The Lost Swimmer by Ann Turner
Your boss is out to sabotage your career, your husband's having an affair, someone's trying to frame you for fraud and your dog is out of control around the friendly neighbourhood Kangaroos. It would be a lot to handle for anyone, let alone university lecturer Rebecca who is somewhat less confident that her outward persona would suggest. But there's just that slight issue of how much of it is actually factual. The signs seem to suggest some or all of this to be true, but signs can be wrong, obscured with dirt or sometimes pointing the wrong way.
| The Lost Swimmer by Ann Turner | |
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| Category: Thrillers | |
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Reviewer: Zoe Morris
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| Summary: An intriguing mystery, Rebecca has a lot of drama in her life but how much is in the here and now, and how much is just ancient history? | |
| Buy? Yes | Borrow? Yes |
| Pages: 368 | Date: July 2016 |
| Publisher: Simon & Schuster UK | |
| External links: Author's website | |
| ISBN: 978-1471153082 | |
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This book has a lovely shiny cover, and a deep dark story underneath. Rebecca's life is crumbling, much like the sites she studies as an archaeologist. Her once idyllic home life, loving husband, two great kids and a boisterous dog, is slipping away. The kids are growing up and she fears she and Stephen are growing apart. An upcoming trip to Europe may be just what she needs to reconnect with her work and with her partner, but with disciplinary proceedings hanging over her head it's not going to be the wonderful stress free trip she is hoping for.
This book is quite slow to get going and there's a lot of back story being filled in. Many characters make fleeting appearances but it's hard to know what and who to pay attention to. Quite soon, though, it settles into a steady rhythm and once Stephen and Rebecca are on the plane things really take off. The title comes from the fact that during the story Stephen goes for a swim off the Italian coast and does not return. Rebecca is distraught but when foul play is suspected, the attention turns to her. The book is half finished before this happens, but the story has already started, albeit down a different track from what I originally suspected.
There are some great feature points in this story, from Rebecca's archaeological finds to her old friends in the field. These friends, scattered across Greece and Italy, come in quite handy when disaster strikes. She's a long way from Australia so it's nice to have some friends on whom she can call. When we get onto Guido that seems a little too convenient, but you have to allow for some artistic licence.
There are so many subplots in this story that it's a joy to read because whatever you predict as you turn the pages, it won't be the whole story. There is a lot going on (after that first chapter at least) and it made my head spin in the same way it must have made Rebecca's. It was a very enjoyable and imaginative read, and that little bit different.
I'd like to thank the publishers for supplying this book. For another fabulous Australian novelist, you must see The Last Anniversary by Liane Moriarty. While, for international mysteries, Stranded by Emily Barr is excellent.
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You can read more book reviews or buy The Lost Swimmer by Ann Turner 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 The Lost Swimmer by Ann Turner at Amazon.com.
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