Ghostheart by
Roger Jon Ellory
hbk out February 04
Published by Orion
at £7.99
This book follows the author's successful debut Candlemoth and is another deep
study of personalities, far removed from the genre of thrillers or police procedurals.
As with the previous book, it is intriguing to wonder why an author who lives in
England's West Midlands should write so totally an American novel, with such an
effortless portrayal of life in that country.
Ghostheart is a story of long-term, cold-blooded revenge sited in New York City.
The lead character is Annie O'Neill, a youngish woman who keeps an obscure
bookshop she inherited from her father. It is in a shabby side-street in Manhattan's
Upper East Side and seems more a place for lonely people to come and browse than
a thriving business.
One day an elderly man comes in and tells here that he knew her father, who has
been dead for twenty years - her mother dying some time later. Annie is intrigued
and wants to hear more about her distantly-remembered father. The visitor, Robert
Forrester, also has a letter written to her mother by her father. He tells her that when
her father had the shop, he ran a small reading club, of which he was a member.
Then he produces a half finished manuscript, saying it was written by another man
who had been in this club - and he invites her to read it. It turns out to be the story
of a boy who was born in Auschwitz, came to the US and eventually rises to be a
gang boss. Annie, usually a solitary person, then becomes involved with another
man, David, and from there we must leave the somewhat tortuous plot to keep the
secrets intact.
Well-written, this is a crime novel only in the broadest sense of the word - and
perhaps it was not meant to be classed as such. It is a book for those who enjoy
exploring the psyches and motivation of other people, rather than deeds of derring-
do. Personally, I found it a little heavy going for an escapist read, but thankfully
readers come in all shapes, sizes and preferences.
(
Bernard Knight
ex Home Office Pathologist and author of the highly acclaimed Crowner John series)
Ghostheart by
Roger Jon Ellory
