A Slow Fire Burning – Paula Hawkins

A book with a map always appeals. In this case it is Islington area of London, around the Regent’s Canal on which two boats of interest are moored – Miriam’s and Daniels’s. Close by are the houses of Carla and Theo, ex-partners but still semi-attached. Further away are Irene’s house and Laura’s high-rise flat.

Six characters in search of a story, and Paula Hawkins serves up satisfying tale of murder, mischief, mix-ups, and manipulation.

Daniel has a fling with Laura and ends up dead. Miriam discovers the body, pockets some evidence, and calls the police. She has a longstanding grudge against Theo and sees this as an opportunity for mischief – as Daniel is Carla’s (that’s Theo’s ex – keep up) beloved nephew. Daniel’s mother, Carla’s sister, Angela, is recently deceased. There have been years of bad blood between the sisters since the death of Carla’s infant son while in Angela’s care. As for Irene – she is (or was) Angela’s next door neighbour and is now reliant on high-rise Laura for company and assistance. And by the way, Laura has issues and should not be relied on for anything.

Throw in two police detectives, Chalmers and Barker, bring in some tasty back stories, and sit back and enjoy the relationships unfold, the murderer being unmasked, and the righting of a long buried injustice.

A Tidy Ending – Joanna Cannon

It starts with Linda, the narrator, speaking from some sort of institution, a day centre maybe. She describes herself as someone ordinary, nondescript, who keeps herself to herself. Where she is, why and how she got there, is the narrative hook to be unravelled.

The main narrative goes back six weeks to the discovery locally of the body of a young woman. Linda discusses the murder with her husband, Terry, and her mother, who lives nearby. There is no father; he died when Linda was a child in far off Wales, his death following a scandal for which Linda feels partly responsible. She has not trusted the police since.

Linda’s life goes on inconsequentially against the background of the murder investigation, but she is distracted by some post, specifically catalogues, that arrive at her house addressed to a Rebecca Finch. The catalogues hint at a lifestyle she can only aspire to – elegant clothing and clean-lined interior décor. An obsession develops. She feels a connection, and a compulsion to meet and befriend to Rebecca Finch.

The three storylines – the childhood scandal, the murder inquiry, and the search for Rebecca Finch – move forward sporadically but without really gelling together. And I am not sure if everything was resolved in the end, but by then I was not bothered much. Maybe the title was meant to be ironic.

For me, the storylines failed to convince, and none of the characters appealed, which is a disappointment given Joanna Cannon’s enjoyable other work.

An Officer and a Spy – Robert Harris

Major Georges Picquart has only a peripheral role in the arrest, trial, and ritual degradation of Alfred Dreyfus, a captain in the French army exposed as a German spy. Dreyfus’s protestations of innocence are useless, not helped by the fact he is Jewish, and antisemitism is rife. His punishment is incarceration for life on Devil’s Island where he is the sole prisoner.

Six months later, Picquart is promoted to colonel and put in command of the ‘Statistical Section’ - a euphonism for the military intelligence service – the people who put Dreyfus away. Picquart is not welcomed by open arms, and when a new case of spying throws up evidence that casts doubt on the Dreyfus conviction, his attempt to re-investigate is undermined by his staff and shut down by the powers that be.

Over time, the evidence mounts, and Picquart is convinced not only have they court-martialled the wrong man, but also the real spy is still out there operating within the army. What is more, he thinks the section know that but are engaged in a cover-up to protect careers and reputations. But public unease is swelling too, with the likes of Emile Zola trumpeting the miscarriage of justice.

He has a choice to make. To serve justice and free an innocent man, he would have to defy orders, end his own career, and plunge the army into a leaderless crisis when war may be threatening.

Robert Harris tells this true story with precision and utmost clarity, instilling drama into what could have been a dry tale of sifting evidence and courtroom tactics. There is even a duel to be fought.

An interesting, informative, and satisfyingly enjoyable read.

Burning Questions – Margaret Atwood

This collection of Margaret Atwood’s non-fiction pieces covers the years 2004 to 2021 and includes essays, memoirs, lectures, introductions, biographies, and reviews.

The subjects vary but some themes re-occur as ones close to her heart and mind: the natural world and the damage being wreaked on it; feminism and its evolution; and of course writing and literature.

The first two of these themes necessarily impinges on politics, and as a Canadian looking south in trepidation, events in the USA loom large.

On home turf of writing, various pieces give insights into her early influences and her most significant works, including The Handmaid’s Tale and the Oryx and Crake trilogy.

Whatever the subject she turns her hand to, the outcome is a well crafted piece of writing with a sharpness of focus, a sprinkling of wry humour, and a point to be made.