Bluebird has the blues

-

 

Bluebird, Bluebird

Attica Locke

320 pages, published September 12, 2017

Darren Matthews has problems, his career as a Texas Ranger, his marriage and his personal life is on the precipice of crashing spectacularly.  While suspended, Matthews is given the opportunity by a colleague to look into the suspicious deaths of a black lawyer and a local white woman in the small town of Lark, in Shelby County. Matthews's investigation opens up old wounds, further festers existing wounds and has him questioning all he knows.  

As I finished the last words of this novel, I was just in awe. Locke has put down on the page a story and characters that are beautifully realised. I was completely taken back by the prose, the descriptions, the characters, the plotting, it was quite simply a master class.  The topics that Locke covers are deftly done; you fully understand the complexity that all the characters find themselves in.  

What starts as a go down, have a look around, see what you can find, quickly turns into a labyrinth of lies, hatred and personal doubts. It is really hard to explain just how sublime the layers of density are and how you are seamlessly woven into the chaos.   

Darren Matthews, is a character that leaps off the page, he is fully formed and completely flawed. He is a man struggling on so many levels.  You become quite engaged in how Darren tries to navigate each situation that he faces.  

Look through a whole heap of superlatives down on the page because this is one great story. Really keen to see where it goes next.  

Check out Attica Locke's webpage for more information. 

 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Been some time

-
Image
Well being ill did not stop the reading but did stop all the posting. I managed to keep my goodreads reviews going but could barely find the energy to update here.  A list of what I made my way through is here . I did finish 72 books and my favourite was Helen Garner's 'Everywhere I look'. I did think 'The Girl on the Train' was a bit over hyped and I am not sure why it received so much attention.  So this year I am planning on making my way through 60 books. I am aiming to be more adventurous and look to read authors from outside my comfort zone.  There is a second hand book store near my parents and they certainly sell some stuff cheap. I managed to pick up some classic Australian reads for $1 and 'All the light we cannot see' by Anthony Doerr for $4 and the first book I have read for 2017.  This book really surprised me, really surprised me. I had put reading this book off for some time as to be honest I was really not ready for another World W...
Read more

Paranormal murder done by a master of the genre

-
Image
Into the Thinnest of Air (Ishmael Jones #5) by Simon R. Green Expected publication: March 1st 2018 by Severn House Publishers I have long been a fan of the works of Simon R Green having first stumbled across Blue Moon Rising in the late 90s. As a fantasy novel it was something completely different with some risqué humour and really interesting characters. Over the years whenever I have seen any of Green’s works on the book shelves in Australia I have grabbed them. So I was really excited when offered the opportunity to read Green’s latest work. Two investigators Ishmael Jones and his partner Penny are attending the re-opening of Tyrone Castle and are hoping for a nice normal weekend. However, when you are staying at a castle that has a history of being a smugglers den and scene for a mass poisoning things quickly go astray. As something sinister is abducting the guests the question is supernatural or human at work. Green never fails to create characters that are imperfect, funny...
Read more

Piles of Reading

-
Image
Been a tough couple of months and while the reading has continued the blogging has not. So this will be a massive catch up. For 2017 I read 60 books and for 2018 I am aiming for 55. City of Crows - Chris Womersley Set in France in 1673, the plague is sweeping across the populace. Charlotte has suffered the loss of her husband and three children. She is determined to protect her Nicolas and they seek sanctuary in Lyon. on their journey they are attacked, with Charlotte left to die and her son taken by slavers. She summons a man to assist recover her son and they travel to Paris. There is witchcraft involved and plain old self-serving individuals who make things difficult. I have to admit that it is difficult to find the words to convey my thoughts on this book. I enjoyed the rich details, the layers of French society and culture that is revealed. The characters are well crafted and carry their own emotional baggage. I was really immersed in the pages. Yet the ending left me beref...
Read more