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Countdown To A Killing
London, Sicily, Huddersfield 2016–2017: Wen Li is a deeply kind and sensitive twenty-nine-old British-Chinese woman who suffers from severe Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, which manifests itself in an incessant, overwhelming fear that she might have murderous impulses. Unlucky in love and emotionally scarred, Wen falls for colleague, Lomax Clipper, a tremendously frustrated and delusional Englishman. He’s in love with a Sicilian young woman he met while working in Italy, but he and Wen do share a mutual loathing of their boss, Julian Ponsonby. Julian’s struggling too – with a toxic relationship and his father’s refusal to accept his sexuality. On his return to Sicily, via a sabbatical, Lomax befriends Fifi de Angelis, a vulnerable Sicilian man with restricted growth who has been ostracised by his family.
An original concept, this is an innovative novel in literary fiction told through interwoven correspondence, emails and WhatsApp messages, with the suspense around an impending murder steadily building, Countdown to a Killing is a deep exploration of multiple perspectives and points of view of individuals who are inextricably bound. The key themes of love, sexuality, ethnicity, mental health and acceptance are sensitively explored in a unique linear year multi-layered and metafictional narrative. Packed with humour, heartache and a cast of expertly-crafted characters, this contemporary take on the epistolary novel will have you laughing and crying in equal measure.
An original concept, this is an innovative novel in literary fiction told through interwoven correspondence, emails and WhatsApp messages, with the suspense around an impending murder steadily building, Countdown to a Killing is a deep exploration of multiple perspectives and points of view of individuals who are inextricably bound. The key themes of love, sexuality, ethnicity, mental health and acceptance are sensitively explored in a unique linear year multi-layered and metafictional narrative. Packed with humour, heartache and a cast of expertly-crafted characters, this contemporary take on the epistolary novel will have you laughing and crying in equal measure.
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Published July 7, 2022
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July 29, 2022
I'll admit that I had expected more of a mystery or crime-thriller, based upon the title and blurb of Countdown To A Killing. It could perhaps be better described as literary / contemporary fiction, a building crescendo to a future crime that doesn't actually feature in the plot, beyond a brief explanatory epilogue. That said, Tom Vaughan MacAulay has produced an engrossing and amusing character-based tragi-comedy in 21st century epistolary novel format.
Experienced scrivener notary* Lomax Clipper (33) has recently been joined at the London legal firm of Curtain & Curtain by junior associate Wen Li (29). They're united in their loathing of their supervising partner, Julian Pickering (mysteriously named as Ponsonby in the blurb), an apparently humourless and nit-picking individual.
*[For the benefit of those who don't move in legal circles, a scrivener notary is type of paralegal professional, fluent in multiple languages, who authenticates and drafts legal documents for use in international contexts.]
Both Lomax and Wen are at a stage in their personal and professional lives where their situtions might be considered enviable - they have good jobs with a reputable employer, rent decent homes in the competitive London real estate market and are at present free from responsibilities such as marriage, children and mortgages. Yet, all that glitters is not gold...
Lomax is preoccupied with Aurora, a beautiful but emotionally volatile young communist with whom he enjoyed a brief relationship whilst on leave in Sicily, Italy. It's clear he'd like to keep the passion alive, but Aurora's responses to his heartfelt entreaties oscillate between encouraging emojis, dropped hints about her relationships with other men and threats to report him for harassment. Lomax has started writing a novel, which he's sure will prove the means for him to rise above his humdrum London existence and cement a future as a celebrated author living in Italy. He seeks regular feedback on his progress from retired University of Huddersfield lecturer, Professor Melanie Nithercott. He's also in regular correspondence with old friend Katie Wetherden, who works demanding hours as a high-flying lawyer at a top London firm (her frenetic existence echoes that of the titular character of MacAulay's previous novel, Being Simon Haines). Lomax's relationships with both Melanie and Katie are fairly tumultuous, as he clearly finds it difficult to accept criticism, particularly regarding the quality of his writing or his on-again, off-again relationship with Aurora.
Meanwhile, Wen is trying to settle into her new job whilst also acting the part of the attentive only daughter to her aging Chinese-English parents, who run a struggling grocery business in Brighton. Added to this, Wen is undergoing treatment for crippling OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder), which in her case manifests as intrusive and repetitive thoughts that she may impulsively commit acts of violence on others (she has never in fact done so!). Heartbreakingly, every time that Wen feels that she's reached a level of interpersonal understanding with someone that she shares the details of her condition, the recipient becomes scared for their personal safety when in her immediate vicinity.
The relationship between Lomax and Wen develops from that of work colleagues to become (mostly) supportive confidantes, with perhaps the potential for something romantic to develop. But what will happen when Lomax takes a sabbatical to spend several months in Palermo, finishing his novel and exploring the future (if any) of his relationship with Aurora?
We discover a side to the character of Lomax and Wen's despised boss, Julian (a.k.a. the "rat-witch"), through his email and WhatsApp correspondence with his partner, Toby, and his father. Julian's struggling with Toby's repeated regressions into alcoholism and vindictiveness, all whilst living on Julian's dime. A dutiful son, Julian feels rejected by his family's refusal to acknowledge, let alone accept, his homosexuality. He's also under greater pressure at Curtain & Curtain than Lomax and Wen realise, and faces a potentially bleak professional future...
We encounter the fourth of our epistolary characters following Lomax's return to Sicily. Fifi de Angelis suffers from achondroplasia - that is, he's a little person or person of diminished stature - at 130cm tall, he's suffered lifelong ridicule and discrimination on the basis of his genetic condition. Fifi is estranged from his family in Agrigento - with the exception of his grandmother, Nonna Liboria - following an incident in which Fifi repeatedly bit another man after a heated altercation in a bar. Desperate for personal connection and understanding, Fifi (figuratively) latches onto Lomax in Palermo and a somewhat one-sided friendship ensues.
All four of our protagonists ultimately converge on the Via Lungarini in Palermo on the night of 1-2 September. We know that someone will die and someone will kill, and that one, but not necessarily both, roles will be filled by the central characters. Who and why remains a mystery. The narrative turns up fraught relationships and potential motives aplenty, but ultimately the much-anticipated final denouement comes as a rather jarring, though not unsatisfying, close.
Tom Vaughan MacAulay successfully renders the well-established epistolary format for a 21st century audience - traditional letters are replaced with emails and WhatsApp messages, with the inevitable mishaps such as mistakengly copying in, tagging or forwarding to the wrong recipient. As we only see one side of each series of correspondence, it's left mostly to the reader to interpolate the content of the other side of the exchange. This enables MacAulay to skilfully convey the protagonists' biases, insecurities and flaws without having to lay them out in black and white. We can draw parallels with our own work and social lives, family and romantic relationships, internal dialogues, and with those who we encounter along the way. It's an immersive and engrossing reading experience. The epistolatory narrative is punctuated from time to time with "editorial interventions", foreshadowing that events will culminate in a death in Palermo on 2 September 2017, whilst also providing further explanatory detail about lapses in the communication between certain characters and the like.
I found Countdown To A Killing a rewarding and stimulating read, with fascinating, albeit not always particularly likeable, characters, an evocative setting and a cleverly-structured plot. I also enjoyed the sample of author Tom Vaughan MacAulay's previous novel, Being Simon Haines, that was included at the conclusion of my Kindle ARC.
My thanks to the author, Tom Vaughan MacAulay, publisher RedDoor Press, and NetGalley (UK) for the opportunity to read and review this title.
Experienced scrivener notary* Lomax Clipper (33) has recently been joined at the London legal firm of Curtain & Curtain by junior associate Wen Li (29). They're united in their loathing of their supervising partner, Julian Pickering (mysteriously named as Ponsonby in the blurb), an apparently humourless and nit-picking individual.
*[For the benefit of those who don't move in legal circles, a scrivener notary is type of paralegal professional, fluent in multiple languages, who authenticates and drafts legal documents for use in international contexts.]
Both Lomax and Wen are at a stage in their personal and professional lives where their situtions might be considered enviable - they have good jobs with a reputable employer, rent decent homes in the competitive London real estate market and are at present free from responsibilities such as marriage, children and mortgages. Yet, all that glitters is not gold...
Lomax is preoccupied with Aurora, a beautiful but emotionally volatile young communist with whom he enjoyed a brief relationship whilst on leave in Sicily, Italy. It's clear he'd like to keep the passion alive, but Aurora's responses to his heartfelt entreaties oscillate between encouraging emojis, dropped hints about her relationships with other men and threats to report him for harassment. Lomax has started writing a novel, which he's sure will prove the means for him to rise above his humdrum London existence and cement a future as a celebrated author living in Italy. He seeks regular feedback on his progress from retired University of Huddersfield lecturer, Professor Melanie Nithercott. He's also in regular correspondence with old friend Katie Wetherden, who works demanding hours as a high-flying lawyer at a top London firm (her frenetic existence echoes that of the titular character of MacAulay's previous novel, Being Simon Haines). Lomax's relationships with both Melanie and Katie are fairly tumultuous, as he clearly finds it difficult to accept criticism, particularly regarding the quality of his writing or his on-again, off-again relationship with Aurora.
Meanwhile, Wen is trying to settle into her new job whilst also acting the part of the attentive only daughter to her aging Chinese-English parents, who run a struggling grocery business in Brighton. Added to this, Wen is undergoing treatment for crippling OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder), which in her case manifests as intrusive and repetitive thoughts that she may impulsively commit acts of violence on others (she has never in fact done so!). Heartbreakingly, every time that Wen feels that she's reached a level of interpersonal understanding with someone that she shares the details of her condition, the recipient becomes scared for their personal safety when in her immediate vicinity.
The relationship between Lomax and Wen develops from that of work colleagues to become (mostly) supportive confidantes, with perhaps the potential for something romantic to develop. But what will happen when Lomax takes a sabbatical to spend several months in Palermo, finishing his novel and exploring the future (if any) of his relationship with Aurora?
We discover a side to the character of Lomax and Wen's despised boss, Julian (a.k.a. the "rat-witch"), through his email and WhatsApp correspondence with his partner, Toby, and his father. Julian's struggling with Toby's repeated regressions into alcoholism and vindictiveness, all whilst living on Julian's dime. A dutiful son, Julian feels rejected by his family's refusal to acknowledge, let alone accept, his homosexuality. He's also under greater pressure at Curtain & Curtain than Lomax and Wen realise, and faces a potentially bleak professional future...
We encounter the fourth of our epistolary characters following Lomax's return to Sicily. Fifi de Angelis suffers from achondroplasia - that is, he's a little person or person of diminished stature - at 130cm tall, he's suffered lifelong ridicule and discrimination on the basis of his genetic condition. Fifi is estranged from his family in Agrigento - with the exception of his grandmother, Nonna Liboria - following an incident in which Fifi repeatedly bit another man after a heated altercation in a bar. Desperate for personal connection and understanding, Fifi (figuratively) latches onto Lomax in Palermo and a somewhat one-sided friendship ensues.
All four of our protagonists ultimately converge on the Via Lungarini in Palermo on the night of 1-2 September. We know that someone will die and someone will kill, and that one, but not necessarily both, roles will be filled by the central characters. Who and why remains a mystery. The narrative turns up fraught relationships and potential motives aplenty, but ultimately the much-anticipated final denouement comes as a rather jarring, though not unsatisfying, close.
Tom Vaughan MacAulay successfully renders the well-established epistolary format for a 21st century audience - traditional letters are replaced with emails and WhatsApp messages, with the inevitable mishaps such as mistakengly copying in, tagging or forwarding to the wrong recipient. As we only see one side of each series of correspondence, it's left mostly to the reader to interpolate the content of the other side of the exchange. This enables MacAulay to skilfully convey the protagonists' biases, insecurities and flaws without having to lay them out in black and white. We can draw parallels with our own work and social lives, family and romantic relationships, internal dialogues, and with those who we encounter along the way. It's an immersive and engrossing reading experience. The epistolatory narrative is punctuated from time to time with "editorial interventions", foreshadowing that events will culminate in a death in Palermo on 2 September 2017, whilst also providing further explanatory detail about lapses in the communication between certain characters and the like.
I found Countdown To A Killing a rewarding and stimulating read, with fascinating, albeit not always particularly likeable, characters, an evocative setting and a cleverly-structured plot. I also enjoyed the sample of author Tom Vaughan MacAulay's previous novel, Being Simon Haines, that was included at the conclusion of my Kindle ARC.
My thanks to the author, Tom Vaughan MacAulay, publisher RedDoor Press, and NetGalley (UK) for the opportunity to read and review this title.
July 12, 2022
The story:
Lomax Clipper is an aspiring writer, deeply unhappy in his job as a scrivener notary. Seeing his novel as his way out, he is becoming increasingly desperate to complete it and be recognised as the talented author he believes himself to be, leave his leaky London flat and live his dream life in Sicily with the beautiful but erratic Aurora. In an attempt to realise this reality and plagued by nightmares of murder on a Palermo street, Lomax returns to Sicily, where he also befriends Fifi de Angelis, a man with restricted growth, who is lonely and shunned by his family.
Object of Lomax’s disdain is his boss Julian Ponsonby, a man with a troubled love life of his own and desperately seeking approval from an elderly father who refuses to accept his son’s sexuality.
The final member of the unhappy office at Curtain & Curtain is young notary Wen Li. Young and talented, Wen is also suffering; battling with her OCD, which manifests as repetitive worries that she will do someone harm.
Told through the various correspondence of the main characters, the story builds towards the killing of the title… But who will be the victim, and who the killer?
My thoughts:
On reading the description of this book, I was reminded of the Agatha Christie novel “Towards Zero”, and the idea that a murder isn’t the beginning of a mystery, but the end.
In this new novel from Tom Vaughan MacAulay (author of “Being Simon Haines”), this is exactly the premise taken, and I think it works to great effect. A modern take on the epistolary novel, told via emails, WhatsApp messages, and occasionally punctuated with ‘editorial interventuons’, the story unfolds with an increasing sense of doom, given that we know the inevitable outcome. What we don’t know is who the victim or killer are, and even the slightest discussion here would spoil the story!
One character ponders in an email to another, “Whether it isn’t cruel how these days our words are too often written, and unthinkingly given permanence”, and of course this is true for the various exchanges between the main characters as the story plays out.
The book is both very funny, and also tragic, with each character struggling with life in a variety of ways; a struggle which the world around them seems largely oblivious to. I found it very effective learning about the characters both from their own point of view, and as they appear to others. The fact that we generally only see one side of a conversation is also effective, leaving the reader to fill in the gaps themselves.
Overall, I found this a thoroughly enjoyable read, and one that I sped though in just a few sittings (a danger of this style of writing is it’s very easy to just read ‘a few more pages’!). While a very funny read, as mentioned, it also covers some very serious themes of mental health, loneliness, family and friendship, highlighting the risk taken in confiding personal details about ourselves to others. Highly recommended as a very original and enjoyable mystery with a difference!
Lomax Clipper is an aspiring writer, deeply unhappy in his job as a scrivener notary. Seeing his novel as his way out, he is becoming increasingly desperate to complete it and be recognised as the talented author he believes himself to be, leave his leaky London flat and live his dream life in Sicily with the beautiful but erratic Aurora. In an attempt to realise this reality and plagued by nightmares of murder on a Palermo street, Lomax returns to Sicily, where he also befriends Fifi de Angelis, a man with restricted growth, who is lonely and shunned by his family.
Object of Lomax’s disdain is his boss Julian Ponsonby, a man with a troubled love life of his own and desperately seeking approval from an elderly father who refuses to accept his son’s sexuality.
The final member of the unhappy office at Curtain & Curtain is young notary Wen Li. Young and talented, Wen is also suffering; battling with her OCD, which manifests as repetitive worries that she will do someone harm.
Told through the various correspondence of the main characters, the story builds towards the killing of the title… But who will be the victim, and who the killer?
My thoughts:
On reading the description of this book, I was reminded of the Agatha Christie novel “Towards Zero”, and the idea that a murder isn’t the beginning of a mystery, but the end.
In this new novel from Tom Vaughan MacAulay (author of “Being Simon Haines”), this is exactly the premise taken, and I think it works to great effect. A modern take on the epistolary novel, told via emails, WhatsApp messages, and occasionally punctuated with ‘editorial interventuons’, the story unfolds with an increasing sense of doom, given that we know the inevitable outcome. What we don’t know is who the victim or killer are, and even the slightest discussion here would spoil the story!
One character ponders in an email to another, “Whether it isn’t cruel how these days our words are too often written, and unthinkingly given permanence”, and of course this is true for the various exchanges between the main characters as the story plays out.
The book is both very funny, and also tragic, with each character struggling with life in a variety of ways; a struggle which the world around them seems largely oblivious to. I found it very effective learning about the characters both from their own point of view, and as they appear to others. The fact that we generally only see one side of a conversation is also effective, leaving the reader to fill in the gaps themselves.
Overall, I found this a thoroughly enjoyable read, and one that I sped though in just a few sittings (a danger of this style of writing is it’s very easy to just read ‘a few more pages’!). While a very funny read, as mentioned, it also covers some very serious themes of mental health, loneliness, family and friendship, highlighting the risk taken in confiding personal details about ourselves to others. Highly recommended as a very original and enjoyable mystery with a difference!
April 15, 2022
|E-ARC provided by netgalley|
I had very high hopes for this book.
It was well written, as it had me captivated and unable to put it down.
The Characters building and personalities, the variety, the mental problems. All was my jam.
But by the end....it was a huge disappointment.
It has kept on dragging and going into details of the characters' lives and stirring away from the main point. The killing. (as it was the last two pages and not even detailed or important and didn't need all this building and counting down)
Just read 300 pages of a supposed thriller with zero thrill.
I had very high hopes for this book.
It was well written, as it had me captivated and unable to put it down.
The Characters building and personalities, the variety, the mental problems. All was my jam.
But by the end....it was a huge disappointment.
It has kept on dragging and going into details of the characters' lives and stirring away from the main point. The killing. (as it was the last two pages and not even detailed or important and didn't need all this building and counting down)
Just read 300 pages of a supposed thriller with zero thrill.
March 26, 2022
This was not an author or publisher that I have ever read before however the premise of the book was too good to not to read. Janice Hallett, in The Appeal, used a similar story telling device using emails, texts, WhatsApp messages between the main characters rather than traditional prose.
Here we have an assortment of unusual and eccentric characters, we are told that a death will happen at some point in the future which will involve one of our main characters.
I always think the use of personal communication between characters works really well. It gives a great insight into the characters that you sometimes don't get in traditional story telling.
The communication between characters is generally one way. There are many characters who we never meet and we can only learn about them through emails and messages which are sent to them. Despite this you do feel a connection with the characters being corresponded with and it was a great job by the author to make you love/hate people who we are never introduced to.
A thoroughly brilliant novel with an excellent twist on traditional story telling. Thanks to Netgalley and RedDoor Press for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Here we have an assortment of unusual and eccentric characters, we are told that a death will happen at some point in the future which will involve one of our main characters.
I always think the use of personal communication between characters works really well. It gives a great insight into the characters that you sometimes don't get in traditional story telling.
The communication between characters is generally one way. There are many characters who we never meet and we can only learn about them through emails and messages which are sent to them. Despite this you do feel a connection with the characters being corresponded with and it was a great job by the author to make you love/hate people who we are never introduced to.
A thoroughly brilliant novel with an excellent twist on traditional story telling. Thanks to Netgalley and RedDoor Press for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
April 9, 2022
Countdown to a Killing by Tom Vaughan MacAulay is an interesting murder mystery told entirely through correspondence, emails & WhatsApp messages.
I was quite intrigued when I read the blurb. I am the biggest fan of epistolarian novels so this seemed like it would be right up my alley.
I will admit I struggled getting into it because there were so many characters & relationships established quickly that I had trouble figuring out everyone. I would also like to add that with reading an arc, while I find always a fortunate experience, might have made this more confusing with this type of book because the lack of perfected formatting was trouble on my brain differentiating people & conservations. This could definitely be a me problem. I have a foggy brain & chronic illness, so please forgive me.
Between the toxic relationships, judgmental people & dragging story, I kept anticipating action, but I was met with more mundane conversations. I would’ve liked a little less of the middle to end & more of the climax & reveal. It all came together in a couple pages & I wanted more explanation.
I wanted to love this so much beceauze I thought the concept of this was absolutely incredible & unique, but I had trouble with it. I’m going to give it 3 stars for innovation & cleverness.
I would like to give the author props for such an inventive premise & gutsy storytelling with breaking the fourth wall. I think that takes extreme intelligence, wit & determination & for that, I offer my respect & applause.
I’m always very appreciate for the inclusion of mental health struggles. This is one of the first books I’ve read that has a character with OCD. I know someone who has this & I’m always grateful to authors for representing & including mental health in their work.
Countdown to a Killing by Tom Vaughan MacAulay comes out July 7, 2022!
Massive thanks to NetGalley & RedDoor Press for giving me the opportunity to read an arc of this in exchange for an honest review.
Trigger warnings: This book mentions &/or contains gore, bodily harm, violence, murder, racist jokes, homophobic comments & addiction.
I was quite intrigued when I read the blurb. I am the biggest fan of epistolarian novels so this seemed like it would be right up my alley.
I will admit I struggled getting into it because there were so many characters & relationships established quickly that I had trouble figuring out everyone. I would also like to add that with reading an arc, while I find always a fortunate experience, might have made this more confusing with this type of book because the lack of perfected formatting was trouble on my brain differentiating people & conservations. This could definitely be a me problem. I have a foggy brain & chronic illness, so please forgive me.
Between the toxic relationships, judgmental people & dragging story, I kept anticipating action, but I was met with more mundane conversations. I would’ve liked a little less of the middle to end & more of the climax & reveal. It all came together in a couple pages & I wanted more explanation.
I wanted to love this so much beceauze I thought the concept of this was absolutely incredible & unique, but I had trouble with it. I’m going to give it 3 stars for innovation & cleverness.
I would like to give the author props for such an inventive premise & gutsy storytelling with breaking the fourth wall. I think that takes extreme intelligence, wit & determination & for that, I offer my respect & applause.
I’m always very appreciate for the inclusion of mental health struggles. This is one of the first books I’ve read that has a character with OCD. I know someone who has this & I’m always grateful to authors for representing & including mental health in their work.
Countdown to a Killing by Tom Vaughan MacAulay comes out July 7, 2022!
Massive thanks to NetGalley & RedDoor Press for giving me the opportunity to read an arc of this in exchange for an honest review.
Trigger warnings: This book mentions &/or contains gore, bodily harm, violence, murder, racist jokes, homophobic comments & addiction.
Read
July 22, 2022Now I know some people out there don't like books written in a different form of narrative. Countdown To A Killing is one of those books, this is told through emails and WhatsApps, also the narrator of the story breaks the fourth wall and speaks directly to us the reader. All this I love, I appreciate an author who breaks the norm in story writing and gives a different take on how a story should be told.
I'll be honest it did take me a while to get myself involved in the story, purely because of all the differing characters and making the connections of who they are. It also took me a while to get over the fact that I was reading a one sided conversation, as the reader we only get the correspondence from the characters involved POV. The replies and responses aren't given to us so that is left a mystery to us, this did bother me at first. However, I realised then that it adds to the beauty of the narrative. We make assumptions on what is being told by one character's view.
One of the characters in Countdown To A Killing suffers from OCD I found this very interesting and after the book I read up more about it. I was quite naive pre reading this book thinking that OCD was just about cleaning and being a little bit obsessed about things being in order. There is much more to it.
This story touches upon other themes of importance such as sexuality, ethnicity, mental health and acceptance. Many of the characters "need" success and acceptance in their lives, and find different avenues to achieve their needs.
Don't go into this book thinking you're going to get a book filled with murder. It's more a character driven story. It's a lead up to an event, the Killing not being the main focus. The main focus is how we get there.
I'll be honest it did take me a while to get myself involved in the story, purely because of all the differing characters and making the connections of who they are. It also took me a while to get over the fact that I was reading a one sided conversation, as the reader we only get the correspondence from the characters involved POV. The replies and responses aren't given to us so that is left a mystery to us, this did bother me at first. However, I realised then that it adds to the beauty of the narrative. We make assumptions on what is being told by one character's view.
One of the characters in Countdown To A Killing suffers from OCD I found this very interesting and after the book I read up more about it. I was quite naive pre reading this book thinking that OCD was just about cleaning and being a little bit obsessed about things being in order. There is much more to it.
This story touches upon other themes of importance such as sexuality, ethnicity, mental health and acceptance. Many of the characters "need" success and acceptance in their lives, and find different avenues to achieve their needs.
Don't go into this book thinking you're going to get a book filled with murder. It's more a character driven story. It's a lead up to an event, the Killing not being the main focus. The main focus is how we get there.
August 10, 2022
Lomax Clipper returns to his job as scrivener notary at the London firm of Curtain & Curtain after an amazing six-month secondment Italy. During this time, he had fallen hopelessly in love with the beautiful and enigmatic Sicilian woman called Aurora. Will their separation end this fledgling relationship?
One thing that Lomax isn’t looking forward to is being reunited with his boss, Julian Pickering. Julian is the stereotypical dull middle aged middle manager type who naturally clashes the flippant Lomax. Julian is having a mini midlife crisis. Whilst giving the appearance of being straight and somewhat staid, he is homosexual something his father has never really come to terms with. Julian’s live-in boyfriend is an alcoholic, and their relationship is becoming toxic to the point of breaking.
During Lomax’s absence the firm has taken on Wen Li, a British-Chinese woman, who is kind and sensitive but also troubled. With the help of a therapist, she is trying to control the OCD which she suffers from and is prone to periodic relapses. As if that wasn’t enough to contend with, she has the worry that her parent’s shop is struggling, and she finds it difficult to make friends. Wen and Lomax form a friendship in joint adversity, but is there more at work?
Lomax is venting his frustration by ‘taking up the pen’ in his spare time trying to write a novel. In his delusion he believes it will be a best seller and he will be able to say goodbye to Curtain & Curtain. His inspiration dries up following a visit to the UK by Aurora that didn’t go quite to plan. His big hope is a return to Sicily and reconciliation with Aurora will spark his genius, so he arranges an unpaid sabbatical.
On Sicily life escalates as he meets new people, makes new friends, and experiences the volcanic Italian temperament.
Oh yes and there is a killing…
The story is told through a series of one-sided email and WhatsApp messages rather than traditional prose. The reader never sees the messages that prompt correspondence or responses, so they are never quite sure if the reaction is justified. When the mental health of the main character is a little fragile this is clever as it is impossible to tell if responses are over reactions or out of character and at times builds an element of paranoia.
The structure also allows for an interesting dynamic with the development of the characters. The movement of the plot is a series of staccato steps as each piece of correspondence moves it along, sometime the steps are small, other times they are big strides. This leaves a broad canvas for characters to be explored, the joy is in what happens to them during this journey. This is a novel about people’s fears and anxieties, their place in society and its hierarchy and the modern workplace. All the key players have strength and flaws which are explored with a generally sympathetic eye.
Lomax is delusional but in a heroic sense as he tries to make his dream of writing a novel a reality whilst avoiding a recurring nightmare becoming a reality too. He needs someone to save him from himself and he isn’t cut out for office life.
Wen is the most sympathetic character and her battles with OCD are described with some compassion. Too often OCD is portrayed or described by people when they are merely talking about being too fussy. We have all heard someone say ‘I’m a bit OCD’ when the reality is it can be a very scary and debilitating disorder to deal with. Here it has been beautifully judged indicating the reality without dwelling too much on the thought processes.
The introduction of Fifi the dwarf adds to the slightly surreal scenes in Sicily, which are great fun, but hasn’t been milked for the comedic potential. Another character prompting sympathy rather than the more obvious, to some, ridicule.
Aurora is a mad Italian bunny boiling beauty from central casting, nicely written but would probably work better on screen.
Countdown to a Killing is a wry and perceptive examination of the effects of modern life on people’s mental health, emotional relationships and working environment.
One thing that Lomax isn’t looking forward to is being reunited with his boss, Julian Pickering. Julian is the stereotypical dull middle aged middle manager type who naturally clashes the flippant Lomax. Julian is having a mini midlife crisis. Whilst giving the appearance of being straight and somewhat staid, he is homosexual something his father has never really come to terms with. Julian’s live-in boyfriend is an alcoholic, and their relationship is becoming toxic to the point of breaking.
During Lomax’s absence the firm has taken on Wen Li, a British-Chinese woman, who is kind and sensitive but also troubled. With the help of a therapist, she is trying to control the OCD which she suffers from and is prone to periodic relapses. As if that wasn’t enough to contend with, she has the worry that her parent’s shop is struggling, and she finds it difficult to make friends. Wen and Lomax form a friendship in joint adversity, but is there more at work?
Lomax is venting his frustration by ‘taking up the pen’ in his spare time trying to write a novel. In his delusion he believes it will be a best seller and he will be able to say goodbye to Curtain & Curtain. His inspiration dries up following a visit to the UK by Aurora that didn’t go quite to plan. His big hope is a return to Sicily and reconciliation with Aurora will spark his genius, so he arranges an unpaid sabbatical.
On Sicily life escalates as he meets new people, makes new friends, and experiences the volcanic Italian temperament.
Oh yes and there is a killing…
The story is told through a series of one-sided email and WhatsApp messages rather than traditional prose. The reader never sees the messages that prompt correspondence or responses, so they are never quite sure if the reaction is justified. When the mental health of the main character is a little fragile this is clever as it is impossible to tell if responses are over reactions or out of character and at times builds an element of paranoia.
The structure also allows for an interesting dynamic with the development of the characters. The movement of the plot is a series of staccato steps as each piece of correspondence moves it along, sometime the steps are small, other times they are big strides. This leaves a broad canvas for characters to be explored, the joy is in what happens to them during this journey. This is a novel about people’s fears and anxieties, their place in society and its hierarchy and the modern workplace. All the key players have strength and flaws which are explored with a generally sympathetic eye.
Lomax is delusional but in a heroic sense as he tries to make his dream of writing a novel a reality whilst avoiding a recurring nightmare becoming a reality too. He needs someone to save him from himself and he isn’t cut out for office life.
Wen is the most sympathetic character and her battles with OCD are described with some compassion. Too often OCD is portrayed or described by people when they are merely talking about being too fussy. We have all heard someone say ‘I’m a bit OCD’ when the reality is it can be a very scary and debilitating disorder to deal with. Here it has been beautifully judged indicating the reality without dwelling too much on the thought processes.
The introduction of Fifi the dwarf adds to the slightly surreal scenes in Sicily, which are great fun, but hasn’t been milked for the comedic potential. Another character prompting sympathy rather than the more obvious, to some, ridicule.
Aurora is a mad Italian bunny boiling beauty from central casting, nicely written but would probably work better on screen.
Countdown to a Killing is a wry and perceptive examination of the effects of modern life on people’s mental health, emotional relationships and working environment.
June 28, 2022
Time taken to read - in and out over 4 days
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Blurb from Goodreads
London, Sicily, Huddersfield 2016–2017: Wen Li is a deeply kind and sensitive twenty-nine-old British-Chinese woman who suffers from severe Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, which manifests itself in an incessant, overwhelming fear that she might have murderous impulses. Unlucky in love and emotionally scarred, Wen falls for colleague, Lomax Clipper, a tremendously frustrated and delusional Englishman. He’s in love with a Sicilian young woman he met while working in Italy, but he and Wen do share a mutual loathing of their boss, Julian Ponsonby. Julian’s struggling too – with a toxic relationship and his father’s refusal to accept his sexuality. On his return to Sicily, via a sabbatical, Lomax befriends Fifi de Angelis, a vulnerable Sicilian man with restricted growth who has been ostracised by his family.
An original concept, this is an innovative novel in literary fiction told through interwoven correspondence, emails and WhatsApp messages, with the suspense around an impending murder steadily building, Countdown to a Killing is a deep exploration of multiple perspectives and points of view of individuals who are inextricably bound. The key themes of love, sexuality, ethnicity, mental health and acceptance are sensitively explored in a unique linear year multi-layered and metafictional narrative. Packed with humour, heartache and a cast of expertly-crafted characters, this contemporary take on the epistolary novel will have you laughing and crying in equal measure.
My review
So this is a bit of a different book, written in excerpts type format, in the form of WhatsApp, messages, email/letter type correspondence - one sided dependent on which character we are following. Wen Li for example is one of the characters who uses WhatsApp to correspond with a friend and family, despite being one-sided through her replies/follow ups we get the conversation content just fine. She starts a new job whilst getting to grips with her mental health and meeting/introducing the other characters into the story.
My concentration levels are pretty bad just now, caring 24/7 for a loved one so demands and stress levels are high. I think whilst the format is quite different and may take some readers time to settle, if you are distracted and struggling to either get stuck into a book or have time to read this one offers relief from that. Some entries are short and snappy and we go between the characters who are linked to one another via work then relationships established.
Lomax is a writer, desperate to finish and publish his first book, he is a bit of a riot, ideas of grandeur and very sure of himself and his book/writing. Wen Li meets him at her new job and finds herself attracted to him but things are never quite straight forward, Lomax is very self involved and all consumed with his book. Julian is their box, clashes with Lomax and has a very volatile relationship with his partner who has addictions and his father who has issues with Julian's sexuality.
The book has a plethora of themes/issues, sexuality, mental health, identity, social acceptance, disabilities, delusions, friendship, betrayals and that is just scratching the surface. Multiple view points and narration but also different formats which you think would be distracting but as I said despite finding it difficult to concentrate lately this book gave me the opportunity and freedom to dip in and out as life allowed. It did take me a little time to settle and get a feel for the characters but once I did I was set, 3.5/5 for me.
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Blurb from Goodreads
London, Sicily, Huddersfield 2016–2017: Wen Li is a deeply kind and sensitive twenty-nine-old British-Chinese woman who suffers from severe Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, which manifests itself in an incessant, overwhelming fear that she might have murderous impulses. Unlucky in love and emotionally scarred, Wen falls for colleague, Lomax Clipper, a tremendously frustrated and delusional Englishman. He’s in love with a Sicilian young woman he met while working in Italy, but he and Wen do share a mutual loathing of their boss, Julian Ponsonby. Julian’s struggling too – with a toxic relationship and his father’s refusal to accept his sexuality. On his return to Sicily, via a sabbatical, Lomax befriends Fifi de Angelis, a vulnerable Sicilian man with restricted growth who has been ostracised by his family.
An original concept, this is an innovative novel in literary fiction told through interwoven correspondence, emails and WhatsApp messages, with the suspense around an impending murder steadily building, Countdown to a Killing is a deep exploration of multiple perspectives and points of view of individuals who are inextricably bound. The key themes of love, sexuality, ethnicity, mental health and acceptance are sensitively explored in a unique linear year multi-layered and metafictional narrative. Packed with humour, heartache and a cast of expertly-crafted characters, this contemporary take on the epistolary novel will have you laughing and crying in equal measure.
My review
So this is a bit of a different book, written in excerpts type format, in the form of WhatsApp, messages, email/letter type correspondence - one sided dependent on which character we are following. Wen Li for example is one of the characters who uses WhatsApp to correspond with a friend and family, despite being one-sided through her replies/follow ups we get the conversation content just fine. She starts a new job whilst getting to grips with her mental health and meeting/introducing the other characters into the story.
My concentration levels are pretty bad just now, caring 24/7 for a loved one so demands and stress levels are high. I think whilst the format is quite different and may take some readers time to settle, if you are distracted and struggling to either get stuck into a book or have time to read this one offers relief from that. Some entries are short and snappy and we go between the characters who are linked to one another via work then relationships established.
Lomax is a writer, desperate to finish and publish his first book, he is a bit of a riot, ideas of grandeur and very sure of himself and his book/writing. Wen Li meets him at her new job and finds herself attracted to him but things are never quite straight forward, Lomax is very self involved and all consumed with his book. Julian is their box, clashes with Lomax and has a very volatile relationship with his partner who has addictions and his father who has issues with Julian's sexuality.
The book has a plethora of themes/issues, sexuality, mental health, identity, social acceptance, disabilities, delusions, friendship, betrayals and that is just scratching the surface. Multiple view points and narration but also different formats which you think would be distracting but as I said despite finding it difficult to concentrate lately this book gave me the opportunity and freedom to dip in and out as life allowed. It did take me a little time to settle and get a feel for the characters but once I did I was set, 3.5/5 for me.
May 3, 2022
This may be one of my favourite books that I've read this year. This book is a collection of a selected correspondence between various characters including Wen, a young British-Chinese woman; Lomax, Wen's co-worker and hopeful novelist; Julian, Wen and Lomax's irritatingly rat-like boss; and Fifi, Lomax's eventual friend. The book navigates the lives of these characters as they experience love with others and each other, losing or leaving their job, moving to a new country, and eventually murder. One thing is certain: one of these characters ends up murdered.
Starting with Wen, I found her character to be quite enjoyable and relatable. She struggles with a form of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder that manifests as Wen having constant thoughts of murdering others. Through Wen's correspondence with her mom, therapist, friends, and boyfriend (eventual EX-boyfriend...), it is shown that Wen is constantly worried that she may, in fact, be an eventual serial killer. I find her willingness to push through life, despite her OCD getting in the way, quite heartwarming. She proves to be a true and loyal friend to Lomax, and I always was looking forward to whatever correspondence she was going to have next.
Next, I found Lomax to be quite comical. He is a man who wishes to become a bestselling novelist, but it struggling to get there. He is also struggling with loving a Sicilian woman who, quite frankly, abuses him like there is no tomorrow. He eventually decides to take a sabbatical from his job as a notary and moves to a flat in Italy to be closer to Aurora (the aforementioned Sicilian love). Through his correspondence, you can really tell he is just a man who is struggling but trying to keep himself from drowning, so to speak. I find his story quite endearing and realistic.
Considering Wen and Lomax were my two favourites, I still liked the side characters. I found their correspondence to be equally as important as well as fascinating. I like the idea of a novel being a compiled list of correspondence between people who are somehow involved in a murder. I think the only disappointment that I experienced was... well, the murder! It was slightly anticlimactic and I think made it almost too much of a happily ever after. I can't be too mad at it though, because it was a marvellous book that I literally could NOT put down.
Starting with Wen, I found her character to be quite enjoyable and relatable. She struggles with a form of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder that manifests as Wen having constant thoughts of murdering others. Through Wen's correspondence with her mom, therapist, friends, and boyfriend (eventual EX-boyfriend...), it is shown that Wen is constantly worried that she may, in fact, be an eventual serial killer. I find her willingness to push through life, despite her OCD getting in the way, quite heartwarming. She proves to be a true and loyal friend to Lomax, and I always was looking forward to whatever correspondence she was going to have next.
Next, I found Lomax to be quite comical. He is a man who wishes to become a bestselling novelist, but it struggling to get there. He is also struggling with loving a Sicilian woman who, quite frankly, abuses him like there is no tomorrow. He eventually decides to take a sabbatical from his job as a notary and moves to a flat in Italy to be closer to Aurora (the aforementioned Sicilian love). Through his correspondence, you can really tell he is just a man who is struggling but trying to keep himself from drowning, so to speak. I find his story quite endearing and realistic.
Considering Wen and Lomax were my two favourites, I still liked the side characters. I found their correspondence to be equally as important as well as fascinating. I like the idea of a novel being a compiled list of correspondence between people who are somehow involved in a murder. I think the only disappointment that I experienced was... well, the murder! It was slightly anticlimactic and I think made it almost too much of a happily ever after. I can't be too mad at it though, because it was a marvellous book that I literally could NOT put down.
June 24, 2022
Original.
The concept of this tale is one that I have never come across before.
Told from an array of points of view and perspectives, this is not your typical tale as it is presented through various correspondence including Whatsapps and emails.
Having never heard of the author before, I had no expectations at all but I was pleasantly surprised at just how good I found it, the premise really worked.
The characters are quirky shall we say. And I really enjoyed the fact that we actually got to know them in quite some detail, their conversations with people revealing personality traits and eccentricities. Not your typical murder suspects.
Chats are very one way, the replies aren't revealed, leaving it up to our imaginations to decide just how the recipients were perceiving them. I found myself feeling sorry for both Wen and Lomax at times, even though I also noted that they appeared quite oblivious to what others might think of their actions etc.
What's more interesting about this book is that we know there is a death to come, at some point in the future. This had me reading quicker as I was eager to find out not only who the killer could be but also just who was going to be killed. However, the more I read, I had the feeling that the death could also be metaphorical as well as reality.
The author certainly has a knack for keeping the tension high.
There are little 'interludes' which break up the correspondences, this was an added feature that I really enjoyed.
Highly mysterious, I found that there were a few key themes throughout, looking at love, sexuality, ethnicity and mental health. And I think it is because of this that I wouldn't necessarily put this book in the category crime or thriller, more literary fiction.
Over all, a good book.
My only criticism is that after such build up, the ending felt rushed. I wanted more resolution from it all.
Definitely a story to keep you guessing.
The concept of this tale is one that I have never come across before.
Told from an array of points of view and perspectives, this is not your typical tale as it is presented through various correspondence including Whatsapps and emails.
Having never heard of the author before, I had no expectations at all but I was pleasantly surprised at just how good I found it, the premise really worked.
The characters are quirky shall we say. And I really enjoyed the fact that we actually got to know them in quite some detail, their conversations with people revealing personality traits and eccentricities. Not your typical murder suspects.
Chats are very one way, the replies aren't revealed, leaving it up to our imaginations to decide just how the recipients were perceiving them. I found myself feeling sorry for both Wen and Lomax at times, even though I also noted that they appeared quite oblivious to what others might think of their actions etc.
What's more interesting about this book is that we know there is a death to come, at some point in the future. This had me reading quicker as I was eager to find out not only who the killer could be but also just who was going to be killed. However, the more I read, I had the feeling that the death could also be metaphorical as well as reality.
The author certainly has a knack for keeping the tension high.
There are little 'interludes' which break up the correspondences, this was an added feature that I really enjoyed.
Highly mysterious, I found that there were a few key themes throughout, looking at love, sexuality, ethnicity and mental health. And I think it is because of this that I wouldn't necessarily put this book in the category crime or thriller, more literary fiction.
Over all, a good book.
My only criticism is that after such build up, the ending felt rushed. I wanted more resolution from it all.
Definitely a story to keep you guessing.
June 23, 2022
The book actually has a very interesting premise especially the way it is written. The author used social correspondence such as emails and WhatsApp as a tool of communication between his characters which in turn tells us the story.
In this story, we have a few eccentric characters and we are told from the get go that one of them will be murdered at some point in the future. We have Wen, a young British-Chinese woman who is not afraid of showing off her roots, Lomax who is Wen’s co-worker and also aspiring writer, Julian who is their hateful boss at work and Fifi, Lomax’s new found friend. Their correspondence navigates around their lives, their ups and downs as they grew closer and what led one of them to be murdered eventually.
There is alot going on because of how different each of the characters are but I quite enjoyed it! However, I do find some parts of the correspondence to be quite dry because some of the messages are written to characters we never hear a reply from. But I could understand this could be a tactic for the author to portray the impending murder.
The plot definitely has potential and the characters are interesting enough but unfortunately, they didn’t work for me. Despite being forewarned time and time again what is bound to happen, the just dragged and dragged. It’s enough that the plot is draggy but when we finally reached the end, the murder happened in three pages??? With not much of a context and the whole story just abruptly ends there. I was hoping that everything would wrap the plot nicely but I was served with a big slap of disappointment.
Unfortunately, this story isn’t for me but it could be for you. If anyone else has read this or is going to, I would love to hear your thoughts. Thank you Netgalley and RedDoor Press for the arc.
In this story, we have a few eccentric characters and we are told from the get go that one of them will be murdered at some point in the future. We have Wen, a young British-Chinese woman who is not afraid of showing off her roots, Lomax who is Wen’s co-worker and also aspiring writer, Julian who is their hateful boss at work and Fifi, Lomax’s new found friend. Their correspondence navigates around their lives, their ups and downs as they grew closer and what led one of them to be murdered eventually.
There is alot going on because of how different each of the characters are but I quite enjoyed it! However, I do find some parts of the correspondence to be quite dry because some of the messages are written to characters we never hear a reply from. But I could understand this could be a tactic for the author to portray the impending murder.
The plot definitely has potential and the characters are interesting enough but unfortunately, they didn’t work for me. Despite being forewarned time and time again what is bound to happen, the just dragged and dragged. It’s enough that the plot is draggy but when we finally reached the end, the murder happened in three pages??? With not much of a context and the whole story just abruptly ends there. I was hoping that everything would wrap the plot nicely but I was served with a big slap of disappointment.
Unfortunately, this story isn’t for me but it could be for you. If anyone else has read this or is going to, I would love to hear your thoughts. Thank you Netgalley and RedDoor Press for the arc.
April 8, 2022
Countdown To A Killing by Tom Vaughan MacAulay is a quirky "mystery" told through the WhatsApp messages of the main characters. This book entertains with its eccentric characters and their odd friendships. This is a quick read, best if you're looking to enter the lives of some oddball characters.
The story centers on Lomax, Wen and Julian, all employees of a notary office in London. Through their WhatsApp messages with each other and others, the story of Lomax's Italian lover, Wen's debilitating OCD and Julian's unhappy relationship, and eventually, a murder unfolds. MacAulay tells the story with humor, introducing some of the oddest characters I've read in a long time (see Fifi, the biting dwarf).
The characters are at times frustrating, but I think that's the point, since they are unerringly human. We know from the start that a murder occurs, but we are reading the messages from months before the inevitable death. We do not know who is murdered or how, so the reader is left guessing (hoping?) which character does not survive.
The premise of the book is interesting, with some "editorial interventions" throughout to remind the readers of the impending murder. It's not the first novel to use letters/texts/emails/messages to unravel the story, but MacAulay does so in an intriguing way. Some of the messages are written to characters we only meet as recipients of the messages. Again, all of this is in preparation for the murder.
This murder, though, and the ending of the book overall felt rushed. The reader has just slogged through message after message, becoming invested in the lives of these quirky humans, only to have the murder almost be a footnote. Again, perhaps that's MacAulay's point. But I finished feeling like the author had gone over their allotted word count and was forced to finish up quickly. Sadly, a disappointing ending to a fun read.
Thank you to #NetGalley and #RedDoorPress for an #ARC of #CountdownToAKilling
The story centers on Lomax, Wen and Julian, all employees of a notary office in London. Through their WhatsApp messages with each other and others, the story of Lomax's Italian lover, Wen's debilitating OCD and Julian's unhappy relationship, and eventually, a murder unfolds. MacAulay tells the story with humor, introducing some of the oddest characters I've read in a long time (see Fifi, the biting dwarf).
The characters are at times frustrating, but I think that's the point, since they are unerringly human. We know from the start that a murder occurs, but we are reading the messages from months before the inevitable death. We do not know who is murdered or how, so the reader is left guessing (hoping?) which character does not survive.
The premise of the book is interesting, with some "editorial interventions" throughout to remind the readers of the impending murder. It's not the first novel to use letters/texts/emails/messages to unravel the story, but MacAulay does so in an intriguing way. Some of the messages are written to characters we only meet as recipients of the messages. Again, all of this is in preparation for the murder.
This murder, though, and the ending of the book overall felt rushed. The reader has just slogged through message after message, becoming invested in the lives of these quirky humans, only to have the murder almost be a footnote. Again, perhaps that's MacAulay's point. But I finished feeling like the author had gone over their allotted word count and was forced to finish up quickly. Sadly, a disappointing ending to a fun read.
Thank you to #NetGalley and #RedDoorPress for an #ARC of #CountdownToAKilling
July 10, 2022
Lomax is working on a novel while carrying out a disastrous long-distance relationship with Aurora. Wen, Lomax's work colleague, has severe OCD and can sometimes barely leave her house. Their stories eventually all wind up together with someone being killed. This story is told via emails, messages, etc., between Lomax, Wen, their boss Julian, and friend Lomax makes in Sicily upon his return, which I don't usually like, but it mostly worked in this case. I liked that all of the bits of correspondence you get in the book are one-sided, not revealing the responses they get except in the sender's further reactions. I also enjoyed the editorial interjections reminding the reader that there will in fact be a murder later on in the book. The ending was rather abrupt in that the killing felt almost like an afterthought, but then I guess that's how a countdown works. Overall, a strange book in a lot of ways, but I enjoyed the story a lot. 4 stars.
December 30, 2022
So, when I started reading this, I almost put it down. I found the introduction of the characters in this format really confusing at first. The story is told in a series of email and WhatsApp messages and it took me a while to get used to it for sure.
However, once I got into the story and was able to work out the characters, I was really invested and struggled to put it down!
I found I really enjoyed the alternative format and way this story is told through correspondence. I also liked the characters and thought that the author wrote them well, giving them all separate personalities and a chance for the reader to connect with them, meaning we cared about what happens. The tension builds after a slow start, which kept me intrigued and reading to the end, which didn't disappoint, even though it comes quite suddenly,.
A different style of book for me but one I really enjoyed and would recommend!
However, once I got into the story and was able to work out the characters, I was really invested and struggled to put it down!
I found I really enjoyed the alternative format and way this story is told through correspondence. I also liked the characters and thought that the author wrote them well, giving them all separate personalities and a chance for the reader to connect with them, meaning we cared about what happens. The tension builds after a slow start, which kept me intrigued and reading to the end, which didn't disappoint, even though it comes quite suddenly,.
A different style of book for me but one I really enjoyed and would recommend!
March 25, 2022
Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with a free copy in exchange for an honest review!
Enjoyable although a tad too slow burning for my liking.
I liked that this spanned across so many genres, it's an epistolary novel, a romance, a murder mystery and a humour book all rolled in one and with good diversity too! I was especially fond of Wen Li's character she was the one who kept me reading. She felt so real and I could relate to her as I too suffer from OCD. It was good to see a representation of the disease that was more focused on intrusive thoughts and deep seated anxiety. I got really caught up in figuring who the killer was going to be so I read the book fairly quickly.
I nearly pissed myself laughing reading the little "interludes" and even if Lomax's character drove me insane, I overall had a pretty good time!
Enjoyable although a tad too slow burning for my liking.
I liked that this spanned across so many genres, it's an epistolary novel, a romance, a murder mystery and a humour book all rolled in one and with good diversity too! I was especially fond of Wen Li's character she was the one who kept me reading. She felt so real and I could relate to her as I too suffer from OCD. It was good to see a representation of the disease that was more focused on intrusive thoughts and deep seated anxiety. I got really caught up in figuring who the killer was going to be so I read the book fairly quickly.
I nearly pissed myself laughing reading the little "interludes" and even if Lomax's character drove me insane, I overall had a pretty good time!
April 17, 2022
I enjoy epistolary books (books written via correspondence not narratively), and I had high hopes for this book, but it just didn't deliver.
The characters and plot have potential, but they felt flat. The plot dragged - and kept alluding to a murder that happened in the last 3 pages. I was hoping it would wrap the plot together, but instead it just stopped.
There was also too much going on - it took a while to realize which characters we were supposed to follow, and with it incorrectly placed as a thriller I was overly critical of each character's correspondence looking for clues. I think this would be better placed in literary fiction, and the 'publisher' interludes reminding the reader about a murder removed.
Netgalley ARC
The characters and plot have potential, but they felt flat. The plot dragged - and kept alluding to a murder that happened in the last 3 pages. I was hoping it would wrap the plot together, but instead it just stopped.
There was also too much going on - it took a while to realize which characters we were supposed to follow, and with it incorrectly placed as a thriller I was overly critical of each character's correspondence looking for clues. I think this would be better placed in literary fiction, and the 'publisher' interludes reminding the reader about a murder removed.
Netgalley ARC
June 27, 2023
This was a very unique read! It is an epistolary novel that focuses on emails and WhatsApp between multiple characters and across two countries. At the focus of the novel are three individuals who work together and on the periphery are other friends/people they meet along our story. While the title may lead one to believe this is a mystery/thriller, it is more of a literary fiction piece and character story. The end of the novel felt abrupt and left me with some questions, but also left me wanting to know more about the future of the characters. I also enjoyed that within the interchanges we delve into the themes of disability, mental health, sexuality, and our desire to be accepted by others.
January 20, 2026
was on track for 3 stars but then the ending did not match the expectations set up by the narrative so two stars it is. i wasn’t asking for much, just for the information i’d spent the 300 or so pages absorbing to be relevant in any way, but alas
also i really could’ve done without the constant interludes being condescending about how the reader had better not forget there’s a murder coming at the end of all this. and no this is not made better by one of these interludes acknowledging how irritating these must be for any reader with the ability to remember more than five seconds into the past. if anything the self awareness just made it worse, because now i know that the author knows how annoying he’s being, and yet he proceeded regardless. one of the choices of all time
also i really could’ve done without the constant interludes being condescending about how the reader had better not forget there’s a murder coming at the end of all this. and no this is not made better by one of these interludes acknowledging how irritating these must be for any reader with the ability to remember more than five seconds into the past. if anything the self awareness just made it worse, because now i know that the author knows how annoying he’s being, and yet he proceeded regardless. one of the choices of all time
June 1, 2022
This is really cleverly presented and the author does a great job in bringing characters to life in such a non traditional format. I loved the different characters and how their perspectives were brought to bear through the various media and felt this actually added to how vividly they were developed.
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June 4, 2022This book is told in a series of correspondence to various different people. I found it confusing and difficult to keep track on who was who and who they were talking to and what was going on. Therefore it wasn’t one of my favourites and I struggled through it.
Thank you to netgalley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest review.
Thank you to netgalley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest review.
July 12, 2022
Thanks to Literally PR I has the opportunity to read an early copy of ‘Countdown to a Killing’ by Tom Vaughan McAuley. The format of this is quite different, taking the form of various communications by email and WhatsApp but once I got used to that I enjoyed it. The characters were good and the plot hooked me from early on! I’d recommend it as a good read in a quirky alternative style.
July 6, 2022
A thoroughly good read. Interesting characters explored and develops in a very interesting way.
Enjoyed every page, but especially the denouement.
Enjoyed every page, but especially the denouement.
July 6, 2022
Enjoyed the structure very much.
Lovely stuff.
Would recommend.
Lovely stuff.
Would recommend.
July 18, 2022
This was a different kind of read to what I am used to, although I had read The Appeal written by Janice Hallett which is written in a slightly similar way through emails and messages, between the characters rather than the normal storytelling prose.
Initially I kept getting confused as to who was talking to who, until I got used to it. The premise is good. The characters are all either flawed in some way or just eccentric. You do only see one way of each conversation, so you glean how the recipient of the email or what’s app message has reacted by the next ones sent. The one thing you are told is that at some stage in the book there will be a death. But who? And who will be the killer?
There were characters I took an instant dislike to even though I had never read anything sent by them only the reply given by each of the three main characters. Wen Li is a twenty-nine-year-old British Chinese woman who suffers with severe obsessive Compulsive Disorder, this manifest’s itself in an incessant, overwhelming fear that she might have murderous impulses. Most of the time she keeps this to herself the one time she tells her friend Hannah it doesn’t go down well. Lomax Clipper is madly in love with a Sicilian woman Aurora, but it seems Aurora has some problems herself. Lomax wants to become an author. Wen and Lomax work in the same office. Both have one thing in common they can’t stand their boss Julian Ponsonby but Julian has his own issues himself, with a toxic relationship and the fact his father refuses to accept his sexuality.
There are parts of the book that deal well with OCD and the effects it has on Wen. Julian’s unhappiness. There is some humour within the book I did find myself chuckling a few times. Not everything is doom and gloom. There is a love story mixed in. But the main focus is the build up to the murder.
I did find this story dragged out a little as I waited for the murder to happen. When it did I have to say it was a little bit of an anti climax. So much build up to something which was told so briefly. However, the rest of the story became interesting as it dealt with many things afflicting many people in society today. Things such as self harm, violence, mental health issues, addiction, murder, homophobic comments. I only say this in case any are triggers for anyone reading.
An enjoyable read which was just slightly let down by the murder and how quick that was told, as if it was rushed in, in some ways I wish it had happened at the beginning and maybe the story told by going back and forth in time. However, this is brave piece of writing and it is written well. I will look out for what comes next from Tom Vaughan Macaulay.
Thank you for a gifted copy of the book.
Initially I kept getting confused as to who was talking to who, until I got used to it. The premise is good. The characters are all either flawed in some way or just eccentric. You do only see one way of each conversation, so you glean how the recipient of the email or what’s app message has reacted by the next ones sent. The one thing you are told is that at some stage in the book there will be a death. But who? And who will be the killer?
There were characters I took an instant dislike to even though I had never read anything sent by them only the reply given by each of the three main characters. Wen Li is a twenty-nine-year-old British Chinese woman who suffers with severe obsessive Compulsive Disorder, this manifest’s itself in an incessant, overwhelming fear that she might have murderous impulses. Most of the time she keeps this to herself the one time she tells her friend Hannah it doesn’t go down well. Lomax Clipper is madly in love with a Sicilian woman Aurora, but it seems Aurora has some problems herself. Lomax wants to become an author. Wen and Lomax work in the same office. Both have one thing in common they can’t stand their boss Julian Ponsonby but Julian has his own issues himself, with a toxic relationship and the fact his father refuses to accept his sexuality.
There are parts of the book that deal well with OCD and the effects it has on Wen. Julian’s unhappiness. There is some humour within the book I did find myself chuckling a few times. Not everything is doom and gloom. There is a love story mixed in. But the main focus is the build up to the murder.
I did find this story dragged out a little as I waited for the murder to happen. When it did I have to say it was a little bit of an anti climax. So much build up to something which was told so briefly. However, the rest of the story became interesting as it dealt with many things afflicting many people in society today. Things such as self harm, violence, mental health issues, addiction, murder, homophobic comments. I only say this in case any are triggers for anyone reading.
An enjoyable read which was just slightly let down by the murder and how quick that was told, as if it was rushed in, in some ways I wish it had happened at the beginning and maybe the story told by going back and forth in time. However, this is brave piece of writing and it is written well. I will look out for what comes next from Tom Vaughan Macaulay.
Thank you for a gifted copy of the book.
July 31, 2022
Countdown to a Killing is the story of several interesting characters told through a series of emails and chats. Throughout the story you are reminded that someone will be murdered; it’s just a matter of when and who…
I enjoyed the premise of the book although I did find it challenged to read. I’m not used to reading so many emails - even as a teacher.
I also liked the interactions between the very quirky main characters: Wen has a crush on Lomax. Lomax has a girlfriend; sort of. Their manager, Julian, is the vain of their existence. He is struggling with his partner who is a lazy, manipulative and very unlikeable man. With the additions of a few other unseemly characters the cast is witty, quirky and at all times entertaining.
The workplace, home and various other settings make this book a world of its own. Despite the characters being, well characters, there is a certain humanness to their behaviour which allows the reader to consider that they may know someone just-like- that.
The intrigue derives from the constant reminder, through interludes, that someone is definitely going to be murdered. Who? That is the question you are left pondering the whole time you are reading.
When the grand finale arrives it almost seems a relief but yet a disappointment - for me - because the person I desperately wanted to be murdered was not the person who actually gets murdered.
I must say I am a bit curious if other readers wanted the same person to be murdered as I did. I’d be interested to know; if you ever read this book of course.
Thanks go to the author, the publisher and Literally PR for the copy of this book to read and review.
I enjoyed the premise of the book although I did find it challenged to read. I’m not used to reading so many emails - even as a teacher.
I also liked the interactions between the very quirky main characters: Wen has a crush on Lomax. Lomax has a girlfriend; sort of. Their manager, Julian, is the vain of their existence. He is struggling with his partner who is a lazy, manipulative and very unlikeable man. With the additions of a few other unseemly characters the cast is witty, quirky and at all times entertaining.
The workplace, home and various other settings make this book a world of its own. Despite the characters being, well characters, there is a certain humanness to their behaviour which allows the reader to consider that they may know someone just-like- that.
The intrigue derives from the constant reminder, through interludes, that someone is definitely going to be murdered. Who? That is the question you are left pondering the whole time you are reading.
When the grand finale arrives it almost seems a relief but yet a disappointment - for me - because the person I desperately wanted to be murdered was not the person who actually gets murdered.
I must say I am a bit curious if other readers wanted the same person to be murdered as I did. I’d be interested to know; if you ever read this book of course.
Thanks go to the author, the publisher and Literally PR for the copy of this book to read and review.
December 8, 2022
This was an interesting concept… a book that gives no hint whatsoever about a murder taking place and instead provides us with the events leading up to it, in a series of personal conversations between the characters.
At first I enjoyed this. It’s well-written and engaging and I was gripped. It was good to get to know the dynamics between the colleagues and also to learn more about them as time went on. Each had their own worries and challenges, but hearing their perspective allowed us to empathise with them.
After a while it did seem to be words for the sake of it and less information would have sufficed. My interest waned and it took me a long time to get through the second half. The characters started to become irritating and I wanted to shake them at times for not being more assertive.
The ending, when it comes, feels a little disappointing and could have benefited with a bit more detail.
Overall, a good idea, but isn’t quite as well executed as others of a similar style.
At first I enjoyed this. It’s well-written and engaging and I was gripped. It was good to get to know the dynamics between the colleagues and also to learn more about them as time went on. Each had their own worries and challenges, but hearing their perspective allowed us to empathise with them.
After a while it did seem to be words for the sake of it and less information would have sufficed. My interest waned and it took me a long time to get through the second half. The characters started to become irritating and I wanted to shake them at times for not being more assertive.
The ending, when it comes, feels a little disappointing and could have benefited with a bit more detail.
Overall, a good idea, but isn’t quite as well executed as others of a similar style.
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