hit and run accident.
While it has been many years since John spoke with Lia, he feels compelled to investigate her death. Forty years earlier, Lia was assaulted at a student party in Michigan. The assault was witnessed by four people, including John. But the crime was covered up, and the perpetrator was never held to account. And then, quite soon after Lia’s death, one of the witnesses dies in suspicious circumstances. Are the others also in danger?
The story shifts between past and present, between Tasmania, Argentina and the USA as John tries to make sense of what is happening and why.
It took me a little while to get into this story, to begin to see how various events were relevant (and related). But once the pieces started to fit into place for me, I could not stop reading. I wanted truth to triumph over power, for the perpetrator not to be rewarded and for John to find the evidence he was searching for.
And the ending? Satisfyingly appropriate.
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
While it has been many years since John spoke with Lia, he feels compelled to investigate her death. Forty years earlier, Lia was assaulted at a student party in Michigan. The assault was witnessed by four people, including John. But the crime was covered up, and the perpetrator was never held to account. And then, quite soon after Lia’s death, one of the witnesses dies in suspicious circumstances. Are the others also in danger?
The story shifts between past and present, between Tasmania, Argentina and the USA as John tries to make sense of what is happening and why.
It took me a little while to get into this story, to begin to see how various events were relevant (and related). But once the pieces started to fit into place for me, I could not stop reading. I wanted truth to triumph over power, for the perpetrator not to be rewarded and for John to find the evidence he was searching for.
And the ending? Satisfyingly appropriate.
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
November 4, 2025
What begins as a quiet life is shattered by a single phone call—and from that moment, Frame 37 unfolds like a reel of buried truths, flickering with memory, betrayal, and the slow burn of justice long delayed.
John Dyer, once content in his solitude, is drawn back into the shadows by the death of an old friend. What follows is a globe-spanning pursuit—from Tasmania to Argentina to the cold heart of Michigan—where the past refuses to stay buried and the truth is a moving target. Shakespeare’s prose is taut yet lyrical, his pacing deliberate, like a man circling a wound he’s not yet ready to touch.
This is a thriller with soul. Beneath the political intrigue and the chase lies a deeper meditation on guilt, loyalty, and the cost of silence. Dyer is a compelling figure—haunted, driven, and achingly human. The novel’s title, Frame 37, becomes a metaphor for the elusive moment when everything changes—and the proof we seek may be hiding in plain sight.
A quietly devastating read, perfect for long evenings and thoughtful readers who like their mysteries with a touch of melancholy and moral weight.
My thanks to Nicholas Shakespeare, the publisher and Netgalley for the ARC.
John Dyer, once content in his solitude, is drawn back into the shadows by the death of an old friend. What follows is a globe-spanning pursuit—from Tasmania to Argentina to the cold heart of Michigan—where the past refuses to stay buried and the truth is a moving target. Shakespeare’s prose is taut yet lyrical, his pacing deliberate, like a man circling a wound he’s not yet ready to touch.
This is a thriller with soul. Beneath the political intrigue and the chase lies a deeper meditation on guilt, loyalty, and the cost of silence. Dyer is a compelling figure—haunted, driven, and achingly human. The novel’s title, Frame 37, becomes a metaphor for the elusive moment when everything changes—and the proof we seek may be hiding in plain sight.
A quietly devastating read, perfect for long evenings and thoughtful readers who like their mysteries with a touch of melancholy and moral weight.
My thanks to Nicholas Shakespeare, the publisher and Netgalley for the ARC.
June 16, 2026
Although this is a lengthy book and the story, from a less talented author, could have been read quicker, the sheer joy of some of Nicholas Shakespeare’s sentences make the literary world a more colourful place. I admit to finding the numerous characters in the initial part of the book a little overwhelming but as I persevered, I became caught up in the budding college romance between Dyer and Lia and the friendship of Dyer and Miguel told in clearly marked chapters which toggle between then and now when Dyer is contacted with the news of Lia’s death. There’s a crime committed 40 years before, a disparate group of students who having witnessed the crime never get together again and add into the mix a behind the scenes political conspiracy - what more do you want! Dyer a retired journalist tries to discover what happened and uncovers more than he bargained for. The tension is exquisitely balanced and characters are well drawn. I don’t believe I’ve read any Nicholas Shakespeare books before but I’m sure this won’t be the last one.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
This was a remarkable novel with a cleverly constructed plot and well-developed characters. The storyline is fascinating and tense.
John Dyer, an ex journalist, is living the quiet life in Tasmania. He has escaped there to put his eventful past behind him and do some writing. Until one day a phone call disrupts the harmony and all of a sudden John finds the past is about the catch up with him. Before Tasmania and the quiet life, John was based in South America.
John has no idea how an old acquaintance, Miguel, had somehow tracked him down and but he tempts John to return to Argentina to look into the tragic death of a mutual friend. . But this is just a clever trick to pull John back over to South America. What follows is a globe trotting mystery, delving into the past and present. This is a very intricate and complex story, multi layered as we slowly discover that Miguel's request has much deeper meaning.
The main action takes place in America and Argentina. The timeline changes frequently back and forward and does need a level of concentration to remember where we are as we piece the parts of the puzzle together. At times is was a little bit confusing but added to the challenge and complexity of the book. This wasn't going to be a straight forward mystery. We are regularly taken back as much as forty years to unpick the back story. We will primarily track a small group of young people, including John and Miguel, who first meet at an American university. As a reader, you’re kept on edge.
As part of the stories hidden back story we learn about the history of Argentina’s Dirty War (1974 -83). I hadn't really come across this and this was a fascinating part of the story. This element of the story helped to define the motivation behind the current story. The novel slowed down a bit hafl way through but then picked up again with a heart pounding and tense finale.
Dyer is a great character. You really felt so much empathy for him. He is so driven and haunted by the past.
The writing is so good. At some point you do wonder if you are going to be able to understand how everything fits together. The suspense is amazing. The story mixes mystery, intrigue and adventure beautifully.
My thanks to Random House UK for supplying an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
John Dyer, an ex journalist, is living the quiet life in Tasmania. He has escaped there to put his eventful past behind him and do some writing. Until one day a phone call disrupts the harmony and all of a sudden John finds the past is about the catch up with him. Before Tasmania and the quiet life, John was based in South America.
John has no idea how an old acquaintance, Miguel, had somehow tracked him down and but he tempts John to return to Argentina to look into the tragic death of a mutual friend. . But this is just a clever trick to pull John back over to South America. What follows is a globe trotting mystery, delving into the past and present. This is a very intricate and complex story, multi layered as we slowly discover that Miguel's request has much deeper meaning.
The main action takes place in America and Argentina. The timeline changes frequently back and forward and does need a level of concentration to remember where we are as we piece the parts of the puzzle together. At times is was a little bit confusing but added to the challenge and complexity of the book. This wasn't going to be a straight forward mystery. We are regularly taken back as much as forty years to unpick the back story. We will primarily track a small group of young people, including John and Miguel, who first meet at an American university. As a reader, you’re kept on edge.
As part of the stories hidden back story we learn about the history of Argentina’s Dirty War (1974 -83). I hadn't really come across this and this was a fascinating part of the story. This element of the story helped to define the motivation behind the current story. The novel slowed down a bit hafl way through but then picked up again with a heart pounding and tense finale.
Dyer is a great character. You really felt so much empathy for him. He is so driven and haunted by the past.
The writing is so good. At some point you do wonder if you are going to be able to understand how everything fits together. The suspense is amazing. The story mixes mystery, intrigue and adventure beautifully.
My thanks to Random House UK for supplying an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Nicholas Shakespeare’s perfectly titled Frame 37 is a masterfully crafted thriller with soul that trades cheap shocks for profound emotional depth. The story follows John Dyer, a man pulled from his quiet solitude into a globe-trotting pursuit of the truth following an old friend's death. Shakespeare’s prose is both sharp and lyrical, perfectly capturing the slow-burn tension of a man confronting long-buried regrets through well described characters who feel achingly human.
The novel maintains an unsettling atmosphere, serving as a deeply atmospheric meditation on
guilt, loyalty, and the heavy cost of silence.
For readers who crave a mystery with moral weight and a touch of melancholy, this is a quietly devastating and unforgettable read. My thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC. This is my own opinion.
The novel maintains an unsettling atmosphere, serving as a deeply atmospheric meditation on
guilt, loyalty, and the heavy cost of silence.
For readers who crave a mystery with moral weight and a touch of melancholy, this is a quietly devastating and unforgettable read. My thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC. This is my own opinion.
July 10, 2026
I loved reading this book! Shakespeare has such a clever way with words and he can certainly tell a good story! The detail is beautiful, and I was drawn into his intriguing plot, enthralled and gripped until the very end.
This is a brilliant, compelling, unforgettable read by the seasoned writer Nicholas Shakespeare. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend.
This is a brilliant, compelling, unforgettable read by the seasoned writer Nicholas Shakespeare. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend.
July 20, 2026
3 and a half stars
I nearly gave up on this one. I found his style of writing off-putting, too much spent on unnecessary descriptions, too much inconsequential drivel. But I persevered, and I’m glad I did. Still, the whole plot was a bit farfetched, I thought. But certainly today’s America, that is to say, The United States of Trump.
I nearly gave up on this one. I found his style of writing off-putting, too much spent on unnecessary descriptions, too much inconsequential drivel. But I persevered, and I’m glad I did. Still, the whole plot was a bit farfetched, I thought. But certainly today’s America, that is to say, The United States of Trump.
July 20, 2026
I have read and enjoyed a number of NS's books.
This for me just took too long to get where it was going which impeded my enjoyment as I was keen to get to the end.
And the story was way too predicatble.
This for me just took too long to get where it was going which impeded my enjoyment as I was keen to get to the end.
And the story was way too predicatble.
July 27, 2026
Slow burner but evolves into a really intriguing mystery. Well worth a look although some scenes could have been lost or at least edited without ruining the plot. Will have a look at some of his other books before long.
June 6, 2026
a mess of unnecessary detail
Pretentiousness at its worse and full of literary pretentiousness.
A really dire plot which requires enormous stamina to reach the absurd ending
Pretentiousness at its worse and full of literary pretentiousness.
A really dire plot which requires enormous stamina to reach the absurd ending
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
John Dyer is an ex-journalist currently holed up in Tasmania. In part, he’s trying to complete a book he’s writing on the Tupi, an indigenous group who first settled in the Amazon rainforest some three thousand years ago. But he’s also making himself scarce. Readers may have previously come across Dyer in two previous novels by this author: The Dancer Upstairs and The Sandpit. Suffice to say, Dyer is somewhat fearful that his past may catch up with him. However, just as his time in this far away outpost is about to come to an end he’s contacted by an old friend. Suddenly, events from many years ago are brought back into sharp focus. His friend needs his help.
Miguel had somehow tracked him down and now desperately wants him to travel to his home in Argentina. The tragic death of a mutual acquaintance is the bait – it’s a mystery to be solved, and it’s even possible that revenge will need to be dispensed. In truth, the full rational for Miguel’s request will take some time to understand, hidden as it is behind the veil of a complex set of events that are to be slowly (very slowly) disclosed.
The main action takes place in America and Argentina. The ever changing timeline is tricky. It requires concentration (or, in my case, notes) in order to piece it all together. The action is set partly in the recent past, though the year is not specifically determined. A far-right president who has previously served and then sat out a term is now planning to stand again for re-election – some senior people within his own party consider him an arsehole and aren’t keen on the idea. Make of that what you will. But we are regularly taken back as much as forty years, to specific dates, in order to slowly unpick the back story. We will primarily track a small group of young people, including John and Miguel, who first meet at an American university. It’s to become a compulsively addictive tale involving bad people with high ambition. As a reader, you’re kept on edge. Lines often jar and disrupt. For instance, the sudden image appearance of a bird stabbing its beak at a window pane attempting to attack its own reflection.
If I were to point out any potential niggles I’d include the fact that, perhaps because the author has also published some non-fiction, we are provided with a good deal of information about the Tupi people and treated to something of a history of Argentina’s Dirty War (1974 -83). These elements might feel something of a distraction to some readers, but personally I appreciated the way these added elements grounded the story – in my mind it broadened my understanding of what build and sustained both John and Miguel. I did, though, feel that the novel lost a little impetus at the halfway point, though this feeling was short-lived. The final third of the book had my heart pounding as we relentlessly closed in on a heart-in-mouth finale. I genuinely cannot recall a book that gripped me to the same degree as it drew to its close. It's totally amazing!
Shakespeare is, in many ways, the perfect storyteller. Not too much is given away early on. In fact, the whole thing feels tense and mysterious even if – for an extended period – it’s impossible to knit it all together. Until suddenly, it is. He’s a very accomplished writer, blending a mystery and adventure tale with a large dose of literary fiction. To me that’s just about the perfect blend. I loved it.
My thanks to Random House UK for supplying an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Miguel had somehow tracked him down and now desperately wants him to travel to his home in Argentina. The tragic death of a mutual acquaintance is the bait – it’s a mystery to be solved, and it’s even possible that revenge will need to be dispensed. In truth, the full rational for Miguel’s request will take some time to understand, hidden as it is behind the veil of a complex set of events that are to be slowly (very slowly) disclosed.
The main action takes place in America and Argentina. The ever changing timeline is tricky. It requires concentration (or, in my case, notes) in order to piece it all together. The action is set partly in the recent past, though the year is not specifically determined. A far-right president who has previously served and then sat out a term is now planning to stand again for re-election – some senior people within his own party consider him an arsehole and aren’t keen on the idea. Make of that what you will. But we are regularly taken back as much as forty years, to specific dates, in order to slowly unpick the back story. We will primarily track a small group of young people, including John and Miguel, who first meet at an American university. It’s to become a compulsively addictive tale involving bad people with high ambition. As a reader, you’re kept on edge. Lines often jar and disrupt. For instance, the sudden image appearance of a bird stabbing its beak at a window pane attempting to attack its own reflection.
If I were to point out any potential niggles I’d include the fact that, perhaps because the author has also published some non-fiction, we are provided with a good deal of information about the Tupi people and treated to something of a history of Argentina’s Dirty War (1974 -83). These elements might feel something of a distraction to some readers, but personally I appreciated the way these added elements grounded the story – in my mind it broadened my understanding of what build and sustained both John and Miguel. I did, though, feel that the novel lost a little impetus at the halfway point, though this feeling was short-lived. The final third of the book had my heart pounding as we relentlessly closed in on a heart-in-mouth finale. I genuinely cannot recall a book that gripped me to the same degree as it drew to its close. It's totally amazing!
Shakespeare is, in many ways, the perfect storyteller. Not too much is given away early on. In fact, the whole thing feels tense and mysterious even if – for an extended period – it’s impossible to knit it all together. Until suddenly, it is. He’s a very accomplished writer, blending a mystery and adventure tale with a large dose of literary fiction. To me that’s just about the perfect blend. I loved it.
My thanks to Random House UK for supplying an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews