Natural History

by Neil Cross

From the acclaimed writer of  Luther  and  Hard Sun , Natural History  is a work of exquisite tension

Strange things are happening in Monkeyland , the ailing Devonshire sanctuary that Patrick and his zoologist wife, Jane , took on in a bid to save their marriage. Their oldest female primate, the wise and gentle Rue, is found murdered in a corner of the compound. And a big, panther-like cat, preys around the park. It evades capture, lurking in the shadows and in the back of Patrick's mind. Private, threatening, elusive.

With Patrick's son, Charlie , having left Monkeyland in disgrace and his wife on a field trip in Zaire, Patrick is left alone with his black cat and his fears. Until one night something happens that is so shocking, so deplorable, that it rips apart everything Patrick had ever held to be true.

They say that a parent's worse nightmare is to suffer the death of a child. But what if that's not true?

Praise for Natural History :
 
'The skill with which the author manipulates the narrative , revealing its developments only by degrees, is what gives this sharply observed and suspenseful novel its edge – so that when the shocking climax takes place, it is both entirely unexpected and frighteningly plausible ' The Times
 
' Powerfully intelligent ... the frightening permeability of borders lies at the centre of this complex and troubling book... Compressed lyricism generates sudden shifts between transitory events and durable historical patterns, Cross's novel is serious and compelling in equal measure ' Guardian
 
' Taut domestic intrigue , sprung with mistrust and the menacing stealth of hunting... A subtle interplay of anxieties and tolerances that keep parental treacheries in glaring focus ' Financial Times
 
'I'm a big fan of this author and particularly of this menacing novel , which on the surface could be a family drama but turns into something very nasty indeed. It's clever, tense and chilling . Highly recommended' Sarah Broadhurst, The Bookseller
 
' Dark and densely plotted ...the plot reaches a violent climax, challenging notions of guilt and the limits of parental responsibility' Daily Mail
 
'A masterpiece … seductively readable, no matter how much one dreads what may happen next… mercilessly realistic… This is a dangerous novel . Everyone in it has a lot to worry about' Daily Telegraph
 
 

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

279 pages, Paperback

First published August 6, 2007

About the author

Neil was born in Bristol in 1969. He lived in Edinburgh, Brighton, Leeds and London before settling down. He is the author of several novels including Always the Sun, Burial and Captured as well as the bestselling memoir Heartland. He was lead scriptwriter for the acclaimed series 6 and series 7 of the BBC spy drama series Spooks and is the creator of the forthcoming BBC crime thriller Luther, which is scheduled to appear on BBC1 in 2010, starring Idris Elba. Following the British publication of Captured in January 2010, he is working on his next novel and continues to write for the screen. He lives in New Zealand with his wife and two sons.

Reviews

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars
I wouldn't know where to start describing this book. It's a family drama...sort of...with a hint of mystery and wonder.
We follow a family of four who live an alternative lifestyle travelling and studying wildlife & nature.
They take on a Monkey sanctuary in Devon, England.
There are lots of comings and goings and it's hard to know exactly where this book might be heading but it does reach a satisfying conclusion.
I liked it. The ending gives the book some structure and I've thought about it quite a bit since finishing...it's interesting...and pretty unique.

[Gary · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book. The characters are well fleshed out, believable and I cared what happened to them. It is well written with the tension building nicely. It's never obvious when the 'event' is going to happen nor to whom and when it does it comes as a shock, to me at least,in its random suddenness and violence.
The setting is a strange one being mainly set in an ape sanctuary but as the story is really about relationships; between people, between animals, between nature and humans and the interractions between them and the similarities in behaviour it makes sense.
The ending is poignant and the author leaves just enough questions unanswered to give the reader plenty to think about long after they have finished the book.

[Aina · Rating 4 out of 5]

I almost wish the synopsis of the book doesn't allude to the "shocking" event because I was completely blindsided when it happened. The red herring with another character worked for me, as did the solution to an earlier mystery. I cared for these characters and the circumstances they found themselves in. The graphic descriptions of the animal sanctuary, the chaos of a long journey in a foreign land, the emptiness of an old house - all served their purpose to create a world that feels wholly realistic. I love the idea that humans are always looking for the monsters outside, watching animals in fear and yet never realising that the actual monsters throughout history have always been us humans. Stunning.

[Alin Ierima · Rating 2 out of 5]

I expected this to be another kind of book. Beautiful way of writing, but with an unfortunate, awkward plot, which didn't impress me with it's senseless sexualisation.

[Ian · Rating 3 out of 5]

Natural History is a peculiar book, one which seems better on reflection than whilst reading it. The characters, drawn from a family unit and their associates, are believably understated though mostly dysfunctional. The circumstances of running a small primate zoo provide the food for thought and various comparisons between the behaviour, often seemingly extreme and incomprehensible, of the animals and their human carers.
The focus of the book is Patrick, devoted to a wife who finds celebrity which provides her with escape from the confines of the zoo and the family and becomes a long term and distant absentee as things fall apart at home. The cameo role of Patrick's Beast of Bodmin style big cat sighting generates tension and foreboding for a while and it was as I was really beginning to lose interest in the mundane lives of the characters that I expected, hoped even, that the involvement of the beast would come to the fore; it does but not as one might expect. When it arrives the sudden, explosive climax is cleverly crafted with more than one twist and a revelation which solves an earlier mystery. The aftermath to the violence affords reflection and comparison of the nature of the animals and their human counterparts, their instinctive behaviour in captivity or relative freedom, their bonds and loyalties, cruelty and kindness, the species separated only in their evolved state of intellect, capability and ingenuity. Luck plays a part in allowing the family to move on, the ill fated zoo closes down and in breaking free from the shackles of the zoo and his offspring Patrick finds comfort in surprising and heartwarming manner. So, that should be that, only we might remember that there's a killer still on the loose.

[Mat Tait · Rating 4 out of 5]

Neil Cross knows when to threaten, when to prod, and when to cut, with the precision of a skilled torturer. Set in the nineties, there's a creeping millenial dread backgrounding the impending personal apocalypse of his all too relatable characters. The tension while waiting for the other shoe to drop is (almost) unbearable, and when it does there's no relief or catharsis to be had - Cross and this book are too clever for that. What there is though is ambiguity and a sense of abiding mystery about the human condition that I found frustrating and perversely satisfying in a way that I guess I always should when confronted with my own profound ignorance. Cross, I think, is trying to get at things that resist taxonomy but nevertheless compel the attempt, and if he, and the reader, fall short that's as it should be. What we're left with, as with any good art, is a wonderfully lucid failure to explain. Which sounds like a meagre recommendation, but is far from.

[Erased230 · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was not sure what this book was going to bring, and now that it's been brought, I'm unsure of what that was exactly. It was an interesting reading experience, I kept turning the pages, primarily in search for that gripping moment; the moment you realize that you can't put the book down, the moment you find yourself wanting the sorry to continue indefinitely...but it never came. Turning the page became a means to end, an end to this story and reading experience, so that I may pursue a more enriching experience.

It was not a terrible novel by any means, but it's certainly forgettable - in fact it's been several months since I completed this read, and I've forgotten almost all of it.

[Fee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Strange book. Almost gave up reading, but glad I didn't. Didn't expect the plot twist at all, so that was one very pleasant surprise because the plot before that appeared to move too slowly. At first I thought of rating this book with 2 stars but soon I realised that this author managed to create such a unique plot with interesting characters that showed growth throughout the story. I went from "Ah, what's the point of this?" to "Oohhh, now that's why it was like that.." so I have to say that the story was good and the ending did not disappoint me. Overall 3.5 stars.

[Les Wilson · Rating 3 out of 5]

It may be because I am unwell, but unfortunately the book failed to hold my attention.

[Harold Walters · Rating 3 out of 5]

Went downhill.

[Kerry · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's Neil Cross. So, it's five stars. Fabulous story-telling with compelling, interesting characters that you can't help but care about.

[Emily · Rating 1 out of 5]

Did not make any sense to me whatsoever. I couldn't find a main story line to follow, it felt disjointed and all over the place and unnecessarily vulgar in places

[Kingfan30 · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I picked this up, I just dived in without reading the back. And I enjoyed the setting of them living at Monkeyland trying to make it work. The family was dysfunctional before they arrived, but trying to get the park up and running probably wasn’t going to help. There is the loss of one of the chimps early on but other than that the story seems to just bumble along. Jane goes off on a field trip leaving Patrick to cope on his own. It was getting quite late on when I started questioning the wording on the front ‘how far would you go for your own flesh and blood’. And then finally the twist, that seemed to come out of nowhere, I really didn’t see it coming.

[Christopher Law · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wasn't expecting much - I found this one in Poundland - and pretty much got it. The plot clunks along in a largely predictable manner, never quite getting either the thriller or satire elements right, whilst the writing makes it clear you're reading something 'clever'. It wasn't terrible, but don't rush to find it.

[MRS J A MORGAN · Rating 5 out of 5]

This author is one of the best. His characters are fleshed out and real. The description and pictures he conjures up - well, they take me back to my childhood. I loved this book. I was expecting it to be about the zoo but it wasn't. It is about a family; I can't call them ordinary because they aren't. Why this book didn't get a Book prize I'll never know.

[Sarvajith · Rating 3 out of 5]

The beginning and the end are the highlights of the book, with its climax blindsiding you entirely. The rest of the book is a bit of a gamble. On one side, the mechanisms of family and individuals is relatable to on a level that leaves you feeling vaguely voyeuristic, while on the other side, it sometimes ends up feeling plain dull. A vague experience much like the book itself.

[Malcolm Tang · Rating 1 out of 5]

Holy mother of Christ this has got to be one of the worst books I've ever read. The plot has no clear direction, I waited for the panther to appear and pooofff, the end! Guess what? The supposed main character of the book i.e. the panther appeared only once !

This book will be heading for the garbage bin first thing tomorrow morning.

[Mavis Hewitt · Rating 1 out of 5]

Took 2 attempts to read this book, it rambles around then at the end comes the unsettling bit. I know art is supposed to be amoral but I can't stomach the message that anyone should cover up for their son who is obviously disturbed and a killer and do their best to get away and undoubtedly do it again.

[Jo Floyd · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bought in a charity shop in Towcester. Zoologist family take on Monkeyland. Wife goes on TV trip to Zaire. Dad sees panther in Devon. Son bit of a dropout. Daughter astronomy mad. Unexpected and satisfying last few chapters.

[Julie · Rating 1 out of 5]

I could not tell you, even if you paid me a million dollars, what the point of this book is.

[Barry Bridges · Rating 4 out of 5]

Seemed like a nice stroll through the trials and tribulations of an out of the ordinary family until suddenly..... I think I sat with my mouth open in shock for quite some time!!!

[Katie Wood · Rating 2 out of 5]

I enjoyed the start, the middle got very slow but had some excitement towards the end. The ending was dissapointing. Nothing explained.

[Emma Glaisher · Rating 3 out of 5]

a strange experience. The style is journalistic and clipped, matter of fact. For most of the book it feels as if he is just recapping, bringing us to the point where the story really starts. Then it does, and in a chapter it's all over.

SPOILERS





I enjoyed the fact that both parents are so absorbed by their quest to find mythical beasts, they do not see the one living under their roof. But why is Charlie as he is? Not much clue. I almost want to re-read and see what I missed.

The book is pretty relentlessly grim: the squalid awfulness of Monkey world, the general smelly nastiness of the monkeys, the barely touched on horrors of the Rwandan genocide, the bleak little lives of the hotel guests. los of good stuff there but somehow it never fully engaged me.

and what of the poor murdered woman? Why did she follow him to the house? Did she have family who would never have known what became of her but for the fact that the panther eventually put in an appearance?

Intriguing but unsatisfying.

[Tracey]

I found this book a little disappointing. The concept of Monkeyland didn't catch my attention as it seemed like something from the seventies and I couldn't see how the reality TV show would work. The couple's children were weird and the storyline didn't seem to hold together.

[Em]

Found it a bit slow to start with and then gradually got into it. Was waiting for this 'event' to happen but nothing really eventuated. Found the ending very confusing and a bit pointless and didn't make such sense.

[Alex · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic. I'm not sure what I was expecting, some run of the mill crime story I suppose. This was a piece of literature, leavened with genuinely disturbing gothic horror. I will definitely read more Neil Cross novels now. I wonder if they are all as dark?

[Anne Hayes · Rating 3 out of 5]

A strange story from a favourite author. The twists and turns led me to the wrong conclusion and I was disturbed at the outcome. Neil Cross neve fails to delight, thrill and surprise me. Keep them coming.

[Teresa · Rating 1 out of 5]

Strange, weird, disturbing book. Not my cup of tea.

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought it rather slow to start with until I really got into it.

[Susan Brown]

nmber 6