REVIEW: Eye for an Eye, Frank Muir
By Kat Robinson
Monday 28th September 2009
‘One psychopath. One killer. The Stabber. Six victims. Six wife abusers. Each stabbed to death through their left eye’
Thus reads the blurb of Frank Muir’s Eye for an Eye, the debut of the DI Andy Gilchrist crime series. As the rather staccato summation suggests, the novel is a hard-hitting investigation into a serial murderer loose in St Andrews; we follow the (rather fanciable) Detective Gilchrist as he tries to link the murders, before he is turned off the case for failure to apprehend the culprit. All the while, the narrative is interspersed with italicised thought processes and reminiscing of the killer who is clearly on the brink of mental collapse, the unstable behaviours of Sebastian Hamilton and Hamilton’s current obsession- Beth. Despite being dismissed, Gilchrist’s dogged determination leads to some very Quincy style scenes of questioning as he attempts to redeem himself and catch the Stabber singlehandedly. As the plot unfolds we run in to a host of local residents including Old Willie- the Whey Pat Godfather, Lex Garvie and her lesbian gang and an old decorator, Sam, who gets paid to watch his friend expose himself at him. It seems Muir is familiar with the calibre of eccentric citizens that inhabit our fair town. The plot is quickly accelerated as the Stabber informs us of his intent to strike again, and Gilchrist races against time to piece together the significance of the left eye and the signs of a killer in the attempt to stop the chain of killings.
The List daubed the novel as ‘a book which seeks to play with the readers expectations of what a crime novel is supposed to be’, and certainly, the notion of St Andrews as a setting for a serial killer could be questionable. Inevitable comparisons to Iain Rankin’s capital city setting might suggest that such a small town would be unlikely to allow such a series of attacks without sightings or clear evidence. Credit is thus due for Muir’s ability to soundly create such a scenario and pass it off as believable, especially to those familiar with the town. Indeed, despite my slightly tongue in cheek character profiles, the characterisation, too, is highly engaging, as Gilchrist is made more three dimensional in his flaws and family problems, and the psychosis of the killer (which had the potential to seem comedic) was downright chilling.
The single criticism would be the obvious ending that became apparent about 30 pages too early, though arguably the author may want to give one a sense of satisfaction at working out the killer before the grand unmasking.
Overall, however, the stealthy pace, pithy dialogue and haggard yet lovable Gilchrist made the novel a pleasure to read. The author Frank Muir claims to have had as many different jobs ‘as the River Clyde has bends’, and it seems his late arrival into writing has revealed his true calling as he currently finalises work on the next instalment of the Gilchrist crime series ‘Hand for a Hand’ due to be published this year.
Monday 28th September 2009
‘One psychopath. One killer. The Stabber. Six victims. Six wife abusers. Each stabbed to death through their left eye’
Thus reads the blurb of Frank Muir’s Eye for an Eye, the debut of the DI Andy Gilchrist crime series. As the rather staccato summation suggests, the novel is a hard-hitting investigation into a serial murderer loose in St Andrews; we follow the (rather fanciable) Detective Gilchrist as he tries to link the murders, before he is turned off the case for failure to apprehend the culprit. All the while, the narrative is interspersed with italicised thought processes and reminiscing of the killer who is clearly on the brink of mental collapse, the unstable behaviours of Sebastian Hamilton and Hamilton’s current obsession- Beth. Despite being dismissed, Gilchrist’s dogged determination leads to some very Quincy style scenes of questioning as he attempts to redeem himself and catch the Stabber singlehandedly. As the plot unfolds we run in to a host of local residents including Old Willie- the Whey Pat Godfather, Lex Garvie and her lesbian gang and an old decorator, Sam, who gets paid to watch his friend expose himself at him. It seems Muir is familiar with the calibre of eccentric citizens that inhabit our fair town. The plot is quickly accelerated as the Stabber informs us of his intent to strike again, and Gilchrist races against time to piece together the significance of the left eye and the signs of a killer in the attempt to stop the chain of killings.
The List daubed the novel as ‘a book which seeks to play with the readers expectations of what a crime novel is supposed to be’, and certainly, the notion of St Andrews as a setting for a serial killer could be questionable. Inevitable comparisons to Iain Rankin’s capital city setting might suggest that such a small town would be unlikely to allow such a series of attacks without sightings or clear evidence. Credit is thus due for Muir’s ability to soundly create such a scenario and pass it off as believable, especially to those familiar with the town. Indeed, despite my slightly tongue in cheek character profiles, the characterisation, too, is highly engaging, as Gilchrist is made more three dimensional in his flaws and family problems, and the psychosis of the killer (which had the potential to seem comedic) was downright chilling.
The single criticism would be the obvious ending that became apparent about 30 pages too early, though arguably the author may want to give one a sense of satisfaction at working out the killer before the grand unmasking.
Overall, however, the stealthy pace, pithy dialogue and haggard yet lovable Gilchrist made the novel a pleasure to read. The author Frank Muir claims to have had as many different jobs ‘as the River Clyde has bends’, and it seems his late arrival into writing has revealed his true calling as he currently finalises work on the next instalment of the Gilchrist crime series ‘Hand for a Hand’ due to be published this year.
REVIEW: Banquet for the Damned, Adam Nevill
By Kat Robinson
Monday 28th September 2009
Anyone who has ever set foot in St Andrews can attest to the atmosphere of antiquity and magic that seems to settle over every spire and wynd. In his self branded ‘occult thriller’, Adam Nevill, a graduate of the university, shows us a St Andrews in which the supernatural past has been unleashed in the present; a faceless night terror lurks in the shadows, resurrected by a paranormal group headed by the eccentric Professor Coldwell. Dante Shaw, a failed musician, travels to St Andrews to meet the Professor hoping his hero can help inspire his comeback album. Meanwhile, Hart Miller, an anthropologist and explorer has been interviewing students who complain of highly vivid nightmares, and begins to connect student disappearances with these night disturbances. Soon both Dante and Hart become the prey of the group and their creature, and join together to combat the ancient evil as it begins to seek its revenge on the town.
Sounds exciting, eh? The above summary would suggest so, and as one who has been pining for the town since her departure in May I couldn’t believe my luck to be reading what appeared to be a conglomeration of my two favourite things- St Andrews and a fantastical storyline. In the interests of being diplomatic I will assign credit where it is due. Adam Nevill beautifully captures the atmosphere of a town he clearly loves, as you can almost smell the musty aroma of academia and feel the energy that seems to lurk under the heavy stonework. Unfortunately Nevill’s descriptive passages can often extend over four or five pages, to the point where one can feel interest ebbing as they will the pace to accelerate toward any key plot development. Often we find ourselves staring out a window with a character, or rolling over in bed with them, as the author gets caught up in needless details. Perhaps due to his laborious description, one often has to reread sentences due to confusing syntax, and sometimes stop completely to truly appreciate the bizarre nature of descriptions, such as ‘Kerry’s long blue eyes’. Pardon?
Nevill’s characterisation is also ‘interesting’, with the protagonists being stereotypical and incongruous to the point of amusement. Nevill is clearly trying to give us anti-heros and he succeeds. Dante and his friend Tom seem to be having the equivalent of Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure: St Andrews style. They stamp around in glam rock leather, calling one another ‘Man’, and punching fists at all available opportunities. Similarly Hart Miller seems like a specimen of man half way through his Ascent, described as squat, with small hands and covered in hair. I have to say that it was the comic value of the characters that made me continue reading, though I am pretty sure Nevill had no comedic intent when writing them.
If I were using a rating system I would give the book a six out of ten, as I did quite enjoy it, but probably for all the wrong reasons. I laughed at the ridiculous characters, and found some descriptions of the town very heartwarming, but found the sparse dialogue and slow pace difficult to wade through.
Monday 28th September 2009
Anyone who has ever set foot in St Andrews can attest to the atmosphere of antiquity and magic that seems to settle over every spire and wynd. In his self branded ‘occult thriller’, Adam Nevill, a graduate of the university, shows us a St Andrews in which the supernatural past has been unleashed in the present; a faceless night terror lurks in the shadows, resurrected by a paranormal group headed by the eccentric Professor Coldwell. Dante Shaw, a failed musician, travels to St Andrews to meet the Professor hoping his hero can help inspire his comeback album. Meanwhile, Hart Miller, an anthropologist and explorer has been interviewing students who complain of highly vivid nightmares, and begins to connect student disappearances with these night disturbances. Soon both Dante and Hart become the prey of the group and their creature, and join together to combat the ancient evil as it begins to seek its revenge on the town.
Sounds exciting, eh? The above summary would suggest so, and as one who has been pining for the town since her departure in May I couldn’t believe my luck to be reading what appeared to be a conglomeration of my two favourite things- St Andrews and a fantastical storyline. In the interests of being diplomatic I will assign credit where it is due. Adam Nevill beautifully captures the atmosphere of a town he clearly loves, as you can almost smell the musty aroma of academia and feel the energy that seems to lurk under the heavy stonework. Unfortunately Nevill’s descriptive passages can often extend over four or five pages, to the point where one can feel interest ebbing as they will the pace to accelerate toward any key plot development. Often we find ourselves staring out a window with a character, or rolling over in bed with them, as the author gets caught up in needless details. Perhaps due to his laborious description, one often has to reread sentences due to confusing syntax, and sometimes stop completely to truly appreciate the bizarre nature of descriptions, such as ‘Kerry’s long blue eyes’. Pardon?
Nevill’s characterisation is also ‘interesting’, with the protagonists being stereotypical and incongruous to the point of amusement. Nevill is clearly trying to give us anti-heros and he succeeds. Dante and his friend Tom seem to be having the equivalent of Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure: St Andrews style. They stamp around in glam rock leather, calling one another ‘Man’, and punching fists at all available opportunities. Similarly Hart Miller seems like a specimen of man half way through his Ascent, described as squat, with small hands and covered in hair. I have to say that it was the comic value of the characters that made me continue reading, though I am pretty sure Nevill had no comedic intent when writing them.
If I were using a rating system I would give the book a six out of ten, as I did quite enjoy it, but probably for all the wrong reasons. I laughed at the ridiculous characters, and found some descriptions of the town very heartwarming, but found the sparse dialogue and slow pace difficult to wade through.
