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Following the Wake
When the story of his father's death resurfaces after his stepfather, a former detective, writes a best-selling crime novel that thrusts the family into the spotlight, Gil sets out to find the truth, an obsession that has haunted him since he was eight-years-old. Original.
304 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 2002
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
July 6, 2023
This is the most gobsmackingly stupid, boring and pointless book I've ever read in my life.
Gil Hollings (or Sweeney, or Recaldo) wants to know the truth about his birth father's death ten years ago. Val was an abusive asshole who beat Gil and his mother Cressida, and who died shortly before being found guilty of murdering Evangeline Walter, his one-time lover. Meanwhile, Cressida and her husband Frank, who investigated Evangeline's murder back then, do...stuff. Seriously, their relationship is the most banal you will ever read about.
I didn't understand why Gil was so bent on learning about what happened. Apparently he and Cressida suffered the fallout of being associated with Val...but how? Gil demonstrates he is able to look after himself in places far away, using a different name. He has no reason to be doing what he's doing! I couldn't really figure out anybody's motivations for the astoundingly mundane things they did. Probably because I didn't care. The characters were all boring and uninteresting and unsympathetic.
There's some subplot involving a journalist looking into artists and then unsolved murders and zzzz...because we only know this character through emails!!! WHY ARE WE SUPPOSED TO CARE???
Is it well written? I don't know. There was A LOT of info-dumping. Lots of description. But as I have said before, pretty flowery descriptions don't do a whole lot for me. I like good characters in interesting plots. Pretty descriptions of locations means sweet fuck all if nothing at all is happening in that location.
The website Fantastic Fiction shows that Gemma O'Connor didn't publish another book after this one (which is actually a continuation of another of her books.) If this appalling piece of boring shit is anything to go by, there is some justice in this world.
A complete waste of time. Avoid.
Gil Hollings (or Sweeney, or Recaldo) wants to know the truth about his birth father's death ten years ago. Val was an abusive asshole who beat Gil and his mother Cressida, and who died shortly before being found guilty of murdering Evangeline Walter, his one-time lover. Meanwhile, Cressida and her husband Frank, who investigated Evangeline's murder back then, do...stuff. Seriously, their relationship is the most banal you will ever read about.
I didn't understand why Gil was so bent on learning about what happened. Apparently he and Cressida suffered the fallout of being associated with Val...but how? Gil demonstrates he is able to look after himself in places far away, using a different name. He has no reason to be doing what he's doing! I couldn't really figure out anybody's motivations for the astoundingly mundane things they did. Probably because I didn't care. The characters were all boring and uninteresting and unsympathetic.
There's some subplot involving a journalist looking into artists and then unsolved murders and zzzz...because we only know this character through emails!!! WHY ARE WE SUPPOSED TO CARE???
Is it well written? I don't know. There was A LOT of info-dumping. Lots of description. But as I have said before, pretty flowery descriptions don't do a whole lot for me. I like good characters in interesting plots. Pretty descriptions of locations means sweet fuck all if nothing at all is happening in that location.
The website Fantastic Fiction shows that Gemma O'Connor didn't publish another book after this one (which is actually a continuation of another of her books.) If this appalling piece of boring shit is anything to go by, there is some justice in this world.
A complete waste of time. Avoid.
February 27, 2014
Gemma O'Connor is one of Ireland's most popular mystery writers. She was born in Dublin, Ireland in 1940.Educated in both in Ireland and in France. She lived in Oxford, England where she worked as a bookbinder, a book restorer and also as a stewardess before she became a writer. In 1995 she published her first mystery story which became successful. This book, Following the Wake was written in 2002.
The book was book of the month in the book group I attend, run by author Evelyn Hood. I had never read anything by Gemma Collins before,
nor have I read anything she has written since! In this novel, a ten-year-old murder threatens more lives.
Former detective Frank Recaldo has taken to crime-writing and has married Cressida Sweeney. They have built a new life for themselves in Dublin, but Frank's growing fame threatens to cast light on their past.
Cressida's son, Gil is now 18.
He is obsessed with doubts about the drowning that kept his father from being tried for murder is determined to find out what really happened when he was just a small boy. His father supposedly drowned after being named the prime suspect in Evangeline's death. An old rotting house, hidden letters and the surfacing of long-buried memories threaten to turn Gil's world upside down.
However, it is a tenacious journalist, whilst digging up dirt for a series on unsolved murders, who brings the tale to a startling climax. To fully appreciate the complexity of this book, I believe readers should read the series, of which this book forms part, in sequence.
I did not. Possibly as a result of this, I had trouble relating to the characters and following the rather jumpy narrative. Also, I just did not really find the characters particularly interesting. The constant switches between first and third person in the narration were a bit confusing too. The style of writing was not really to my taste and I would not seek out this author again.
The book was book of the month in the book group I attend, run by author Evelyn Hood. I had never read anything by Gemma Collins before,
nor have I read anything she has written since! In this novel, a ten-year-old murder threatens more lives.
Former detective Frank Recaldo has taken to crime-writing and has married Cressida Sweeney. They have built a new life for themselves in Dublin, but Frank's growing fame threatens to cast light on their past.
Cressida's son, Gil is now 18.
He is obsessed with doubts about the drowning that kept his father from being tried for murder is determined to find out what really happened when he was just a small boy. His father supposedly drowned after being named the prime suspect in Evangeline's death. An old rotting house, hidden letters and the surfacing of long-buried memories threaten to turn Gil's world upside down.
However, it is a tenacious journalist, whilst digging up dirt for a series on unsolved murders, who brings the tale to a startling climax. To fully appreciate the complexity of this book, I believe readers should read the series, of which this book forms part, in sequence.
I did not. Possibly as a result of this, I had trouble relating to the characters and following the rather jumpy narrative. Also, I just did not really find the characters particularly interesting. The constant switches between first and third person in the narration were a bit confusing too. The style of writing was not really to my taste and I would not seek out this author again.
March 18, 2014
Despite the fact I haven't read any of O'Connor's books for years and this is a sequel to Walking on water which I read so long ago, this was east to get into and cleverly executed with regard to time frames. Gil Sweeny is an inept yet personable protagonist.
December 14, 2011
Not bad, but I just didn't find the characters particularly interesting. The constant switches between 1st and 3rd person narration were somewhat confusing.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews