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The Spiral: The gripping and utterly unpredictable thriller
ENTER THE SPIRAL.FIND THE TRUTH.The utterly original and brilliantly gripping thriller for fans of BEHIND HER EYES by Sarah Pinborough and THE SEVEN DEATHS OF EVELYN HARDCASTLE by Stuart Turton.'Gripping, inventive and utterly unpredictable' - Alex Pavesi, bestselling author of EIGHT DETECTIVES.'Ambitious and well executed' - GUARDIAN'[A] rollercoaster crime noir thriller' - INDEPENDENT_______________________Erma Bridges' life is far from perfect, but entirely ordinary. So when she is shot twice in a targetted attack by a colleague, her quiet existence is shattered in an instant.With her would-be murderer dead, no one can give Erma the answers she needs to move on from her trauma. Why her? Why now?So begins Erma's quest for the truth - and a dangerous, spiralling journey into the heart of darkness.With all the inventiveness of The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle and the raw brutality of Mulholland Drive, THE SPIRAL is a unique crime thriller with killer twists - and 2021's most jaw-dropping ending.____________________WHAT YOUR FAVOURITE AUTHORS ARE SAYING ABOUT THE suspect this is one that I'll be thinking about for some time' - ALEX PAVESI, author of EIGHT DETECTIVES'A frenzied, twisted fever dream of a book' - MIRANDA DICKINSON, author of OUR STORY
327 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2021
14 people are currently reading
220 people want to read
About the author
Iain Ryan
14 books81 followersIain Ryan grew up in the outer suburbs of Brisbane, Australia. He predominantly writes in the hard-boiled/noir genre and his work has been previously published by Akashic Books Online, Crime Factory, Kill Your Darlings and Seizure.
His novella, Four Days, was published in November 2015 by small press Broken River Books (Portland, USA). The following year the book was shortlisted for the Australian Crime Writing Association’s Ned Kelly Awards (Best Debut Fiction). It didn’t win. Then Broken River Books folded, and the book fell out-of-print. On a roll, Ryan wrote and
self-published a trilogy of grimy romans durs, all set in the Queensland tropics: Drainland (2016), Harsh Recovery (2016), and Civil Twilight (2017).
Disillusioned with self-publishing, Ryan submitted the
manuscript for The Student to a single editor (Angela Meyer, an
acquaintance) and the book was published by Echo Publishing. In 2018, The Student was shortlisted for The Australian Crime Writing Association’s Ned Kelly Awards (Best Novel). In 2021, Echo Publishing and Bonnier Zaffre (UK) published Ryan’s third novel, The Spiral. Virtually no one liked it, except Ryan himself. In 2023, Ultimo Press published Ryan’s sixth novel The Strip. A QBD Book of the Month, The Strip is Ryan’s highest selling book to date and will be followed by sequel, The Dream (2024).
His novella, Four Days, was published in November 2015 by small press Broken River Books (Portland, USA). The following year the book was shortlisted for the Australian Crime Writing Association’s Ned Kelly Awards (Best Debut Fiction). It didn’t win. Then Broken River Books folded, and the book fell out-of-print. On a roll, Ryan wrote and
self-published a trilogy of grimy romans durs, all set in the Queensland tropics: Drainland (2016), Harsh Recovery (2016), and Civil Twilight (2017).
Disillusioned with self-publishing, Ryan submitted the
manuscript for The Student to a single editor (Angela Meyer, an
acquaintance) and the book was published by Echo Publishing. In 2018, The Student was shortlisted for The Australian Crime Writing Association’s Ned Kelly Awards (Best Novel). In 2021, Echo Publishing and Bonnier Zaffre (UK) published Ryan’s third novel, The Spiral. Virtually no one liked it, except Ryan himself. In 2023, Ultimo Press published Ryan’s sixth novel The Strip. A QBD Book of the Month, The Strip is Ryan’s highest selling book to date and will be followed by sequel, The Dream (2024).
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 142 reviews
March 12, 2024
The Spiral is a convoluted dark thriller that straddles the line between a real world attempted murder suicide and the fantasy world of a disturbed mind. Trying to figure out which is which proves to be the real challenge and as long as you prepare yourself for a wild ride, this will ultimately result in a story that’s unique in its telling.
It turns out that Dr Erma Bridges has a bit of a problem with conducting herself in a responsible way on campus as a lecturer. As a result she’s facing a disciplinary meeting to discuss her inappropriate interactions with several of her students. It’s a charge that she’s quick to deny, although based on the confessions to us, the readers, there’s more than a little merit to the charges.
Her research assistant Jenny Wasserman has been missing for a period of time and Erma begins casting around in an effort to track her down. So imagine her dismay when Jenny comes to her, late at night, in her home, with a gun which she uses on Erma before turning it on herself. Erma’s merely hospitalised but Jenny’s well and truly dead.
From here, the story chops and changes between Erma’s hunt for the reasons why Jenny did what she did and a fantasy story retelling that emerges from within Erma’s dreams. As the fantasy world unfolds from a mediaeval setting the lines begin to blur and real and imagined becomes a confused cacophony. I confess, at times it all becomes quite difficult to follow and I found myself barely tolerating the fantasy story.
Adding to the confusion is the realisation that Erma is not always wedded to telling the truth. So, suddenly, we find ourselves in the middle of an unreliable narrative story where everything that we had previously learned is now mired in doubt. Picking that one apart proved to be problematic for me, particularly when elements of the dream sequences suddenly emerge into the real life part of the story.
Somewhere through the dream sequences, Erma follows through on her search for Jenny’s final few days. It’s here that the story takes its final turn and this one is a brutal one. The mayhem of wanton violence unfolds itself to provide a furious finale that’s long on action but, ultimately, short on answers.
I tried, I really tried to make more of The Spiral, to understand what relationship the fantasy dream sequences had with the crime portion - apart from the state of Erma’s mind - and was left wanting. I’m sure there are other readers out there who’ll embrace the weirdness and make more of the otherworldliness aspects of Erma’s mind.
It turns out that Dr Erma Bridges has a bit of a problem with conducting herself in a responsible way on campus as a lecturer. As a result she’s facing a disciplinary meeting to discuss her inappropriate interactions with several of her students. It’s a charge that she’s quick to deny, although based on the confessions to us, the readers, there’s more than a little merit to the charges.
Her research assistant Jenny Wasserman has been missing for a period of time and Erma begins casting around in an effort to track her down. So imagine her dismay when Jenny comes to her, late at night, in her home, with a gun which she uses on Erma before turning it on herself. Erma’s merely hospitalised but Jenny’s well and truly dead.
From here, the story chops and changes between Erma’s hunt for the reasons why Jenny did what she did and a fantasy story retelling that emerges from within Erma’s dreams. As the fantasy world unfolds from a mediaeval setting the lines begin to blur and real and imagined becomes a confused cacophony. I confess, at times it all becomes quite difficult to follow and I found myself barely tolerating the fantasy story.
Adding to the confusion is the realisation that Erma is not always wedded to telling the truth. So, suddenly, we find ourselves in the middle of an unreliable narrative story where everything that we had previously learned is now mired in doubt. Picking that one apart proved to be problematic for me, particularly when elements of the dream sequences suddenly emerge into the real life part of the story.
Somewhere through the dream sequences, Erma follows through on her search for Jenny’s final few days. It’s here that the story takes its final turn and this one is a brutal one. The mayhem of wanton violence unfolds itself to provide a furious finale that’s long on action but, ultimately, short on answers.
I tried, I really tried to make more of The Spiral, to understand what relationship the fantasy dream sequences had with the crime portion - apart from the state of Erma’s mind - and was left wanting. I’m sure there are other readers out there who’ll embrace the weirdness and make more of the otherworldliness aspects of Erma’s mind.
March 26, 2022
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I was reading The Spiral by Iain Ryan as part of a readalong with some amazing people on Instagram. I have a few readalongs in the pipeline for 2021 for both book bloggers and bookstagrammers, and you can read more and join HERE if you want to. Reading The Spiral was a very unique experience!
Synopsis:
Erma Bridges’ life is far from perfect, but entirely ordinary. So when she is shot twice in a targetted attack by a colleague, her quiet existence is shattered in an instant.
With her would-be murderer dead, no one can give Erma the answers she needs to move on from her trauma. Why her? Why now?
So begins Erma’s quest for the truth – and a dangerous, spiralling journey into the heart of darkness.
My Thoughts:
First of all, I feel the need to say that I still feel confused after finishing The Spiral. But in a good way. This book really took me on a rollercoaster and I still feel the adrenaline after the ride. And don’t let my 3-star rating put you off, because it’s a very strong 3 star. The Spiral is definitely one of those books that is bound to give you a hangover. The characters will haunt for me for a while, especially Erma.
Erma’s life changes when her assistant Jenny tries to kill her and then kills herself. With Jenny dead, Erma has no answers on why Jenny did that, and all she can do is try and follow her steps and try to reveal the reason why.
Through Iain Ryan’s amazing writing and creativity, this book takes a very unique approach. I loved how the author incorporated the “choose your own adventure” narrative not just in the book, but also as part of the book plot. It was a very new experience for me, and I had lots of fun reading it! If you are not familiar with the “choose your own adventure” format, these types of books are written with a narrative that give you an option, as the reader, to make certain choices. And they usually contain sentences like this one:
” You are standing between three doors. If you choose the red door, go to page 35. If you decide to go for the white door with blue sparkles, go to page 46. And if you are feeling brave today, and want to choose the black door surrounded by thorns, proceed to page 59.”
– Please note that this quote was a product of my imagination, and is not an actual quote from the book.
But now you sort of get the point. You go to a certain page, and then read a story based on your choices. Then you end up making more choices along the way. These books usually have a lot of different endings that you can unravel. The Spiral, however, uses this “choose your own adventure” narrative to provide more information on different character’s plotlines, but doesn’t actively impact the outcome in the end. Well, not completely. Just a little.
I still feel like there are many questions that were left unanswered, and I am currently in between two worlds. The curious part of me wants a conclusive ending, and doesn’t like to keep wondering. And the creative part of me things that this is the point of the book – to give us a chance for us to imagine how the character’s future will unfold.
The Spiral is a very dark, very eerie, very unpredictable book. It’s also full of twists, or dare I say, spirals 😂. I enjoyed it a lot and I hope you’ll give it a chance if the synopsis pulls you in.
“Memory isn’t fact. Memory is subjective and loose. A memory can get close enough to fiction that the line blurs. What good is it?”
I was reading The Spiral by Iain Ryan as part of a readalong with some amazing people on Instagram. I have a few readalongs in the pipeline for 2021 for both book bloggers and bookstagrammers, and you can read more and join HERE if you want to. Reading The Spiral was a very unique experience!
Synopsis:
Erma Bridges’ life is far from perfect, but entirely ordinary. So when she is shot twice in a targetted attack by a colleague, her quiet existence is shattered in an instant.
With her would-be murderer dead, no one can give Erma the answers she needs to move on from her trauma. Why her? Why now?
So begins Erma’s quest for the truth – and a dangerous, spiralling journey into the heart of darkness.
My Thoughts:
First of all, I feel the need to say that I still feel confused after finishing The Spiral. But in a good way. This book really took me on a rollercoaster and I still feel the adrenaline after the ride. And don’t let my 3-star rating put you off, because it’s a very strong 3 star. The Spiral is definitely one of those books that is bound to give you a hangover. The characters will haunt for me for a while, especially Erma.
Erma’s life changes when her assistant Jenny tries to kill her and then kills herself. With Jenny dead, Erma has no answers on why Jenny did that, and all she can do is try and follow her steps and try to reveal the reason why.
Through Iain Ryan’s amazing writing and creativity, this book takes a very unique approach. I loved how the author incorporated the “choose your own adventure” narrative not just in the book, but also as part of the book plot. It was a very new experience for me, and I had lots of fun reading it! If you are not familiar with the “choose your own adventure” format, these types of books are written with a narrative that give you an option, as the reader, to make certain choices. And they usually contain sentences like this one:
” You are standing between three doors. If you choose the red door, go to page 35. If you decide to go for the white door with blue sparkles, go to page 46. And if you are feeling brave today, and want to choose the black door surrounded by thorns, proceed to page 59.”
– Please note that this quote was a product of my imagination, and is not an actual quote from the book.
But now you sort of get the point. You go to a certain page, and then read a story based on your choices. Then you end up making more choices along the way. These books usually have a lot of different endings that you can unravel. The Spiral, however, uses this “choose your own adventure” narrative to provide more information on different character’s plotlines, but doesn’t actively impact the outcome in the end. Well, not completely. Just a little.
I still feel like there are many questions that were left unanswered, and I am currently in between two worlds. The curious part of me wants a conclusive ending, and doesn’t like to keep wondering. And the creative part of me things that this is the point of the book – to give us a chance for us to imagine how the character’s future will unfold.
The Spiral is a very dark, very eerie, very unpredictable book. It’s also full of twists, or dare I say, spirals 😂. I enjoyed it a lot and I hope you’ll give it a chance if the synopsis pulls you in.
“Memory isn’t fact. Memory is subjective and loose. A memory can get close enough to fiction that the line blurs. What good is it?”
December 2, 2020
I had heard so much about this book that I jumped at the chance to read it.
For me, it was a disappointment. I was confused the whole time, I did not like or care about any of the characters and I wasn’t really caring what happened after a while.
Can’t love them all.
Thanks Zaffre and NetGalley for my advanced copy of this book to read.
For me, it was a disappointment. I was confused the whole time, I did not like or care about any of the characters and I wasn’t really caring what happened after a while.
Can’t love them all.
Thanks Zaffre and NetGalley for my advanced copy of this book to read.
December 26, 2020
The Spiral, by twice shortlisted Ned Kelly nominee Iain Ryan, begins with academic Dr Erma Bridges returning to a college campus in Brisbane for a disciplinary meeting about her inappropriate relationships with students. Erma believes that the complaint has been brought by disaffected research assistant Jenny Wasserman, who seems to have disappeared – as have quite a few female students over the years – until she turns up in Erma’s bedroom, shoots her, then turns the gun on herself. Erma survives, and once she’s recuperated, tries to work out Jenny’s motive and to recover an interview she conducted with the reclusive Archibald Moder, writer of “Choose Your Own Adventure” stories.
Erma, who is writing a book about interactive narratives for young adults, habitually plays fast and loose with the truth – the complaint against her is not unjustified – but the narrative becomes ever stranger as the fictional barbarian Sero begins to take over her dreams, and then a great deal darker as the reason for the repeated disappearances of young women is revealed. The Spiral is ambitious and well executed, with a zippy writing style and a high intensity, unpredictable narrative. Highly recommended.
Erma, who is writing a book about interactive narratives for young adults, habitually plays fast and loose with the truth – the complaint against her is not unjustified – but the narrative becomes ever stranger as the fictional barbarian Sero begins to take over her dreams, and then a great deal darker as the reason for the repeated disappearances of young women is revealed. The Spiral is ambitious and well executed, with a zippy writing style and a high intensity, unpredictable narrative. Highly recommended.
June 10, 2024
I found it hard to stop reading this thriller about Erma Bridges, an academic doing a PhD on ‘choose your own adventure’ novels. When her assistant tries to shoot her and then commits suicide, Erma goes on a search to find out why. In between this first person narrative there’s a choose your adventure type story in the second person about Sero, some sort of barbarian fighter who has no memories. Erma is totally unlikeable but it was still hard to look away as the story gets into her psychology and also becomes violent. A gripping and enjoyable read.
December 29, 2020
I haven’t ever read a book before written by the author Iain Ryan, The Spiral is my first novel that I have read.
I was drawn to the cover with the big eye looking straight at me. what made me want to read this story is the blurb that I became interested in.
Erma Bridge dreams are filled with violence, and Erma Bridges is keeping secrets from herself.
Although this was a thriller for me personally I’m afraid I didn’t get into this story. I found the storyline quite hard to follow with different subjects written within the pages, specially at the beginning. This is my own personal opinion, other readers may love this thriller setting. But I want to say just because I didn’t get into this thriller that much, I would still most certainly read other books by this author.
I adore cats and I was pleased that Erma had a cat. But Harlow the cat made my stomach queasy, he’s killing everything from birds, lizards, mice, and even a snake.
What I did laugh out loud was the reference well he’s a cat! I remember my cat killing field mice when he came away with my family camping, so It was easy for me to understand why there was a reference to Harlow the cat in what it killed.
I always find its nice to have an animal of some kind in any type of fictional novel, as so many people love all different types of animals and it always helps to relate to a story in some way.
December 5, 2020
A fantasy thriller that I struggled to follow and finished utterly confused.
Marketed as an original and compelling thriller, the blurb for The Spiral does not mention that the second half is almost entirely a fantasy story that relies heavily on the reader being invested enough to persevere with this creative turn. I found the book difficult to follow and despite reading in its entirety I spent a large part of it completely confused and the final part devoid of all interest! Even after some extensive re-reading I found the plot progression incomprehensible however fantasy is not a genre that I unusually read.
At the age of twenty-seven, Dr Erma Bridges is a full-time academic in the Centre for Creative Writing and Cultural Understanding at the University of Queensland in Brisbane. Her childhood obsession with the Choose Your Own Adventure novels that were introduced in the 1980s has become the focal point of her career. Contracted by an academic publisher to write a book about the history of reader-deployed young adult fiction, her research assistant, Jenny Wasserman, was employed to conduct and transcribe the interviews that were due to be the source material. However erratic Jenny is stalling and despite having managed to conduct a face-to-face interview with reclusive Archibald Moder, a godfather of the genre, she seems have mysteriously disappeared without handing over the material. A loose cannon in her own right, Erma’s problems escalate when she is issued with notice of disciplinary proceedings pertaining to misconduct of a personal nature and she immediately assumes the complainant is the absent Jenny. Erma’s colleague, Kanika, is meanwhile researching representations of missing women in the Queensland media largely due to the universities own history of missing females and her story overlaps somewhat with that of Erma.
Protagonist Erma’s story is told in the first person as, reeling from the notice of disciplinary action, she goes on the hunt to the local bars and nightclubs to find Jenny but when she turns up it is with a gun and she shoots Erma twice before taking her own life. Aggressive and surly Erma is not the easiest to feel sympathy for but just as the book looks like a standard thriller and a straight out hunt for Jenny, Erma manages to secure a repeat interview with Archibald Moder. Things start to turn a little wacky when a second narrative begins following fantasy barbarian Sero, the fictional hero of Moder’s creation who preoccupies Erma’s dreams. Things become even stranger again when Erma travels to interview Moder and the novel combines over the top violence and a stupidly unrealistic thriller component with Sero’s quest to regain his memories. If it sounds bizarre that is because it well and truly is and whilst Sero’s narrative might be fantastical, Erma’s isn’t far short as she is so loosely tethered to reality that I found her actions increasingly tiresome.
Worth trying if you are a fan of fantasy novels but I think The Spiral has the potential to befuddle many more readers than it captivates.
Marketed as an original and compelling thriller, the blurb for The Spiral does not mention that the second half is almost entirely a fantasy story that relies heavily on the reader being invested enough to persevere with this creative turn. I found the book difficult to follow and despite reading in its entirety I spent a large part of it completely confused and the final part devoid of all interest! Even after some extensive re-reading I found the plot progression incomprehensible however fantasy is not a genre that I unusually read.
At the age of twenty-seven, Dr Erma Bridges is a full-time academic in the Centre for Creative Writing and Cultural Understanding at the University of Queensland in Brisbane. Her childhood obsession with the Choose Your Own Adventure novels that were introduced in the 1980s has become the focal point of her career. Contracted by an academic publisher to write a book about the history of reader-deployed young adult fiction, her research assistant, Jenny Wasserman, was employed to conduct and transcribe the interviews that were due to be the source material. However erratic Jenny is stalling and despite having managed to conduct a face-to-face interview with reclusive Archibald Moder, a godfather of the genre, she seems have mysteriously disappeared without handing over the material. A loose cannon in her own right, Erma’s problems escalate when she is issued with notice of disciplinary proceedings pertaining to misconduct of a personal nature and she immediately assumes the complainant is the absent Jenny. Erma’s colleague, Kanika, is meanwhile researching representations of missing women in the Queensland media largely due to the universities own history of missing females and her story overlaps somewhat with that of Erma.
Protagonist Erma’s story is told in the first person as, reeling from the notice of disciplinary action, she goes on the hunt to the local bars and nightclubs to find Jenny but when she turns up it is with a gun and she shoots Erma twice before taking her own life. Aggressive and surly Erma is not the easiest to feel sympathy for but just as the book looks like a standard thriller and a straight out hunt for Jenny, Erma manages to secure a repeat interview with Archibald Moder. Things start to turn a little wacky when a second narrative begins following fantasy barbarian Sero, the fictional hero of Moder’s creation who preoccupies Erma’s dreams. Things become even stranger again when Erma travels to interview Moder and the novel combines over the top violence and a stupidly unrealistic thriller component with Sero’s quest to regain his memories. If it sounds bizarre that is because it well and truly is and whilst Sero’s narrative might be fantastical, Erma’s isn’t far short as she is so loosely tethered to reality that I found her actions increasingly tiresome.
Worth trying if you are a fan of fantasy novels but I think The Spiral has the potential to befuddle many more readers than it captivates.
February 2, 2021
The Spiral is the third novel by Australian author, Iain Ryan. She knows they’re not expecting her at the meeting. Dr Erma Bridges flies thirty-four hours from Spain to make it: she’s certain that the complaint against her has been instigated by Jenny Wasserman, the research assistant whose delay in transcription is holding up the completion of Erma’s book on YA fiction and Gamebooks. Jenny‘s not there, of course, isn’t anywhere Erma expects to find her: their last encounter was not friendly.
Hours later, she is roused from the sleep of the dead to find Jenny in her bedroom wielding a gun, which she tries to empty into Erma, then uses to batter her. Suffering two gunshot wounds, Erma then witnesses Jenny shooting herself in the head.
Fast forward a year. Erma returns from a recuperation and fight-training vacation in Thailand. She still has no idea why Jenny tried to kill her; the police tell her to forget it, Jenny was drug-affected, move on.
But when she is given a box of Jenny’s possessions, she decides to create a timeline of Jenny’s last months: she might find out what Jenny was thinking; and she might get hold of the missing interview with her idol author that she desperately needs for her book. This leads to quite a bit of risky behaviour on Erma’s part, and a lot of violence, all against a background of several young female Uni students going missing.
Erma is not a particularly likeable character: she’s rude, sullen and belligerent, even with her friends, has loose morals and poor ethics (surely not de rigeur for this vintage of academic?) She apparently dreams in Choose Your Own Adventure novel format, a second-person narrative, which has the circular result of Erma dreaming about Sero the barbarian dreaming about Erma. Erma is a difficult character to care about.
By part three, the story is venturing into an unreal twist, requires a good deal of suspension of disbelief and builds to a climax filled with gratuitous violence. It’s original and probably clever, and perhaps will appeal to fans of Fight Fantasy or readers with a lot of patience or indulgence with the somewhat bizarre, readers who won’t be too confused by the dream sequence and might be able to forgive the weak ending.
Although his characters have a poor grasp of the correct use of personal pronouns considering they are meant to be creative writing students, Ryan does manage to convey the feel of perennial academia and its disconnect from the real world. A very different read that will appeal to a select audience.
This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by Echo Publishing.
Hours later, she is roused from the sleep of the dead to find Jenny in her bedroom wielding a gun, which she tries to empty into Erma, then uses to batter her. Suffering two gunshot wounds, Erma then witnesses Jenny shooting herself in the head.
Fast forward a year. Erma returns from a recuperation and fight-training vacation in Thailand. She still has no idea why Jenny tried to kill her; the police tell her to forget it, Jenny was drug-affected, move on.
But when she is given a box of Jenny’s possessions, she decides to create a timeline of Jenny’s last months: she might find out what Jenny was thinking; and she might get hold of the missing interview with her idol author that she desperately needs for her book. This leads to quite a bit of risky behaviour on Erma’s part, and a lot of violence, all against a background of several young female Uni students going missing.
Erma is not a particularly likeable character: she’s rude, sullen and belligerent, even with her friends, has loose morals and poor ethics (surely not de rigeur for this vintage of academic?) She apparently dreams in Choose Your Own Adventure novel format, a second-person narrative, which has the circular result of Erma dreaming about Sero the barbarian dreaming about Erma. Erma is a difficult character to care about.
By part three, the story is venturing into an unreal twist, requires a good deal of suspension of disbelief and builds to a climax filled with gratuitous violence. It’s original and probably clever, and perhaps will appeal to fans of Fight Fantasy or readers with a lot of patience or indulgence with the somewhat bizarre, readers who won’t be too confused by the dream sequence and might be able to forgive the weak ending.
Although his characters have a poor grasp of the correct use of personal pronouns considering they are meant to be creative writing students, Ryan does manage to convey the feel of perennial academia and its disconnect from the real world. A very different read that will appeal to a select audience.
This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by Echo Publishing.
November 22, 2020
The Spiral by Iain Ryan is a story about a young woman Dr Erma Bridges who is suspended awaiting a disciplinary hearing after being shot by her research assistant Jenny Wasserman but she has now gone missing and Erma goes tracing her steps to find her and also to find her research with she has taken it with her.
The thriller is full of twists and turns and half of the story turns into a fantasy novel which I found quite weird. And I must say this is not a bad book and is great read for someone that likes the mix of the two genres. But unfortunately for me I just couldn’t get the hang of it changing so quickly between the two and that I just thought what the hell is going on. Three stars from me.
The thriller is full of twists and turns and half of the story turns into a fantasy novel which I found quite weird. And I must say this is not a bad book and is great read for someone that likes the mix of the two genres. But unfortunately for me I just couldn’t get the hang of it changing so quickly between the two and that I just thought what the hell is going on. Three stars from me.
December 13, 2020
The Spiral is an interesting concept and is without doubt a marmite book. You'll probably either think it's a stunning work of genius or you'll find it irritating, convoluted and ultimately unsatisfying.
I kind of fall somewhere in the middle. I banged through the first third of this novel with its crime story with fantasy dreaming and was intrigued to see where it was going.
But then I think it just over complicated itself. If you are a fan of those "choose your own " stories from childhood you'll likely get a lot more out of this than most but whether its the 2020 aftershock or whatever I found I had no patience with the shenanigans. I'm not sure how it will work in physical copy form but in kindle I felt like I'd missed half of it the only option being to go back and read again differently. If indeed there was a differently. I have no clue because see above re lack of patience.
Then the finale turned into another thing altogether. I quite liked that bit of violence because I was feeling violent towards the book at that point but it was so ridiculous and also may have feminists everywhere grinding their teeth.
Kudos to the author for trying something different. Don't let the reviews whether positive OR negative put you off giving it a go because it may be the best book you've read in years. Or the worst...
I dont know if I recommend it. Yeah I know, not that helpful. Sorry.
I kind of fall somewhere in the middle. I banged through the first third of this novel with its crime story with fantasy dreaming and was intrigued to see where it was going.
But then I think it just over complicated itself. If you are a fan of those "choose your own " stories from childhood you'll likely get a lot more out of this than most but whether its the 2020 aftershock or whatever I found I had no patience with the shenanigans. I'm not sure how it will work in physical copy form but in kindle I felt like I'd missed half of it the only option being to go back and read again differently. If indeed there was a differently. I have no clue because see above re lack of patience.
Then the finale turned into another thing altogether. I quite liked that bit of violence because I was feeling violent towards the book at that point but it was so ridiculous and also may have feminists everywhere grinding their teeth.
Kudos to the author for trying something different. Don't let the reviews whether positive OR negative put you off giving it a go because it may be the best book you've read in years. Or the worst...
I dont know if I recommend it. Yeah I know, not that helpful. Sorry.
January 1, 2021
The Spiral is a psychological/fantasy thriller that has been billed as the most original thriller of the year! It’s my first dabble into this mixed genre and it’s the first time I have read any of Iain Ryan’s work too.
💬 So what’s it all about? 💬
The Spiral follows Erma who lives a very ordinary life... that is until she is shot by a colleague! In an instant her life is turned upside down and with her would be murderer dead she has no closure to this tragic event. Determined to find out why she was so brutally attacked by someone she knew, Erma goes on the hunt looking for answers but what she finds may spiral her life into a relentless darkness!
💭 My Thoughts 💭
WOW! This book is a rollercoaster 🎢 of a ride! Just when you think you know where it is going BAM! A twist... think you have it figured out now?.... BAM A turn! I can honestly say I didn’t want to put this book down and I would never have predicted the ending in a million years.
This is a refreshing and original thriller that will have you questioning and guessing until the last page!
As you follow the book along a dual narrative the more you read.... the more questions you’ll have! Erma is a dark and complicated character that you may not like or root for... but you will want to travel down this road with her to find the answers she seeks!
Absolutely gripping!
💬 So what’s it all about? 💬
The Spiral follows Erma who lives a very ordinary life... that is until she is shot by a colleague! In an instant her life is turned upside down and with her would be murderer dead she has no closure to this tragic event. Determined to find out why she was so brutally attacked by someone she knew, Erma goes on the hunt looking for answers but what she finds may spiral her life into a relentless darkness!
💭 My Thoughts 💭
WOW! This book is a rollercoaster 🎢 of a ride! Just when you think you know where it is going BAM! A twist... think you have it figured out now?.... BAM A turn! I can honestly say I didn’t want to put this book down and I would never have predicted the ending in a million years.
This is a refreshing and original thriller that will have you questioning and guessing until the last page!
As you follow the book along a dual narrative the more you read.... the more questions you’ll have! Erma is a dark and complicated character that you may not like or root for... but you will want to travel down this road with her to find the answers she seeks!
Absolutely gripping!
January 1, 2021
Dr Erma Bridges has received an email regarding a disciplinary action for having inappropriate relations with her students. Erma believes her research assistant Jenny is behind this, but where is Jenny now? Jenny was interviewing people for Erma’s research on fantasy stories.
Erma is a victim of a vicious shooting in her own home.
Fortunately Erma survives the attack and starts to investigate why she was targeted and to gather the research that Jenny made for her book.
This is not my usual read. I have never read a fantasy book before, but I did enjoy the mixture of fantasy and real life in this book.
Would definitely look out for this author again.
Thank you to Netgalley for my copy in exchange for a review.
Erma is a victim of a vicious shooting in her own home.
Fortunately Erma survives the attack and starts to investigate why she was targeted and to gather the research that Jenny made for her book.
This is not my usual read. I have never read a fantasy book before, but I did enjoy the mixture of fantasy and real life in this book.
Would definitely look out for this author again.
Thank you to Netgalley for my copy in exchange for a review.
December 5, 2020
Honestly, I have no idea what I just read. The Spiral was a confusing story from start to finish. Yet, in an odd sort of way, it’s also quite addictive and intriguing in that way that you can’t stop reading because you want to know what’s going on. However, upon (finally!) reaching the end I was just incredibly disappointed and ... yes, you guessed it, confused. 🤷🏼♀️
Thanks to the publisher for the review copy.
Thanks to the publisher for the review copy.
February 4, 2021
Iain Ryan’s new thriller The Spiral is being presented as an audacious and original thriller, and for most of its length, it really is as fascinating and compelling as touted. And then it takes a turn that left me feeling deeply weary. The reasons are a matter of personal taste, and can’t be explained without spoilers, so I’ll mark where in this review that occurs so readers can choose whether to read on.
This solution of mine is very much in keeping with one of the entertaining elements of The Spiral – the elements of Choose Your Own Adventure books that are part of the book’s driving narrative.
Erma Bridges is a Brisbane-based academic researching Choose Your Own Adventure style books, which she loved as a child. Her research assistant, Jenny, is meant to have interviewed the reclusive Archibald Moder, a former psychotherapist who made his fortune from a unique series of Choose Your Own Adventure/Fighting Fantasies books featuring an ungendered sword master named Sero.
As The Spiral opens, however, Jenny has been uncontactable for some weeks and Erma returns to Brisbane abruptly, abandoning a conference to deal with accusations of sexual misconduct.
Erma has a complicated life. She’s trying to work out who’s behind the allegations as well as trying to track down Jenny and the interviews with several writers that she is meant to have conducted. Erma is also trying to support her friend and colleague Kanika with her research into missing girls and protests about the women who have gone missing from the campus over several years. There are also strange hints about the dark events in her past that have led to her estrangement from her family.
Before long, Erma is dreaming of Sero – of being a Sero without a memory – and her story is interspersed with Sero’s activities told in that distinctive Choose… style.
And then the missing Jenny shows up at Erma’s house in a violent rage and tries to murder Erma with a handgun. When she wounds but doesn’t kill Erma, Jenny kills herself.
All of these story elements are tangled and twisted and then interwoven – a spiral indeed, leading down to deeper and more twisted paths.
Until at last the spiral uncoils: Erma finally organises a fresh meeting with Archibald Moder and she learns more about Jenny – and even more about herself. In a series of passages, each numbered for a true Choose Your Own Adventure experience, Erma’s real and dream worlds collide. Truths unfurl, revealing ugly and cruel depths that begin in the past and reach into the present. The resolution of these issues is very violent and the final pages of the coda to that violence present, quit naturally, a new series of paths to choose from.
SPOILERS FOLLOW
.
.
.
.
The Spiral is well written, convoluted and tricksy while remaining fascinating and engaging.
Right up until the point where we discover many of Erma’s memories of her family are fabrications, her brain’s attempts to protect her from the trauma of being repeatedly raped by the family’s gardener while she was immobilised with broken limbs from a car accident.
This is all uncovered when Archibald Moder drugs Erma at the end of her interview with him, and she wakes up in a call in a basement adjacent to a group of similarly kidnapped women. All the cleverness that precedes this moment comes only to this – a story about vile serial rapists who try to break kidnapped women with awful psychological torture. The fact that these women find a way to survive – and that Erma, in a kind of fugue state as the monster/hero Sero, slaughters most of the perpetrators with a handy sword – doesn’t mitigate the awfulness of thriller that hinges on violence against women. Perhaps the revenge fantasy aspect will work for some readers, but I am weary beyond telling of stories that require the abduction, torture and rape of women for the kicker before ‘revenge’ or ‘justice’ is reached.
I had been waiting for a clever, curious mystery to be at the heart of the spiral. The violent, guns-and-swords revenge fantasy conclusion, which is followed by a ‘getting away with it’ fantasy, left a bitter taste in my mouth after so enjoying the first 2/3 of the book. I’d rather read a story about some other kind of thriller/adventure featuring a female lead, and those re the adventures I’ll be choosing for myself in future.
This solution of mine is very much in keeping with one of the entertaining elements of The Spiral – the elements of Choose Your Own Adventure books that are part of the book’s driving narrative.
Erma Bridges is a Brisbane-based academic researching Choose Your Own Adventure style books, which she loved as a child. Her research assistant, Jenny, is meant to have interviewed the reclusive Archibald Moder, a former psychotherapist who made his fortune from a unique series of Choose Your Own Adventure/Fighting Fantasies books featuring an ungendered sword master named Sero.
As The Spiral opens, however, Jenny has been uncontactable for some weeks and Erma returns to Brisbane abruptly, abandoning a conference to deal with accusations of sexual misconduct.
Erma has a complicated life. She’s trying to work out who’s behind the allegations as well as trying to track down Jenny and the interviews with several writers that she is meant to have conducted. Erma is also trying to support her friend and colleague Kanika with her research into missing girls and protests about the women who have gone missing from the campus over several years. There are also strange hints about the dark events in her past that have led to her estrangement from her family.
Before long, Erma is dreaming of Sero – of being a Sero without a memory – and her story is interspersed with Sero’s activities told in that distinctive Choose… style.
And then the missing Jenny shows up at Erma’s house in a violent rage and tries to murder Erma with a handgun. When she wounds but doesn’t kill Erma, Jenny kills herself.
All of these story elements are tangled and twisted and then interwoven – a spiral indeed, leading down to deeper and more twisted paths.
Until at last the spiral uncoils: Erma finally organises a fresh meeting with Archibald Moder and she learns more about Jenny – and even more about herself. In a series of passages, each numbered for a true Choose Your Own Adventure experience, Erma’s real and dream worlds collide. Truths unfurl, revealing ugly and cruel depths that begin in the past and reach into the present. The resolution of these issues is very violent and the final pages of the coda to that violence present, quit naturally, a new series of paths to choose from.
SPOILERS FOLLOW
.
.
.
.
The Spiral is well written, convoluted and tricksy while remaining fascinating and engaging.
Right up until the point where we discover many of Erma’s memories of her family are fabrications, her brain’s attempts to protect her from the trauma of being repeatedly raped by the family’s gardener while she was immobilised with broken limbs from a car accident.
This is all uncovered when Archibald Moder drugs Erma at the end of her interview with him, and she wakes up in a call in a basement adjacent to a group of similarly kidnapped women. All the cleverness that precedes this moment comes only to this – a story about vile serial rapists who try to break kidnapped women with awful psychological torture. The fact that these women find a way to survive – and that Erma, in a kind of fugue state as the monster/hero Sero, slaughters most of the perpetrators with a handy sword – doesn’t mitigate the awfulness of thriller that hinges on violence against women. Perhaps the revenge fantasy aspect will work for some readers, but I am weary beyond telling of stories that require the abduction, torture and rape of women for the kicker before ‘revenge’ or ‘justice’ is reached.
I had been waiting for a clever, curious mystery to be at the heart of the spiral. The violent, guns-and-swords revenge fantasy conclusion, which is followed by a ‘getting away with it’ fantasy, left a bitter taste in my mouth after so enjoying the first 2/3 of the book. I’d rather read a story about some other kind of thriller/adventure featuring a female lead, and those re the adventures I’ll be choosing for myself in future.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 16, 2021
Inventive and brutal, there are good reasons why Iain Ryan’s third novel is being talked about. Full review at Newtown Review of Books
February 20, 2021
Erma Bridges’ life is far from perfect, but entirely ordinary. So when she is shot twice in a targeted attack by a colleague her quiet existence is shattered in an instant. With her would be murderer dead, no one can give Erma the answers she needs to move on from her trauma. Why her and why now? So begins Erma’s quest for the truth and a dangerous spiralling journey into the heart of darkness.
The first thing I want to say about this book is that it is an extremely unique concept. The book is in two parts, one from the perspective of Erma which is a standard thriller, and then Sero which is fantasy. The hybrid format does work very well and is a clever and unique addition, including the use of an adventure book section. However... I feel like the actual meaning behind this went completely over my head and I just didn’t get it! �� I loved the thriller part and the storyline, which was very twisty, and I did enjoy the addition of the fantasy part but I just didn’t feel that I connected very well to how it linked all together. This book seems to be a marmite book from the reviews, some people loved and some people hated, I think I would have loved it if I understood the fantasy link a bit better
The first thing I want to say about this book is that it is an extremely unique concept. The book is in two parts, one from the perspective of Erma which is a standard thriller, and then Sero which is fantasy. The hybrid format does work very well and is a clever and unique addition, including the use of an adventure book section. However... I feel like the actual meaning behind this went completely over my head and I just didn’t get it! �� I loved the thriller part and the storyline, which was very twisty, and I did enjoy the addition of the fantasy part but I just didn’t feel that I connected very well to how it linked all together. This book seems to be a marmite book from the reviews, some people loved and some people hated, I think I would have loved it if I understood the fantasy link a bit better
January 18, 2021
Firstly, I’d like to thank @readersfirst for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I understood Erma’s story and her journey and thought it was fascinating and intriguing. But for me, Sero was confusing and slightly unnecessary? I didn’t understand Sero.
The book is half thriller and half fantasy but the fantasy just didn’t do it for me, I didn’t feel the need for Sero. Erma’s story would’ve been enough to carry the book but the ending was a bit of an anti-climax for me.
I was very disappointed as I was so looking forward to reading it.
I understood Erma’s story and her journey and thought it was fascinating and intriguing. But for me, Sero was confusing and slightly unnecessary? I didn’t understand Sero.
The book is half thriller and half fantasy but the fantasy just didn’t do it for me, I didn’t feel the need for Sero. Erma’s story would’ve been enough to carry the book but the ending was a bit of an anti-climax for me.
I was very disappointed as I was so looking forward to reading it.
February 16, 2021
Thank you to Netgalley and Bonnier Books UK for the arc of The Spiral by Iain Ryan.
4 star read for me, this follows Dr Erma Bridges whom is suspended after being shot by her research assistant Jenny, but she disappears and is missing so Erma traces her steps to find her but also her research in which she took with her.. This is full of twists and turns,
4 Stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐
4 star read for me, this follows Dr Erma Bridges whom is suspended after being shot by her research assistant Jenny, but she disappears and is missing so Erma traces her steps to find her but also her research in which she took with her.. This is full of twists and turns,
4 Stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐
October 18, 2022
Dark and twisted
December 29, 2020
“The Spiral” is written by Australian author Iain Ryan, who has twice been shortlisted for the Ned Kelly Award. Billed as a crime noir thriller, I was totally caught out by how unpredictable and wacky “The Spiral” actually was. For the first third, I followed the story - alternating between Erma and her dream character Sero but I didn’t expect to read the amount of fantasy fiction that was incorporated. This took the novel to whole new level of imagination needed to fully understand the plot. To be honest, it was all a bit too much for me and I was left baffled, lost and utterly clueless as to what had gone on. Based on the old fashioned ‘choose your own adventure’ magazines and stories, this is an excellent novel for fans of that type of genre but I was left disappointed. The amount of hype and publicity I’d seen for this book, gave me high expectations but sadly, even though I enjoy fantasy stories that have elements of realism, this was just a bit too much for me to enjoy. Unless you’re happy with a story that has no relationship to crime thrillers and sends your mind into a spiral of misunderstanding, I would personally stay clear. I wish I had.
2 stars
2 stars
April 27, 2024
‘The plastic door jolts and a man shouts ‘Come on.’
Dr Erma Bridges returns to Brisbane from Spain to attend a disciplinary meeting. A complaint has been made against her, concerning inappropriate relationships with students, and she is determined to attend the meeting. Erma believes that the complaint has been made by her disaffected research assistant Jenny Wasserman. The complaint might not be totally unwarranted: Erma is writing a book about interactive narratives for young adults, and she may have become close to certain students. But where is Jenny?
Later, Erma wakes to find Jenny in her bedroom. Jenny fires the gun, shooting Erma twice and then hitting her with it. Erma is conscious enough to witness Jenny shooting herself dead.
A year later, Erma returns. She has spent time in Thailand. She is still trying to work out why Jenny tried to kill her and, when she takes possession of a box of Jenny’s belongings, she decides to try to create a timeline of Jenny’s last few months. Jenny was supposed to interview the reclusive Archibald Moder, the author of ‘Choose Your Own Adventure’ stories. The interview recording is missing, and Erma contacts Mr Moder to arrange for a reinterview.
That is one strand of this story, which also involves missing female students, dream sequences and Sero the Barbarian. The various strands will be brought together with lashings of gratuitous violence. Does it work? It is very clever, although essentially unbelievable. But if you are looking for suspense with twists and you can ignore gratuitous violence and suspend your disbelief, enjoy the rollercoaster ride! I did (mostly).
‘There’s one part of branching narrative that doesn’t work: the ending.’
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
Dr Erma Bridges returns to Brisbane from Spain to attend a disciplinary meeting. A complaint has been made against her, concerning inappropriate relationships with students, and she is determined to attend the meeting. Erma believes that the complaint has been made by her disaffected research assistant Jenny Wasserman. The complaint might not be totally unwarranted: Erma is writing a book about interactive narratives for young adults, and she may have become close to certain students. But where is Jenny?
Later, Erma wakes to find Jenny in her bedroom. Jenny fires the gun, shooting Erma twice and then hitting her with it. Erma is conscious enough to witness Jenny shooting herself dead.
A year later, Erma returns. She has spent time in Thailand. She is still trying to work out why Jenny tried to kill her and, when she takes possession of a box of Jenny’s belongings, she decides to try to create a timeline of Jenny’s last few months. Jenny was supposed to interview the reclusive Archibald Moder, the author of ‘Choose Your Own Adventure’ stories. The interview recording is missing, and Erma contacts Mr Moder to arrange for a reinterview.
That is one strand of this story, which also involves missing female students, dream sequences and Sero the Barbarian. The various strands will be brought together with lashings of gratuitous violence. Does it work? It is very clever, although essentially unbelievable. But if you are looking for suspense with twists and you can ignore gratuitous violence and suspend your disbelief, enjoy the rollercoaster ride! I did (mostly).
‘There’s one part of branching narrative that doesn’t work: the ending.’
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
December 27, 2020
This doesn’t happen to me usually as I’m very careful which books to pick but you simply can never have everything in hand so it was bound to happen sooner or later that I would find myself struggling with a book. Giving up is something I normally don’t do either but I soon knew that this book wasn’t the book for me and if I tell you that half of the book is about a man called Sero The Barbarian roaming a fantasy world (in the form of Erma’s dreams) including orcs, witches, swords and mages, well this is not the kind of world I want to be reading about. I would have skipped these alternating chapters altogether but I couldn’t just ignore them, I felt there might be some important message or truth hidden in there, a metaphore for her current situation perhaps, but whatever it might have been it didn’t take very long to feel a reluctance to read those chapters and with them taking up half of the novel, I didn’t see this ending well for me.
If you’re into fantasy then this might very well be the book for you and if you like cross-over genres all the better but if you like a straight story anchored in the real world then this might be not your cup of tea. I did love The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle and yes there was something unrealistic about that novel too but it was entirely different and not at all about a world inhabited by goblins and orcs with bloodshed and killings.
I wish I could also say that the plotline involving Dr. Erma Bridges – a full-time academic at The Centre for Creative Writing and Cultural Understanding – pulled me through but it was clear from the start that she might not be a very reliable character. Accusations at her address for sleeping with students don’t make her a bad person but nonetheless someone with jaded morals and not someone to sympathize with right away. That didn’t change over time for me either. I was interested in the mystery at the base of the novel, the missing research that Erma’s assistant had in her possession and that she’s looking for to finish her book, and a sideplot about some students that are missing which one of Erma’s colleagues is investigating but it was quite a contrast with this fantasy world full of action.
The book Dr. Erma Bridges is writing with the help of a postgrad has the working title Secret Interactions: A History of Reader-Deployed Young Adult Fiction. It involves the Choose Your Own Adventure novels, Fighting Fantasy gamebooks, Archibald Moder’s Zone Mover series, spin-offs and extensions these books introduced to YA fiction in the eighties. Just reading the explanation about the title made my head spin. I don’t know about you but this all went over my head, I have not read a fantasy gamebook so I wasn’t even familiar with the concept. After some googling I know a whole lot more on the subject now so I do like that this book brought something new (well something that is clearly not entirely new but is not well-known) back.
I’m afraid I can’t say I know how this book ended. I read till the 50% mark and I’m not any further in knowing what happened, nor do I care very much about what happened to Erma or if Sero finds an answer to his quest. The novel wanted to be too much at once, original and quirky, fantasy and a thriller.. but it all but left me confused as to what was going on. The fantasy overshadowed the other side of the novel for me, maybe because I’m not used to it but it is what it is. If you feel yourself challenged, give it a go and find out if it’s the one for you!
If you’re into fantasy then this might very well be the book for you and if you like cross-over genres all the better but if you like a straight story anchored in the real world then this might be not your cup of tea. I did love The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle and yes there was something unrealistic about that novel too but it was entirely different and not at all about a world inhabited by goblins and orcs with bloodshed and killings.
I wish I could also say that the plotline involving Dr. Erma Bridges – a full-time academic at The Centre for Creative Writing and Cultural Understanding – pulled me through but it was clear from the start that she might not be a very reliable character. Accusations at her address for sleeping with students don’t make her a bad person but nonetheless someone with jaded morals and not someone to sympathize with right away. That didn’t change over time for me either. I was interested in the mystery at the base of the novel, the missing research that Erma’s assistant had in her possession and that she’s looking for to finish her book, and a sideplot about some students that are missing which one of Erma’s colleagues is investigating but it was quite a contrast with this fantasy world full of action.
The book Dr. Erma Bridges is writing with the help of a postgrad has the working title Secret Interactions: A History of Reader-Deployed Young Adult Fiction. It involves the Choose Your Own Adventure novels, Fighting Fantasy gamebooks, Archibald Moder’s Zone Mover series, spin-offs and extensions these books introduced to YA fiction in the eighties. Just reading the explanation about the title made my head spin. I don’t know about you but this all went over my head, I have not read a fantasy gamebook so I wasn’t even familiar with the concept. After some googling I know a whole lot more on the subject now so I do like that this book brought something new (well something that is clearly not entirely new but is not well-known) back.
I’m afraid I can’t say I know how this book ended. I read till the 50% mark and I’m not any further in knowing what happened, nor do I care very much about what happened to Erma or if Sero finds an answer to his quest. The novel wanted to be too much at once, original and quirky, fantasy and a thriller.. but it all but left me confused as to what was going on. The fantasy overshadowed the other side of the novel for me, maybe because I’m not used to it but it is what it is. If you feel yourself challenged, give it a go and find out if it’s the one for you!
December 19, 2020
My thanks to Bonnier Books U.K. /Zaffre for an eARC via NetGalley of ‘The Spiral’ by Iain Ryan in exchange for an honest review. This novel is described as high concept and I expect that it’s a novel that will polarise readers.
Dr. Erma Bridges is attending an academic conference in Spain when she is alerted that she is the subject of a disciplinary hearing. She returns to Brisbane and while the complainant isn’t named, Erma is certain that it is Jenny, her research assistant, whose been causing problems for some time. Jenny hasn’t turned in a number of interviews that are vital to the book Erma is writing on the influence of Choose Your Adventure books on YA fiction. The most important interview was with the reclusive Archibald Moder, whose Zone Mover series was very important to Erma’s childhood.
Then Erma is attacked in her home and shot twice. After a long recovery, she begins to search for answers and her quest for the truth leads her on a dangerous, spiralling journey into the heart of darkness.
One of the strange aspects of this novel are the chapters featuring Sero the Barbarian, a character from the Moder books that Erma has been dreaming about. Sero has various adventures that are written in the second person as if the reader is following a Dungeons and Dragons campaign. Then during Part Three things become even stranger.
At times, I was a bit ambivalent about ‘The Spiral’ though its weirdness and hallucinatory nature did ultimately work for me. Maybe that’s because I am old enough to have experienced the original Choose Your Own Adventures books, which were groundbreaking, participated in ‘Dungeons and Dragons’ during the 80s, and enjoy fantasy and genre hopping fiction.
It did demand a close reading and had its challenges though I felt that it was both original and ambitious. Being metafiction it subverts the relationship between author, character, and reader.
So, yes overall I was impressed and pleased that I stayed on board for what proved an exhilarating and unusual fantasy thriller.
It will be published in the U.K. on 31st December.
Dr. Erma Bridges is attending an academic conference in Spain when she is alerted that she is the subject of a disciplinary hearing. She returns to Brisbane and while the complainant isn’t named, Erma is certain that it is Jenny, her research assistant, whose been causing problems for some time. Jenny hasn’t turned in a number of interviews that are vital to the book Erma is writing on the influence of Choose Your Adventure books on YA fiction. The most important interview was with the reclusive Archibald Moder, whose Zone Mover series was very important to Erma’s childhood.
Then Erma is attacked in her home and shot twice. After a long recovery, she begins to search for answers and her quest for the truth leads her on a dangerous, spiralling journey into the heart of darkness.
One of the strange aspects of this novel are the chapters featuring Sero the Barbarian, a character from the Moder books that Erma has been dreaming about. Sero has various adventures that are written in the second person as if the reader is following a Dungeons and Dragons campaign. Then during Part Three things become even stranger.
At times, I was a bit ambivalent about ‘The Spiral’ though its weirdness and hallucinatory nature did ultimately work for me. Maybe that’s because I am old enough to have experienced the original Choose Your Own Adventures books, which were groundbreaking, participated in ‘Dungeons and Dragons’ during the 80s, and enjoy fantasy and genre hopping fiction.
It did demand a close reading and had its challenges though I felt that it was both original and ambitious. Being metafiction it subverts the relationship between author, character, and reader.
So, yes overall I was impressed and pleased that I stayed on board for what proved an exhilarating and unusual fantasy thriller.
It will be published in the U.K. on 31st December.
December 13, 2020
3 - 3.5 stars
I honestly do not know where to go with this review. It is either going to be very short or exceedingly long as I struggle to get to grips with what just happened. I'll admit it - I was sucked in by a strong marketing campaign and I was intrigued to see what it as all about, this 'gripping, inventive and unpredictable' thriller ... Well, unpredictable is right. Part thriller, part mystery and part fantasy/choose your own adventure-eque hybrid, this was not what I was expecting at all.
That's not to say this was an unpleasurable reading experience. It wasn't. Not always at least. Author Iain Ryan has certainly done a brilliant job of creating the tension and also the intrigue as our protagonist, Erma, struggles to come to terms with the fact that her once student and assistant, Jenny as gone missing possibly after lodging a formal complaint about Erma's behaviour. A complaint which, in Erma's mind at least, has absolutely no merit. When an attempt is made on Erma's life, the tension ratchets up and, like Erma, I really wanted to know what she could possibly have done that would make someone want to kill her so badly.
This is a college campus set thriller in part, and some of the story is given over to one of Erma's colleagues, whose research is into women you have gone missing from campus over the years, never to be heard of again. This is another aspect of mystery or suspense that is cleverly woven into the story, subtly enough that you are always conscious of it but never so much that it takes over from the main plot and Erma's obsession with finding the truth behind what happens to her and where the research that Jenny was doing on her behalf has disappeared to.
Now Erma's research is for a book she is writing, one in which she needs to gain an interview with a resculive writer famed for his fantasy adventure, or choose your own adventure novels to be more correct - remember those - books that Erma had obsessed over as a child. The style of those books leaches into the everyday by way of Erma's dreams and this is where the book gets a little ... odd. It's either exceedingly clever or utterly pretentious. To be fair Ryan does make a brilliant job of creating that otherworld, that dream place in which Erma's search for the truth is mirrored in the dream protagonist - Sero's - quest to recover his memories. The world is mutli-faceted, the many characters fully formed and believable. If you like Fantasy then I think you will love it. Half of the chapters are told from Erma's perspective and half from Sero's, although, towards the end Sero very much takes over as Erma struggles to understand her current reality.
This is where I struggled. I don't really like fantasy, haven't ventured into that world in many a year, and I have to admit to skim reading much of it, but still found myself able to follow it. It is also the point where the book takes a decidedly dark turn and whilst not graphic, plays out like the beginning of every misogynists wet dream. The various plot elements are drawn together in dramatic fashion but by this point, after such a long and complicated build up, it felt a little rushed, too preposterous and perhaps even a touch too convenient? And don’t even get me started on the fight sequence. Feminists beware. This will categorically NOT qualify for the Staunch Prize.
If you like crime mystery, suspense and fantasy, maybe you will get more from this book than I did and I certainly wouldn't want my thoughts to put you off. Every book has it's perfect audience, right? It's certainly quite unique but there is something about it which has left me uncertain, unfulfilled and maybe just a little bit angry. Perhaps because I never fully gelled with Erma. I certainly didn’t feel anything but anger for her situation at the end of the book. Bizarrely it is the fantasy hero, Sero, I was more interested in, despite not liking the genre. You get a great sense of place and the tension and pace and action really pick up in the latter stages of the book, but it was just too far adrift of the crime genre for me to appreciate the full package. I didn't entirely hate it - the premise is sound - but I certainly didn’t love it and I'd say that I am still stuck on that fence, not sure which side I'm finally going to fall.
I honestly do not know where to go with this review. It is either going to be very short or exceedingly long as I struggle to get to grips with what just happened. I'll admit it - I was sucked in by a strong marketing campaign and I was intrigued to see what it as all about, this 'gripping, inventive and unpredictable' thriller ... Well, unpredictable is right. Part thriller, part mystery and part fantasy/choose your own adventure-eque hybrid, this was not what I was expecting at all.
That's not to say this was an unpleasurable reading experience. It wasn't. Not always at least. Author Iain Ryan has certainly done a brilliant job of creating the tension and also the intrigue as our protagonist, Erma, struggles to come to terms with the fact that her once student and assistant, Jenny as gone missing possibly after lodging a formal complaint about Erma's behaviour. A complaint which, in Erma's mind at least, has absolutely no merit. When an attempt is made on Erma's life, the tension ratchets up and, like Erma, I really wanted to know what she could possibly have done that would make someone want to kill her so badly.
This is a college campus set thriller in part, and some of the story is given over to one of Erma's colleagues, whose research is into women you have gone missing from campus over the years, never to be heard of again. This is another aspect of mystery or suspense that is cleverly woven into the story, subtly enough that you are always conscious of it but never so much that it takes over from the main plot and Erma's obsession with finding the truth behind what happens to her and where the research that Jenny was doing on her behalf has disappeared to.
Now Erma's research is for a book she is writing, one in which she needs to gain an interview with a resculive writer famed for his fantasy adventure, or choose your own adventure novels to be more correct - remember those - books that Erma had obsessed over as a child. The style of those books leaches into the everyday by way of Erma's dreams and this is where the book gets a little ... odd. It's either exceedingly clever or utterly pretentious. To be fair Ryan does make a brilliant job of creating that otherworld, that dream place in which Erma's search for the truth is mirrored in the dream protagonist - Sero's - quest to recover his memories. The world is mutli-faceted, the many characters fully formed and believable. If you like Fantasy then I think you will love it. Half of the chapters are told from Erma's perspective and half from Sero's, although, towards the end Sero very much takes over as Erma struggles to understand her current reality.
This is where I struggled. I don't really like fantasy, haven't ventured into that world in many a year, and I have to admit to skim reading much of it, but still found myself able to follow it. It is also the point where the book takes a decidedly dark turn and whilst not graphic, plays out like the beginning of every misogynists wet dream. The various plot elements are drawn together in dramatic fashion but by this point, after such a long and complicated build up, it felt a little rushed, too preposterous and perhaps even a touch too convenient? And don’t even get me started on the fight sequence. Feminists beware. This will categorically NOT qualify for the Staunch Prize.
If you like crime mystery, suspense and fantasy, maybe you will get more from this book than I did and I certainly wouldn't want my thoughts to put you off. Every book has it's perfect audience, right? It's certainly quite unique but there is something about it which has left me uncertain, unfulfilled and maybe just a little bit angry. Perhaps because I never fully gelled with Erma. I certainly didn’t feel anything but anger for her situation at the end of the book. Bizarrely it is the fantasy hero, Sero, I was more interested in, despite not liking the genre. You get a great sense of place and the tension and pace and action really pick up in the latter stages of the book, but it was just too far adrift of the crime genre for me to appreciate the full package. I didn't entirely hate it - the premise is sound - but I certainly didn’t love it and I'd say that I am still stuck on that fence, not sure which side I'm finally going to fall.
March 14, 2025
This book was quirky as hell! In the end, I am not entirely sure what happened, but I really enjoyed it! It had my favourite kind of book—a choose-your-own-adventure style—flowing throughout while we are with Erma trying to discover why her student tried to kill her.
I was so suspicious of Archibald straightaway, I have to say, that final third of the book was mental. When we see the walls break down around Erma, and then the infamous fourth wall as she looks directly at us - I loved that ending!!
The narrators were spot on and I loved the distinctive voices they had. One for Sero and one for Erma. It made it easier to know when the audiobook was moving between worlds.
I loved that the way we had the Sero chapters not completely making sense with the numbers involved in the page break. Just like a choose-your-own adventure book, you can't read them in order, you have to follow the adventure (obviously), so for me I felt like I was unpicking it as I was going alone - which I loved.
I just wish Archibald Moder's books were real!!! I am glad I read this, I saw some of the reviews and to be honest it intrigued me enough to give it a go. Was it my favourite book ever? No, but I had one hell of a ride and that is something I won't forget.
I was so suspicious of Archibald straightaway, I have to say, that final third of the book was mental. When we see the walls break down around Erma, and then the infamous fourth wall as she looks directly at us - I loved that ending!!
The narrators were spot on and I loved the distinctive voices they had. One for Sero and one for Erma. It made it easier to know when the audiobook was moving between worlds.
I loved that the way we had the Sero chapters not completely making sense with the numbers involved in the page break. Just like a choose-your-own adventure book, you can't read them in order, you have to follow the adventure (obviously), so for me I felt like I was unpicking it as I was going alone - which I loved.
I just wish Archibald Moder's books were real!!! I am glad I read this, I saw some of the reviews and to be honest it intrigued me enough to give it a go. Was it my favourite book ever? No, but I had one hell of a ride and that is something I won't forget.
March 14, 2021
The Spiral will not be everyone's cup of tea but I enjoyed it a lot. A fusion of hard boiled crimes tropes and horror with an interesting use of the 'choose your own adventure' books that were popular with teens in the 1980s and 1990s (and still may be for all I know). Ryan is a relatively new presence on the Australian crime writing scene but he has already established himself as one of my favourite local authors. He is not afraid to get down and dirty and takes risks. If you dig the kind of novels were the cops are the heroes or the cat solves the crime, then this book is not for you (although I reckon Ryan could do a pretty cool cat solves the crime mystery). But if what you are up for is a violent, white knuckle ride into white collar criminal insanity, then you could do a lot worse than to check out the Spiral. Recommended.
January 9, 2021
I honestly do not even know how to review this book! It is probably one of the oddest books I have ever read. I don’t mean it in exactly a bad way but it definitely confused me quite a lot!
First of all, the book is written from the main character; Erma’s point of view while she tries to work out why her colleague wanted to kill her. She gets involved in some dark and violent incidents. Her life spirals into even more danger as she tries to unravel the mystery.
The strangest parts of the book are from the chapters written in the point of view of a character called Sero who is from a retro Choose Your Own Adventure book and it is written in that format. (Remember those books? I used to love them!) Sounds confusing right?! This all ties in with Erma’s life but without spoiling it for you I can’t really explain how it links. And to be quite honest, I am still not sure after finishing the book! It is quite unpredictable, though I did manage to work out one of the main twists somehow.
I did enjoy this book, but it was just so confusing, especially in the middle sections where it was mainly Sero going round in circles. The parts with Erma however I found really gripping even though I found her character quite unlikeable.
I can only describe this book as a fantasy thriller that has a lot of twists and turns. So if you do read this, open your mind, go with the flow and enter the spiral.
First of all, the book is written from the main character; Erma’s point of view while she tries to work out why her colleague wanted to kill her. She gets involved in some dark and violent incidents. Her life spirals into even more danger as she tries to unravel the mystery.
The strangest parts of the book are from the chapters written in the point of view of a character called Sero who is from a retro Choose Your Own Adventure book and it is written in that format. (Remember those books? I used to love them!) Sounds confusing right?! This all ties in with Erma’s life but without spoiling it for you I can’t really explain how it links. And to be quite honest, I am still not sure after finishing the book! It is quite unpredictable, though I did manage to work out one of the main twists somehow.
I did enjoy this book, but it was just so confusing, especially in the middle sections where it was mainly Sero going round in circles. The parts with Erma however I found really gripping even though I found her character quite unlikeable.
I can only describe this book as a fantasy thriller that has a lot of twists and turns. So if you do read this, open your mind, go with the flow and enter the spiral.
January 9, 2021
Not read a book from this author - doubt I will again! This was a really confusing book with the narrative dancing from the main character to a fictional character and after a while - I couldn’t care less what happened to either of them!
The characters throughout this book were not pleasant and it made it hard work getting to the end.
There is a seedling of a decent story here - I just feel that someone like Lee Child would have made it so much more readable!
Thanks to Holly Jones for loaning me the book - I will be glad to hand it back!!
The characters throughout this book were not pleasant and it made it hard work getting to the end.
There is a seedling of a decent story here - I just feel that someone like Lee Child would have made it so much more readable!
Thanks to Holly Jones for loaning me the book - I will be glad to hand it back!!
September 30, 2025
I didn’t hate it, but I’m also not sure I liked it?
It’s a unique writing style and definitely wasn’t what I expected, it kind of felt like I was losing my mind along with the main character
It’s a unique writing style and definitely wasn’t what I expected, it kind of felt like I was losing my mind along with the main character
April 11, 2021
Ambitious and complex, this descent into madness is a challenging, at times experimental, crime novel. I'll never not read Iain Ryan's work.
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