The Ruins

by Mat Osman

An extraordinary novel about the ubiquitous mysteries of family, memory and music.London, 2010: Icelandic volcanoes have the city in gridlock, banks topple like dominoes and Brandon Kussgarten has been shot dead by gunmen in Donald Duck masks. His death draws his twin brother -- shy, bookish Adam -- into Brandon's underworld of deceit and desire.A miniature kingdom sprouts in a Notting Hill tower-block, LA mansions burn in week-long parties, and in a Baroque hotel suite a record is being made that could redeem its maker even as it destroys him. As Adam begins to fall for his brother's shattered family he finds that to win them for himself he'll have to lose everything that he holds dear.This intelligent, intriguing and emotionally-searing tale of fractured identities, narcissism and ambition questions how being loved for what others think we are differs from who we are to ourselves.With echoes of Performance, The Talented Mr Ripley and Mulholland Drive, The Ruins delves into the dark heart of magic, music and murder.

Genres: Fiction, Music, Thriller, Crime, Contemporary, Mystery Thriller, Mystery

409 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 11, 2020

About the author

Mathew David "Mat" Osman is an English musician, bass player and songwriter who co-founded the British rock band Suede. He and future Suede lead singer Brett Anderson met in Haywards Heath, England, where they played in garage bands before moving to London. He studied at the London School of Economics, where in 1989 he was awarded a BSc in Politics.

After Suede broke up in 2003, Osman provided music for television programs and became the London editor of the email magazine le cool. His work has also been published in British magazines and newspapers including The Guardian, The Independent and The Observer.

He returned to Suede when the band reformed in 2010. The band are currently writing and recording their ninth studio album.

(Adapted from Wikipedia.)

Reviews

[Inge Klinkers · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Ruins is a novel exploring the possible fluidity of identity, with a twin brother quickly learning how to navigate life’s unpredictability in order to survive. And if fiction is like real life with the dull bits taken out, readers can brace themselves for this dazzling journey, as Osman’s characters certainly don’t shy away from taking radical steps in living their lives, even in seeking a life beyond death. As a brother gets propelled into action, while moving along a claustrophobic, apocalyptic timeline, I was drawn in right from the start, and for the next 400 pages I kept wanting to see around the next corner.
Mat Osman’s own musical career has clearly informed the plot, depicting an entire world behind the stage, making the reader feel the joys to be found in creating music, but also the shadows cast over the business, the industry’s darker sides, the sociology of fame and failure – if music is about drama, The Ruins certainly has drama, as well as spirit; its characters brimming with desperate energy, even not chemically induced at times. The observations are astute, persuasive and not devoid of Osman’s characteristic wit, and he particularly demonstrates his skill as an author in giving each character a unique voice, with dialogues – both analogue and digital – flowing as natural catalysts within the book, moving the plot forward and creating its most poignant moments.
The main question then becomes, how far can you go in the craving of fame and, is it worth risking your life for a piece of music? After reading The Ruins I could argue that it is. As one of the characters points out, songs have that capacity ‘to be special in a way that real life never seems to turn out to be’. And yes, maybe they can indeed ‘mean as much as lovers and children and fortunes’.
For an ‘Insatiable One’ there’s an extra edge to the story, which lies in finding Suede references on these pages too, in dissecting Mat’s own history as a band member. Such details would never fail to make my heart start pounding. Borrowing Mat’s own words, this book goes where you want music to go: ‘inexplicable but familiar, a feeling that you know deep in your blood, but which has no name’. In this beautiful and genuine story about who you are as a person, your emotional tools and what you might be capable of in the wish to achieve your ambitions, Mat Osman has succeeded in captivating his audience, this time not on a stage, but with The Ruins proving he is a man of both music and enchanting words.

[William Shaw · Rating 5 out of 5]

An unexpected pleasure. A baroque thriller mystery featuring a forgotten rock star and his hermit twin brother and a trail of strange clues that draws in a nice slice of music history. Shades of John Connolly, Neal Stephenson and Jeff Noon in this sometimes densely labyrinthine book. There’s a tender love story, wild flights of invention and flashes of great humour from this debut by Suede’s bass player and brother of the other Osman – who also has a debut out this year.

[Ever Dundas]

The Ruins (brilliant title) centres on Adam whose estranged musician brother, Brandon, is murdered. Investigating why, Adam gets drawn into Brandon’s murky world.
Firstly, I’m a sucker for great opening lines/paragraphs and I loved the opening paragraph of The Ruins – it really grabs the reader. It’s so intriguing.
I also love Umbrage (which I won’t spoil – you can discover it for yourself), and would have happily read a whole book about Adam and Umbrage.
There are so many layers and points of intrigue to The Ruins, which is a real achievement, and I think different readers will respond to different aspects – my favourite being the theme of identity. I’m fascinated by simulacra, artifice, persona, doubles, and to my delight The Ruins ticked all those boxes.
Osman does a great job showing the tensions between public and private with Brandon, but also characters like Kimi, and Jackie & Hyde (where does the public persona begin and end?) It was also fascinating following Adam and the shifts in his identity as he gets caught up in his brother’s machinations. Brandon was so desperate to BE someone, to have a legacy, a legacy he controlled, and in investigating his brother’s death, Adam gradually discovers the lengths Brandon went to in trying to achieve that.
The general public still often assume those in the public eye like musicians, actors etc, have ‘made it’, they’re successful, rich, happy, and everything is easy, but Osman’s book looks at the less glamorous side: the machinations, manipulations, failures, the waiting, the loneliness and isolation, and touches on the dangerous romanticisation of our celebrity ‘martyrs’.
I have a couple of niggles – I think it could have been shorter and sharper, delivering more punch (possibly more of a personal thing, as I generally prefer the precision of short novels). And while I understand it’s a book about men and their need for control, I would have liked a bit more from the women characters, especially Kimi (there’s a particular aspect of Kimi I love, but again I won’t spoil it).
The Ruins is a fascinating multi-layered debut and it was a pleasure to get a chance to read an early copy. I’m now very much looking forward to what Osman conjures next.

[Trillian · Rating 3 out of 5]

There were some great bits in this - umbrage, a lot of the twin impersonation, the Smile plot - but I don't think I've ever read a book more in need of an editor. Not just because it was overlong, but they could have caught some of the errors that took you out of the story. The premise of this was good, but there was quite a lot that didn't seem plausible - I was never completely convinced by the whole Easter egg hunt to find the clues of what Brandon had done, the way he spoke in these didn't seem different enough from the tone of Adam's narration so it was quite frustrating to read at times - which was a shame because some of the language was brilliantly evocative and there are a lot of good ideas.

[Caroline Mcsweeney · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Ruins has its readers hooked from its stand-out first line to the very last page. I have taken so much from this novel and will be thinking about it and it’s characters for days to come (at least).
The novel explores identity and the blurring of the lines between person and persona, as well as the darker, less glamorous sides of the music industry and the successes and excesses within it. The main characters - Adam and Brandon - are twins and the exploration of the similarities and differences between their characters is fascinating. I found myself changing my mind about both of them and their motives frequently.
Osman’s writing does not disappoint. His references to music add much to the story and the reader can see the influences of writers like Ballard and films like Performance. The enormous influence of the internet and the huge scope of online platforms is highlighted and the idea of creating our own private worlds, either through these platforms or to escape from them is something that I’m sure many readers will relate to.

[Dave Morris · Rating 3 out of 5]

First the quibbles. Slapdash editing means that sometimes the characters repeat something they've already talked about, some descriptions have gaps that can leave you wondering what's going on, and the time zone difference between LA and London is inconsistent. Also I didn't care for the intrusion of two comedy mockney villains who seemed to belong in another, much dumber book.

But...

There's so much imagination here. Characters who are unusual and vivid. Settings that are varied and believable -- in the context of the novel's reality, that is. Astonishing imagery. Magical moments. Overall I forgave it the glitches and I'm interested to see more by Mat Osman.

[Mark Hill · Rating 2 out of 5]

In the words of Orwelll: "decorative adjectives and humbug generally." This could have easily lost 100/150 pages and not lost any of the 'plot.' Lots of sentences that made me wince such as this one - "The lyrics coursed through me like a fever now. I was a husk driven by disease. A vase of dead flowers." Eeek.

[Rodney Binley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Now I know what it means to be "Lost in a Book" for a lot of the read I was lost deciding which twin I was reading about, too much thought process, and I still did not have a picture of the lead characters.
I got to the end only because I did not want to give up

[Veerle · Rating 5 out of 5]

(Nederlands onderaan) Oh my god, I am missing concerts and travelling sooooo much after all the lockdown madness of the past year. This book is an exquisite cure for the pain, it's feral escapism, it was all I need: music, London, LA, murder.

I read the last part with MONO's 'Meet us where the night ends' on repeat which totally enhanced Osman's cinematic and witty writing style. The novel has an enthralling narrative structure that draws you little by little into this rock 'n' roll murder mystery, with a dash of How to Disappear Completely.

If you're a music lover, the lyrics and song references provide a wonderful Motion Picture Soundtrack. I just loved the carefully crafted characters and the beautiful descriptions that made me dream of rambling through London ...

I was a bit in limbo to deduct a star for the phrase, "What's the only good Radiohead album?", but the book wasn’t a let down in any way. There were enough Bowie and other music references near that horrible horrible sentence to have my head spin round and distract me :)

I also loved the subtle references to Suede lyrics (Suede is the author's band). My only point of criticism is that the word suede itself appears a few times in the book. Osman writes really well, but this reference felt as if he was undercutting his talent a bit.

But I shouldn’t sulk. I can only recommend this book to anyone who, like me, is daydreaming about concerts, an exciting life, London and a beautiful story that makes you laugh out loud at times. An ideal Desert Island Disk Ful Stop

-------------------------------------------
Man, man, wat mis ik live muziek en reizen na alle lockdownmadness van het afgelopen jaar. Dit boek is een ongelooflijke cure for the pain, het is wild escapisme dat op het juiste moment in mijn leven voorbij dartelde. Al wat ik nodig had: muziek, Londen, LA, moord.

Osmans filmische schrijfstijl, een boeiende vertelstructuur die je beetje bij beetje steeds dieper in dit rock 'n' roll moordmysterie zuigt met een behoorlijke dash How to Disappear Completely, lyrics die voor een heerlijke Motion Picture Soundtrack zorgen, prachtige beschrijvingen die me zo in Londen brachten... Ik vond het een heerlijk boek.

Ik was in limbo om een ster af te nemen voor de zin: 'What's the only good Radiohead album?', maar het boek is op geen enkele manier een teleurstelling. En er stonden genoeg Bowie- en andere muziekreferences om mijn hoofd gek te maken :)

Ook de subtiele referenties naar Suedelyrics vond ik heerlijk (Suede is de band van de auteur, die ik onlangs zowat 25 jaar na de rest van de wereld echt ontdekte). Mijn enige puntje van kritiek is dat het woord suede een paar keer terugkomt in de tekst. Osman schrijft zo goed dat dat zijn talent eigenlijk een beetje ondergraaft.

Wie net als ik nood heeft om te dagdromen van concerten, een spannend leven, Londen en van een mooi opgebouwd verhaal met de nodige humor houdt, kan ik dit boek alleen maar aanraden.

[Michelle Wilson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Three stars because I did not finished this book. I tried, really, the under story was quite interesting, but all the technicality of mechanisms, song recording etc was too much for my little brain. I started this book with great anticipation but it defeated me. I might try to finish it but I doubt I’ll succeed.

[Dan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This one put me very much in mind of the early work of Iain Banks, which is high praise indeed round my way. It’s intelligent and enjoys playing games with identity and duality, but never at the expense of a fast moving and engrossing plot. The life of wannabe rockstar Brandon is clearly informed by the author’s day job, but his twin Adam(A & B, geddit?)’s obsession is fresh and original, and gives hope that Osman has much more in him to come. One of the best debuts I’ve read in years.

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Ruins is one of those books that left me scratching my head at times. The writing is excellent, the premise is ingenious and the characters are perfectly crafted. It is a unique and incredibly imaginative story; at times I was a little lost, but for most of the time I was totally immersed.

There's one theme that runs throughout the story, and that is of identity. The author makes us question lots of issues around how we present ourselves; how we hide our inner self and how we can persuade others to accept what we want to be, instead of who we really are.

Adam Kussgarten is something of a recluse. He lives, alone in a flat, surrounded by his model of Umbrage. Umbrage is his life work, he's been working on it for over thirty years. It has taken over his flat and is precision built; it may not be a real world, but it's Adam's world.
Adam is an identical twin. He hasn't had contact with his brother Brandon for years. When his phone rings, and he finally answers it, he finds he's talking to Brandon's long-term girlfriend Rae, also the mother of Brandon's ten-year-old son Robin.
Brandon is dead. He was assassinated, in cold blood on a street not far away from Adam's flat.

Rae has no idea why Brandon was even in London; they live in the US, although from what she says, Brandon often disappeared for days on end. It's clear that Brandon wasn't the best of partners, or fathers. Adam and Rae hit it off; exchanging stories about Brandon. It's clear that he hasn't really changed from the boy that Adam knew; always reinventing himself, always wanting to be known. Always presenting an identity in public that didn't mirror his real self.

Adam goes to identify Brandon's body and collect his belongings, which includes his journal. He and Rae read through it, via Skype.

The author includes those parts of the journal as part of the narrative, and the reader becomes more aware of Brandon's life. It's a complex, and multi layered existence and there's deception at the root of it. Unlikely hero Adam becomes entrenched in Brandon's world, posing as him and getting involved in some schemes that are quite hair-raising. Umbrage is not forgotten though, and there are readings from Adam's Book of Umbrage interwoven throughout the story.

The author makes good use of the latest ways of communicating via the Internet, with episodes of trolling from Brandon along with SoundCloud and texts. I have to admit that a lot of this was quite alien to me and at times I felt that the story became a little too heavy.

There is no doubt that Mat Osman has a incredibly creative imagination, and his writing is so well crafted. I'd probably have liked the story to be shorter, as I became easily distracted in places.
However, it's extremely cleverly done and his use of description is vivid.
An unusual story, unlike any that I've read before from an author with talent.

[Peter Baran · Rating 2 out of 5]

I genuinely thought this was going to be science fiction when I bought it. I don't know why, perhaps being used to the Ruins of civilisation motif too much, or my sense that the people who I know have liked it probably wouldn't have liked it so much if it was even tangentially music biz related.

It is more than tangentially music biz related. Its the story of two identical twins (uh oh), one of whom is a model making recluse in the Trelick Tower, one of whom is a narcissist who used to be in a middling early nineties indie band. One ends up dead and the other infiltrates his life to try to discover who did it. And so we have plenty of tropes to play with her, Osman's insider music industry knowledge, do not trust twin narratices. It is set in 2010 to make the time difference plausible for a come back (and to also tie into the mini disaster that was planes being grounded when those Icelandic volcanoes went nuts). Osman writes well, and has a good turn of phrase, but he was already on thin ice with identical twin brothers impersonating each other, and at the heart of it the introspective "good" twin wants to become the replacement partner and father of the deadbeat brother, which is just icky. I wasn't quite sure where the model making stuff was going, and creates some logistical logjams for what is an extended metaphor. But fundamentally I don't really enjoy fictional music biz stuff written by insiders, you spend too much trying to find analogs. Also the ex bassist who had an electronic voicebox post larengectomy was a little too close to home, my Dad would have killed for that in 99 after his operation.

File under well done, but not really for me.

[ilariasbooks · Rating 3 out of 5]

Il romanzo d'esordio di @matdosman, batterista del gruppo Britpop dei Suede (band in attività fino al 2003 e poi riunitasi nel 2010), è affascinante e surreale, alle prese con l'indeterminatezza della propria identità, la musica e i mondi immaginari intorno a noi.
Due fratelli gemelli identici: Adam solitario e chiuso in sé stesso, completamente perso dietro al suo plastico, la città di Umbrage, che ormai invade la sua casa e Brandon, rock star ormai tramontata che vive una vita imprevedibile.
Da più di 10 anni i due non hanno contatti ed improvvisamente Brandon viene trovato morto in circostanze inusuali e Adam conosce anche il nipote Robin, la ex moglje Rae e le rovine di una band, i Remote/Control.
Brandon però lascia ad Adam alcuni indizi per far sì che possa ricostruire la sua storia e scoprire che il leggendario disco dei Beach Boys, Smile, registrato tra il 1966 e il 1967 ma mai portato a termine, è stato copiato.
Un noir misterioso pieno di musica e azione che porta il lettore a porsi numerose domande sull'essere soli, irrequieti e sul desiderio di diventare qualcun altro.
Un tour de force ipnotico e adrenalinico, reso splendidamente in italiano da @mirkozilahy.
"Ci sono momenti dell'esistenza in cui tutto cambia. Si spostano i punti di riferimento e il treno della vita sfreccia con il suo carico solcando binari inattesi"
3 🌟 e 1/2

[Madeline · Rating 4 out of 5]

I feel that this gem gets overlooked by the (also great) The Ghost Theatre. Many book outlets listed The Ghost Theatre as Osman's debut, much to my chagrin as a staunch defender of this book. I remember going to a talk that Osman did in early 2020 (pre-Covid), and he mentioned that The Ruins was pieced together from numerous short stories, and whilst that is evident at times, the narrative is woven delightfully. The difference in prose between Brandon and Adam is wonderfully done; Adam's insecurity in sharp contrast to Brandon's arrogance, though we see Adam gradually begin to inhibit Adam's persona. It brings up the old question of nature versus nurture. The model city of Umbrage is used brilliantly as a metaphor for the events which unfold. I get something of an impression, too, that both Brandon and Adam are speculative ideas of the sort of people Osman believes could have become under different circumstances. This may have been something he brought up at the talk I went to, also. It's been a long time. Going back to this was an absolute delight and I absolutely ripped through it. If you enjoyed The Ghost Theatre but haven't read this one yet, get on it.

[Pauline Midwinter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Can't believe I forgot to add this to my currently reading all this time!

I really enjoyed this, it's beautiful, looping, dreamy, time hopping and enthralling. I couldn't help but picture Mat as the main character but it mostly worked. I genuinely didn't predict the ending either, which I usually can. I'm still in their world now, I think it might stay with me for a while.

[Ali Bird · Rating 5 out of 5]

I possibly liked this a little more than Ghost Theatre and I thought that was amazing. This is so inventive and reminded me a little of If On A Winter's Night A Traveller which is one of my faves. What a talent

[Carrie Lofty · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a founding member of the legendary British alt-pop band Suede, Mat Osman is truly in his element with this astonishing debut. His firsthand familiarity with the sweeps and dips of the British music scene informs his tale of reticent Adam and his twin, Brandon, who struggled with the ignobility of having been a musical also-ran. When Brandon is gunned down in London, Adam pairs up with Brandon’s widow to find answers.

The answers are scattered across the real and virtual worlds, as Adam discovers messages from beyond the grave: a rambling diatribe on the forum of Brandon’s musical archenemy, a waveform file tucked deep in a corner SoundCloud. Each clue helps piece together Brandon's strange last days, which included searching out former bandmates and finding Brian Wilson's theremin. Why? Brandon tells a peculiar Rockabilly duo: "To f*** someone over. To make money. To live forever." Adam's goals are more tangible than immortality but no less fraught as he weaves into his brother’s twisted life. That life holds dark appeal: "No longer swept along by the river's flow, I'm swimming against it, and that's the only way you feel the water on your skin."

Osman's real-life knowledge of the music industry imbues the book with undeniable authenticity. Yet no number of details could have buttressed the winding, ambitious plot had he crafted his characters with less insight and care. These are relatable people beset by outrageous events. Even Brandon, one of those rarified creatures—a rock 'n' roll frontman—has an underpinning of realism. One of his clues is titled "Are We Gonna Be All Right," about which he thinks, "Every time I'd asked or been asked it signaled the end of something, because in asking you got your answer." The vision is pure but not treacly, dark but not bleak.

Osman's control of the English language is dazzling. These pages are bursting with lush, sticky imagery that creates an ethereal sense of place—another grittier, more vibrant world than ours. In The Ruins, the canyons blossom, the night is bible-black, and the magic of creating music is "a dislocated shoulder gratefully coming home to its socket." Like Osman's creation, Adam, I was lured into this seductive realm and reluctant to leave.

[Maggie Grey · Rating 4 out of 5]

I knew from the reviews that this was not going to be the easiest of reads and there were lots of moments (especially after reading late into the night) when I had to backtrack. If ever a book needed the Kindle's xray facility it's this one (sadly it doesn't have it). What it does have is the ability to sweep you into an alternative life and make you feel all that the characters are feeling.

The plot involves twins, mistaken identity, drugs 'n sex 'n rock and roll. Even if that is not your scene, it also involves murder, who done what (rather than who dunnit). Just when you feel that is all too much there are moments of sweetness, bonding with a cute kid and a whiff of romance. Also amazing model cities.
I gave up once, but couldn't get the book out of my head and I'm glad I finished it. I shall probably read it again sometime - it's the book that keeps on giving. And a whole new playlist to enjoy.

[Ophelia Sings · Rating 3 out of 5]

Objectively, The Ruins is fabulous - skilful and literary, and an intricately woven blend of thriller and exploration of familial relationships. There's loads of colour and detail and Osman draws on experience gleaned from his day job to ensure the music industry setting is evoked with a kind of febrile credibility.

Sadly, however, for me it didn't all hang together quite the way I'd have hoped. You know when it's not the book, it's you? I fell that's what's happened here. I shall re-visit and re-evaluate this at some point - I suppose the very fact I'm planning on doing so illustrates that The Ruins has much to offer, possibly more than I discovered this time around.

My thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Biljana · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was interested in this debut by Suede's Mat Osman and I was not sure what to expect. It turns out that this was a very impressive debut, as the writing was excellent. It tells the story of Adam who learns that his twin brother, Brandon, has been murdered. Despite having not seen his brother in years, he becomes enmeshed in his brother's life and even moves into the hotel he was staying at. Overall, an enjoyable read, although it began to drag on by the end and there are many implausible aspects (e.g., why would Adam suddenly leave his entire life behind? also, the love story seems very unlikely ).

Thanks to NetGalley, the author, and Repeater Books for the opportunity to read an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Catalina · Rating 4 out of 5]

WOW! Double wow!
I had no idea where this book was going. As in absolutely no idea, no idea whatsoever, nil(I can't even remember when was the last time such thing happened) . But it was a lush experience to take a step back and let everything unravel. And unravel it did. It was like a marvelous oiled machine surprising you with its magic and make you wonder at the mechanism behind it all.
Adam and Bran: two sides of a coin. One is so malevolent that he has no remorse on doing the unthinkable for his own advancement in life; the other a recluse, afraid of the world but who reborns out of ashes and ruins.
A very dense novel covering quite a bit of themes: family, relationships, siblings, narcissism, the music industry in its magnificence but its dark side too and much more. I must admit the music bits were a bit of a blur for me, as I never studied music. But the story can be enjoyed regardless of one's music knowledge and obviously many of the artists are googleable :D
Lovely to see Manchester and its surrounding towns(Rochdale, Todmorden) featured and a nod to Romania too in the form of "Romanian hookers"(London is full of them: some willingly, others trafficked :/).

It was slow going due to its depth and density. At times it was frustrating as I have a long list of books I need to read and tight deadlines. But it was not unsatisfactory, quite the contrary as in this day and age it's rather hard to find authors who really work to deliver a solid book to their readers.
Plus the ending was a bit too tidy for my liking, especially after that 'car wreck' of a story; therefore I've deducted 1 star from my overall rating.

*Book from NetGalley with thanks to the publisher.

[Roz Morris · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this. Brandon Kussgarten, a rock musician, is assassinated under bizarre circumstances. Adam, his estranged, reclusive twin brother is drawn into Brandon's world to deal with Brandon's unfinished business, and finds himself sort-of adopting his twin's identity.
As you'd expect, there's sex, drugs and rock n roll, but Osman makes it so distinctive, beautiful and odd. Look at this description of a house wrecked by a party - 'The chandelier sits in the middle of the floor, bedecked in fairy lights, its crystal drops spread around it like petticoats.' Or the breathtaking scene walking across a frozen lake while the ice groans and heaves underneath. Here's Brandon (through his writings) describing the band rehearsing, all wearing headphones: 'I strained to hear the ghost of the song through the thin sounds of plectrum on strings, Kimi's mumbling and the soft beat of feet'.
Adam has to take on his brother's identity to an extent, which you'd expect, but in Osman's hands this journey is always unpredictable, uncomfortable and intriguing. Adam becomes close to Rae, Brandon's girlfriend, which again you might expect, but its handling is deep, true and so affecting. This novel is about deep attachments and Osman makes you so exquisitely aware of them. Brandon's girlfriend Rae, sleeping with their new-born son: 'Robin curled into her, flseh on flesh. Their faces, even deep in respective slumbers, beamed information at each other, two satellite dishes in constant contact: I AM HERE I AM HERE I AM HERE.'
Mat, I'm here for another one. Do write again soon.

[Vivienne · Rating 4 out of 5]

My thanks to Repeater Books for an eARC via NetGalley of ‘The Ruins’ by Mat Osman in exchange for an honest review.

London, 2010. Shy, bookish Adam Kussgarten lives in a Notting Hill flat surrounded by the miniature model kingdom he has created. He is shocked to be contacted with the news that his estranged twin brother, Brandon, had been shot a few streets away by two gunmen wearing Donald Duck masks.

As far as he knew Brandon was living in California and can’t understand what he was doing in London where apparently he’d been for a couple of weeks before his death. His brother’s girlfriend, Bea, enlists Adam’s help to discover what Brandon was involved in and who killed him.

Adam soon finds that Brandon’s visit was linked to his former career as a member of a London band that had found moderate fame in the 90s. Adam even assumes Brandon’s identity to question his former and current associates and finds himself getting drawn into his brother’s world of deception, violence, and forgery. The stakes quickly become very high.

I was quickly drawn into this intriguing, intelligent, multilayered tale. It certainly had its moments of strange, most supplied by the files that Brandon left behind.

There is a great deal within its pages about the music industry, which Osman knows from the inside being a founder member of the iconic British band Suede.

Certainly recommended for those looking for something different in the field of crime noir.

[Chelli · Rating 4 out of 5]

È un libro ben scritto e la trama ci sta, soprattutto per i puntigliosi della rappresentazione della music industry. Tuttavia ho riscontrato alcuni problemi che me l’hanno reso di difficile lettura.

Prima di tutto, poteva avere tranquillamente un centinaio di pagine in meno. Osman è molto bravo con le parole, e sa di esserlo. E forse proprio per questo alcuni punti non sono altro che autosviolinate melense che non aggiungono nulla alla trama.

Le motivazioni di entrambi i personaggi principali sono troppo deboli (o forse nascoste dall’inutilità dei duecentomila aggettivi superflui, chi può dirlo). E non sono nemmeno simpatici.

Oltretutto, non si nota un distacco netto tra la voce di Adam e quella di Brandon. In alcuni momenti facevo persino fatica a ricordarmi chi dei due stava raccontando. Ho sperato fino in fondo che ci fosse un gran colpo di scena a motivare questa cosa e invece no.

*spoilerino*
Per ultimo, la naturalezza con cui Rae accetta la situazione tipo boh tanto son gemelli uno vale l’altro.

Come dicono i giovani: bello ma non ci vivrei

[Joana · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a clever puzzle of a mystery book, involving twins and the usual mistaken identities, music, drugs and a little fantasy. It's not badly written at all, but it felt a little bit like the overindulgent writing of a "bloke", leaning heavily on the aforementioned themes. Some parts are really beautiful but I got bored with so much description (there's a lot of description of a model city - again: very male). I was amused by the idea of the "Smile" scheme and I think that's something music fans would enjoy. I didn't quite understand how brother Reggie and Ron agreed to help Adam by framing themselves: did they not know the outcome? Did Adam intend to frame them as well as Dillon? I'm afraid I missed it.There's definitely quality and work behind this book so I expect there will be more to come by Mat Osman.

[Susan · Rating 1 out of 5]

The Ruins is the story of twin brothers - Adam and Brandon - who haven't spoken for decades, When Brandon is found gunned down just streets from Adam's flat, Brandon's girlfriend enlists Adam to find out what he was doing there and who killed him. Shy, stuttering Adam finds himself caught up in his brother's world of deception, violence and forgery.

I nearly lost the will to live whilst trying to finish this book, I just couldn't manage it and gave up at about 30%. It dragged on and on and although some of the story pulled me in I just couldn't face trawling through all of it. Luckily another reviewer said what the ending was so I was saved!

[Nick Masters · Rating 4 out of 5]

“The Ruins” asks questions of self-identity, self-value, and life’s purpose delivered through a labyrinth of mystery and discovery, all underpinned by the power and influence of music and its world of excesses and eccentricity.

This book is filled with some really well written, unique and surprisingly enjoyable sub-stories or details (such as Umbrage, Vegas & Voice boxes) all knitted together in a clever (and a little dark) narcissistic scheme. It really is an intelligent, fun story (perhaps a little trippy at times, but that is par for the course.

Thanks you NetGalley and Repeater Books for a review copy

[Book Him Danno · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mat Osman sues his knowledge to bring his first book to life. The author creates characters that might not be likable but if readers have siblings they will be able to connect with the lead characters desire to find the truth of what happen to his brother.

The list of characters makes for a duel identity that the characters is living and while it takes time for the action to happen readers will be willing to hang on because different characters that they will connect with.



Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a advance copy of Mat Osman The Ruins.

[Nicola McPherson · Rating 1 out of 5]

Really disappointed with this book- bought it for my mum based on reviews but she struggled with it and so did I- I ended up asking her how it ended and skimming through to finish it! Twins who haven’t spoken in years- one is told of the others death so he ends up pretending to be him to find out what happened, turned out the one who did get shot actually meant the shooters (Ronnie and Reggie) to shoot his brother?!? - he ends up falling in love with his brothers girlfriend and son and goes to be with them- bizzare!