( Format : Audiobook )
"No path as narrow; no road taken straight."
In this novel, beautifully written in the first person throughout, the reader experiences the often lonely and confusing and sometimes downright terrifying, period of days in the life of Lilian Dove, now resident of Freitown, where she has inherited and runs a small discount liquor store.
For her this in itself is a major achievement. Until five years ago she was an alcoholic, like her father before her. Her mother, still living, has always been spitefully hateful towards her and just seems to keep getting worse. Her best, possible only, real friend had died, deemed a suicide (though Lilian has suspicions that the live in boy friend killed her) many months before. But at last it was beginning to get right, she had a life. Until the blackmail call threatening to show evidence that she had murdered her best friend: video from a nanny-cam on a flash drive. She knows the caller, goes to tell him what she thinks of him - and her newly won life starts to explore.
The characterisation of Lilian is very well done, helped also by the narration of Reagan Boggs, who takes on the persona of the young woman, still fighting past demons and struggling with the present chaos entering her life. She's confused, afraid and lonely but also feisty and won't give in. A likable and very real person. Ms.Boggs conveys all of this admirably, without hystrionics, reading clear and sustained with good intonation. She also interprets the other character voices distinctly. A nice performance which very much adds to the overall enjoyment of the book.
This is a well constructed book, filling in background information about the main protagonist through Lilian's remembrances at appropriate points of the story. The tale is one to keep the reader guessing: what is going on? Why is she being targeted? And with some nice little twists along the way. It always feels exciting, frightening and plausible.
My thanks to the rights holder who freely gifted me a complimentary copy of Suppose, at my request, via Audiobook Boom. This was my first encounter with Lilian Dove and her author, J.D.Adamson and I certainly hope that it will not be my last.