In a quiet suburban house, Patrick is making his final plans. A meticulous man, he makes sure of every preparation, down to the last detail. Some last reflections, and then he says goodbye to his wife, the world, and his life. It's horribly sad. At work in her shop, his wife Diana is fending off yet another phone call about her ageing and ailing mother, who needs extricating from yet another accident. It will be a while before Diana realises what Patrick has done.
| Nowhere Man by Deborah Stone | |
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| Category: General Fiction | |
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Reviewer: Jill Murphy
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| Summary: A cleverly plotted psychological thriller about families, betrayal, and resolution. | |
| Buy? Yes | Borrow? Yes |
| Pages: 329 | Date: October 2024 |
| Publisher: Independently Published | |
| ISBN: 979-8338511510 | |
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Elsewhere, Angie is fretting over her husband Ray, who has a government job shrouded in secrecy and who works away from home a lot. He's not good at keeping in touch and while Angie doesn't mind too much for herself, she does worry about the effect Ray's extended absences have on their teenage son Ben, who misses him terribly and takes it out on his mother. So when Ray informs Angie that this latest absence is likely to be extended, she worries even more.
These two families are connected. But how? Deborah Stone gradually builds the narrative of this psychological thriller as, bit by bit, Diana and Angie fill in the blanks of their lives until they collide in a whirlwind of deceit and betrayal.
I've read several of Stone's novels and have yet to be disappointed. Nowhere Man is no different. This story is a classic psychological thriller in terms of plot and pace, both of which Stone does very well albeit with no surprises in structure or tropes - there are twists and turns, clues and red herrings, goodies and baddies and plenty of conflicted characters with secrets in their pasts. Fans of this genre will find it very satisfying.
It's a brave writer who opens a novel with a suicide and doesn't sensationalise it. And for me, this is what stands out about Stone as a writer - her deep and empathetic understanding of families and their dynamics. Families can be the sources of the most painful betrayals but they can also be the foundations of the most deep and meaningful relationships and fulfilment human beings can experience. And sometimes they're the source of both. Stone writes about families in a way we can all recognise and this, for me, is what makes her stories so absorbing; this is why I felt deeply involved in Nowhere Man from the very first chapter.
If I had a quibble, it would be that the final chapters feel just a little bit rushed. If you like a thriller that builds and builds to a page-turning climax, you won't mind this at all. But I'd have liked a bit more internal resolution for characters I'd got to know so well. It's a tiny quibble though. If you enjoy thrillers with characters with deep and interesting inner lives, Nowhere Man is one for you. And if it appeals, you could follow up with Semi-Detached, also by Stone.
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You can read more book reviews or buy Nowhere Man by Deborah Stone at Amazon.co.uk Amazon currently charges £2.99 for standard delivery for orders under £20, over which delivery is free.
You can read more book reviews or buy Nowhere Man by Deborah Stone at Amazon.com.
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