Swift's foray into crime; he can do no wrong for me - always different, intelligent books. I'm looking forward to this.

...and thank you to my bro for finding this in Vancouver for me :)

(14/05) Finished - review to follow

Unusually for me I had to look for other opinions on BC and the '1001 Books' review to see if I liked this book! I was right to be worried because there is a mixture of love/hate, with a sprinkling of confusion. As a Swift fan I will give him the benefit of the doubt for the atmosphere, the noir detective theme, the clever inter-play between the current and historical threads. But, I think a wasted opportunity to write a better thriller...maybe he was trying too hard to be Paul Auster?

Amongst a lot of clever parallels, the keeping of secrets, forbidden love, relationships across generations etc. is a suggested that the detective and gynaecologist share a common, 'necessary detachment...a bit beyond trust' when dealing with the truth, probity and their privileged positions. Obviously, George Webb and Bob Nash both 'cross a line' with work- and marital-affairs, respectively.

*spoiler*
One thing was a bit odd, relating the point when Bridget stabs her husband, 'She did it. Took the knife...You never know. A five-year-old girl in my father's studio, by a vase of flowers.' I don't know if this reference to George's father and a young Bridget Nash(?) and a different reason for the stabbing, which isn't fully explained.

I'm taking this along to today's Ipswich bookcrosser's meet-up, to share and pass on :)

my turn with it, thanks for sharing

Ok, it's short and saves you money on Nytol. I also went back to reading reviews on amazon, before I'd read earlier reviews on here to see what I was missing with this one. I hope the author goes back to writing the sort of book that wins him the Booker prize.
The only interesting bit in it for me was the fact that it was based near where I grew up so I could place the "action".
Big font, widely spaced short book.

over to you