Book Review #43
Hunters in the Dark
by Lawrence Osborne
A twisty, suspenseful tale of stolen identities, betrayal and karmic justice. This is the third novel by Lawrence Osborne that I've read and as with "The Forgiven" (excellent) and "The Ballad of a Small Player" (very good) it, too, is convincingly atmospheric and imbued with a sense of dread, though I often found the language in this latest novel heavy-handed, with too many descriptions and forebodings of death and decay. To cite two examples, Robert's last name is Grieve and his driver is Mr. Deth. Also, it is nearly always dark and rainy; the Cambodian temples are in ruins; the foliage is rotting; and the various denizens are mostly sinister, corrupt and predatory. All of this becomes a bit much after awhile. But what really put me off was the book's sloppy editing. Simon's last name is Beauchamp. But the first time we see it in print, it is spelled Beaucamp. Later, when Simon appropriates Robert's identity, he refers to himself as Robert O'Grieve. Why? Where did the "O" come from? But what really disturbed me -- and I read these passages over and over -- was when Dr. Sars meets Robert for the first time, he addresses him as Robert -- but when the young man arrives for dinner at his home, he greets him as Simon. I found this maddening and distracting, and it hindered my enjoyment of an otherwise dark and intriguing tale of deception and karmic destiny.
by Lawrence Osborne
A twisty, suspenseful tale of stolen identities, betrayal and karmic justice. This is the third novel by Lawrence Osborne that I've read and as with "The Forgiven" (excellent) and "The Ballad of a Small Player" (very good) it, too, is convincingly atmospheric and imbued with a sense of dread, though I often found the language in this latest novel heavy-handed, with too many descriptions and forebodings of death and decay. To cite two examples, Robert's last name is Grieve and his driver is Mr. Deth. Also, it is nearly always dark and rainy; the Cambodian temples are in ruins; the foliage is rotting; and the various denizens are mostly sinister, corrupt and predatory. All of this becomes a bit much after awhile. But what really put me off was the book's sloppy editing. Simon's last name is Beauchamp. But the first time we see it in print, it is spelled Beaucamp. Later, when Simon appropriates Robert's identity, he refers to himself as Robert O'Grieve. Why? Where did the "O" come from? But what really disturbed me -- and I read these passages over and over -- was when Dr. Sars meets Robert for the first time, he addresses him as Robert -- but when the young man arrives for dinner at his home, he greets him as Simon. I found this maddening and distracting, and it hindered my enjoyment of an otherwise dark and intriguing tale of deception and karmic destiny.
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