Killing Time

by frank-tallis

224 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1999

Reviews

[Janet Deaver-Pack · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love Frank Tallis's Max Lieberman tales (made into a PBS television series), but I wasn't ready for 3/4 of this book to be a deeply psychological dip into the peculiar brain of Tom, a London university doctoral candidate in mathematics. However, as with all Tallis books, it is beautifully written and well-plotted. I couldn't resist reading every page despite becoming part of the main character's social misfit thinking, an experience I don't usually enjoy. Tallis knows this type of personality very well: he is a clinical psychologist specializing in obsessions. This book makes the most of his knowing his subject from the inside out. Main character Tom has layers of obsessions, particularly about his girlfriend Anna, and several major ones regarding his best friend Dave. The few characters populating this book are well-drawn and very memorable. Details of bars, alleys, streets, the university, London rain, and Tom's spare apartment feel real. Tom's proclivity for collecting old odd scientific paraphernalia makes him more intriguing and becomes part of the plot. He is brilliant, but...downright itchy. The unspoken subject is definitely the dark side of his intelligence. I found myself not wanting to know more about Tom, but I couldn't help reading more. This is Frank Tallis's first novel, published in 1999, and a good promise of more elegant writing to come.

[Nathan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Curious little book. A lad lit on the surface, but with psychological themes running underneath, with a little bit of Victoriana time-travel. I liked this a lot, and will happily read more of Tallis' work. Rated MA15+. Contains adult themes, moderate violence, moderate drug use, strong sex scenes and sexual references. 4.5/5