A ‘slow-burn’ read laced with 90s nostalgia

Incandescence by Tracey-Anne Forbes

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Intrigued by the back-cover blurb, which suggests a fast-paced crime thriller, I was (pleasantly) surprised to delve into a tale that is literary rather than pulp fiction. The settings are exotic and lush: a twelfth-century castle in the Massif Central of France, the snaking roads around the east coast of Spain, romantic Paris.

The story is classic ‘road-trip’: a clapped-out campervan with two young Australian women (and a baby), tracking down their target in an attempt to wreak justice. It is a bitterly-cold Christmas in the early 1990s, before the establishment of the EU, before the introduction of a common European currency, before mobile phones and satnavs. Most of the camping places are closed. Travelling with a young baby has its difficulties. There are many obstacles along the way, and also a touch of romance.

But, be warned, this is no half-baked ‘who-dunnit’ that you can rip through in a few hours. The narrative unfolds in its own sweet time. ‘Incandescence’ is a slow-burn read, laced with 90s nostalgia and a satisfying resolution.



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