Antwerp by
Nicholas Royle
pbk out June 04
(Serpent's Tail)
at £10
Antwerp is a literary thriller rich in references to European film and art with a strong
narrative. The book is dominated by a vision of Belgium as 'this small, fraught,
misunderstood country, its psyche tormented by social fracture and frustrated
dreams'. This is a place haunted by the spectre of Marc Dutroux: the killer who held
young girls underground, raping and torturing them before killing them, and of the
appalling failure of the police to apprehend him and save lives.
English film critic
Frank Warner is trying to write a piece on cult film director Johnny Vos. Vos's latest
production is a biopic about Belgian surrealist artist Paul Delvaux. Vos hires extras
from the red-light district and when two of these women are murdered Warner turns
investigative journalist. The abduction of Warner's girlfriend Siān piles on the
pressure and in a state where there is no longer any faith in the ability of the police to
act effectively, Warner knows his own frantic attempts to find and save her are Siān's
only hope.
A stylish, contemporary story, refreshingly different but still accessible. Pleasing wry
humour in the account of Warner's relationship with Siān. Manchester born Royle, a
Professor of English, is a prolific short story writer, has edited many anthologies and
has also written four previous novels.
Manchester Evening News 3/7/04
(
Cath Staincliffe
author of the popular Sal Kilkenny mysteries set on the mean streets of Manchester)
Antwerp by
Nicholas Royle
