You South Africa – 29 August 2019

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JOECOUNTRY

By MICK HERRON
John Murray
This is Herron’s sixth JacksonLamb
novel. In it he takes an unconvention-
al look at espionage in the Brexit
age. Lamb is the spy boss of Slough
House, a decrepit London building
where MI5 spies who’ve fallenout
of favour are banished.
Fat and untidy, he rules jealously
over his bunch of misfits. He’san
unsavoury character who smokes,
drinks and farts and mostly sitswithhisstockingedfeet– withplenty
of holes in them – on his desk.Buthismindisrazorsharp.
His team mostly does mind-numbinglyboringworkuntilLouisa
Guy, one of his staff members,iscontactedbyClare,thewidowofMin
Harper, Louisa’s former colleagueandlover.ClareasksLouisatofind
her missing 17-year-old son. ThisspursLouisaintoaction,a search
that turns into a deadly game.
Anybody who reads Joe Countryexpectinga paceyandsophisticated
thriller along the lines of JamesBondwillbesorelydisappointed.But
on the other hand, if you like bumblingspiesanddarkhumour,thisone
might just be up your alley. – ANDRÉJ BRINK

ANEARLYNORMALFAMILY

By MT EDVARDSSON

Macmillan

They were a perfectly normal family.

Father Adam Sandell, a former athe-

ist, is now a respected pastor; mother

Ulrika is a criminal defence lawyer,

while 18-year-old Stella is your typical

rebellious teenager. But then police

arrive at their home and everything

changes. Stella, they’re told, has been

arrested for the brutal murder of a man almost 15 years older than

herself.

It’s difficult to categorise A Nearly Normal Family. Is it a legal

thriller, a family drama or a whodunnit? Maybe it’s best just to say

it’s a good, intriguing and gripping read.

It’s told in three parts: one narrated by Adam, one by Ulrika, and

one by Stella. Each part gives the reader a different perspective on

the murder and the effect it’s having on the three main characters.

It forces the reader to consider a universal question: how far

would you go to protect your loves ones? Would you lie if you’re

a God-fearing pastor? Would you commit perjury and destroy

evidence if you’re a lawyer?

Adam and Ulrika find their moral compasses severely tested,

while Stella plays her own devious game. – ANDRÉ J BRINK

THEPUNISHMENT

SHEDESERVES

By ELIZABETH GEORGE

Viking

The eagerly awaited 20th book in the

Lynley mysteries is a confirmation of

George’s skill as a writer. Once again

Scotland Yard’s Detective Inspector

Thomas Lynley and Sergeant Barbara

Havers team up, this time to investi-

gate the apparent suicide of the son

of a wealthy brewery owner in the

mediaeval market town of Ludlow

in Shropshire, England.

At first Havers accompanies

Detective Chief Superintendent

IsabelleArderytoLudlowtoconfirm whether correct procedures

were followed in the investigation. Havers must tread carefully as

Ardery is set on having her dismissed for her bouts of independence

and disregard for procedure. But despite having the critical eye of

her superior on her, Havers finds several aspects of the case suspi-

cious, and convinces her old ally, Lynley, to go back to Ludlow to

allay further doubts.

There’s a lot here to delight fans of the series as well as enough

references to the detectives’ backstory for new readers, who can

jump right in without having read any of the previous books.

Fans of classic mystery novels should thoroughly enjoy this

Agatha Christie-style whodunnit. – MARINA VISSER

THE TRUTHS AND TRIUMPHS

OFGRACEATHERTON

By ANSTEY HARRIS

Simon & Schuster

Grace is content to live a sheltered

life, making violins and cellos in the

shop she runs. She lives for David,

her partner of nearly a decade, and

all her life choices revolve around

keeping him happy.

Few others get close to Grace

thanks to the many secrets she

harbours from her past. They haunt

her to such an extent that she

becomes com pletely crippled

in certain social situations.

But then something happens that

rips her world apart and Grace will

never be the same again. As she

tries to pick up the pieces of her life, she discovers new friendships with

old acquaintances, with heartwarming results.

At first Grace can come across as irksome but this lessens as you

learn more about her past. It’s the two supporting characters – a smart,

sassy teenager and a gentle old man – who make her shine though.

This book has been recommended for fans of Eleanor Oliphant Is

Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman. Though I don’t agree that this is on

the same level, it’s still a good choice if you like stories about triumph

after tragedy. – CHARLENE ROLLS

you.co.za 29 AUGUST 2019 | (^61)