The Taken Alice Clark-platts Penguin | 400 pages
The second instalment in Singapore-based author Alice Clark-platt’s Detective Inspector Erica Martin series follows on from the acclaimed Bitter Fruits – but it’s one you can enjoy without having to read her debut novel.
Set in the city of Durham in England, it unravels the story of murdered preacher Tristan Snow, and the discovery that he may be more monstrous than his killer. The mystery begins with the murder taking place in a hotel room at dawn, when the preacher is killed while he prays. How can it be that none of the other guests heard a thing? Enter Tristan’s family, who quickly become the main suspects; his daughter, his wife and her sister all have a motive. Our protagonist, DI Erica Martin, is caught in the web of lies spun by this family, and separating the innocent from the guilty becomes an increasingly difficult task.
There is a sense of realness to DI Martin that is really refreshing for the lead character in a female-detective novel. Erica is atypical of the stereotype of a tormented detective. She is relatable, and her response to the crime scene and her interactions with the other characters are believable. She has the necessary strength of an investigative police officer, yet manages to maintain a femininity and vulnerability that is engaging.
The Taken has an emotional depth that can be lacking in novels of this genre. Themes in the story delve into familial relationships, and the motivations for marital loyalty in the face of abuse, violence, affairs and betrayal. The characters are complex, and the plot is thick and twisting. This is more than just a who-dunnit thriller; there is an intriguing analysis of why the crime took place, the motives of the characters, and an understanding of the complicated nature of justice. A thrilling read.
Lie With Me Genre?
Fiction, thriller
How did you get hold of it? I’d read and enjoyed one of Sabine Durrant’s previous novels, Remember Me This Way, so I was keen to read Lie With Me when it was published last year. It’s also been recommended to fans of Gone Girl and The Girl on the Train, as it’s a similar genre.
What’s it about? The main character Paul is an unsuccessful author, down on his luck and sponging off friends. He’s ashamed to admit to his situation, so he embellishes the truth to ingratiate himself with Alice, an older woman he meets through an acquaintance. Paul manages to wangle his way into a holiday to Greece with Alice and her dysfunctional family and friends. Once there, though, his small lies lead to larger ones, which eventually unravel until he finds he isn’t the only one with something to hide.
How far have you got? I read it cover-to-cover while on holiday – it’s a perfect beach read, as the majority of the book is set in sunny Greece.
What did you think of it? I’d absolutely recommend it – the main character Paul is pretty unlikeable and a compulsive liar, but it’s a gripping thriller with a twist at the end that I didn’t see coming!