Cave Gossip

by Keith W. Harvey

Karl Wisent, separated from his wife Heike, teaches at an all-girls' school in Paris. On a Saturday afternoon, his accidental meeting of Hélène, who lives with Gaspard, an actor, turns his life upside down. A year later, Karl decides to end his marriage and marry Hélène. Will she leave Gaspard for Karl?

Soon thereafter, Karl's grandmother offers him her house in the hills west of Avignon for the summer. In order to escape Paris, he accepts. On his journey south he meets old friends and explores a series of caves full of primitive drawings. For a while, he is happy, but things take a nasty turn when Heike arrives at the house with her new boyfriend and two Americans in tow. If that is not enough, an American friend, Dutch Vogel, returns from the first Gulf War, worn out and angry.

Karl discovers that he has somehow attracted these troubled people and their calamities and that if he doesn't discover the reason why, he will never be rid of them.

312 pages, Hardcover

First published November 6, 2009

About the author

Keith Harvey is the author of five novels, "Vogel Flies South," "Vogel and the White Bull," "Cave Gossip," "Okeanus," and "Grimoire of Stone;" and two books of poetry, "Petroglyphs," and "Sea-Snails on a Black Chow’s Tongue or, a Castaway’s Poems in a Bottle." In 2009, his fantasy novel, "Okeanus," was a semi-finalist in the Amazon/Penguin Breakthrough novel contest. In 2014, Kirkus named "Grimoire of Stone," one of the best independent novels of the year. He is currently writing short stories set in an alternate history, code-named: La Ciudad, and working on the sequel of "Grimoire of Stone," entitled "Grimoire of Shadow."

Reviews

[Roxann · Rating 4 out of 5]

From the cover: Karl Wisent, separated from his wife Heike, teaches at an all-girls' school in Paris. On a Saturday afternoon, his accidental meeting of Helene, who lives with Gaspard, an actor, turns his life upside down. A year later, Karl decides to end his marriage and marry Helene. Will she leave Gaspard for Karl? Soon thereafter, Karl's grandmother offers him her house in the hills west of Avignon for the summer. In order to escape Paris, he accepts. On his journey south he meets old friends and explores a series of caves full of primitive drawings. For a while, he is happy, but things take a nasty turn when Heike arrives at the house with her new boyfriend and two Americans in tow. If that is not enough, an American friend, Dutch Vogel, returns from the first Gulf War, worn out and angry.

I won this book through Goodreads. The book started off great. The story keeps you interested. Near the end though, I lost my place. I wasn’t as interested in the story line. Many twists and turns with lots and lots of characters.

[PEGGY · Rating 4 out of 5]

First business, I received this book for free from a goodreads First Reads giveaway.

I enjoyed this book though I am not real sure why. I would have liked some detail at the end about what had happened in Karl's life. And like some other reviewers, keeping some of people straight became difficult. Maybe if some of the names were less similar it may have been easier. And while the book title may have you believe that the cave was central to the plot, I did not feel that way. But once again, I enjoyed and kept reading wanting some type of closure to the plot line.

[Kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

Won in the first reads giveaway awhile back. And my second Keith Harvey book. It started out good, but then I was kinda lost towards the end. All of a sudden, there were too many characters and was hard to keep straight. Felt it left you hanging at the end

[Brenda Schneider · Rating 4 out of 5]

An story that draws you in. Enjoyed. I received this book free from good reads.