Group Read -Under the Harrow Part 1 spoilers welcome

[Ann]

Under the Harrow: Part one Hunters. If the first to post could please briefly summarize to guide the discussion it will be appreciated. Spoilers welcome on this topic for part one of three.

[Sandi]

1-5
Our narrator is at a pub for lunch when she sees that a woman has disappeared and muses that her sister will think it was 'him'. She thinks she may discuss it with her sister but hopes it won't ruin their visit. On the train she watches the scenery go by and looks forward to the old farmhouse and remembers her sister commenting that she wants to raise goats though she already has a large German Shepard and thinks about their upcoming holiday to Cornwall where they visited in the summer and enjoyed. Her sister does not meet her at the station but has been a bit frayed by work and it is not really that unusual and she walks to the farmhouse where she notices her sister's car is in the drive. The house seems wrong though and she encounters a horrible scene though she is able to call for help on her mobile.

The police arrive and know that Rachel is her sister and her name is Nora which brings home the finality of Rachel's situation. While the DI drives her from the scene Nora imagines he is the culprit and will kill her next. They drive to the police station and the DI starts the interview with Nora. The DI establishes Nora is from London and she often comes up to visit. They go through Rachel's state of mind, old boyfriends, and then Nora states how Rachel was attacked when they were younger back in their home town of Snaith in Yorkshire. The police then drop Nora at the Hunters Inn since they want her to stay in the area.

Nora stays the night and is interviewed again the next day. The police inquire about her father and she says they are not in touch. The police ask when Rachel decided to move which is news to Nora and that why had she not been staying out her house. A Sgt. Lewis drops her back at the inn.

The inn is fairly empty and Nora has time to think about the town and take a carving knife for protection.

Nora goes and buys all the morning papers but Rachel is only in the local one. Nora informs her boss that she is be staying in the area to help the police and then goes walking to Rachel's house where she watches the search team. While walking Nora comes across an small clearing that looks like someone has been using to spy on Rachel's house. She calls in Sgt. Lewis and he takes her somewhere to eat where he informs her that Rachel's dog had been trained by a security firm in Bristol and wonders if Rachel ever said anything about needing protection.

[Sandi]

6-10

Nora remembers what happened the night Rachel was attacked. They went to a party, drank a bit, and Rachel decided to walk home the next morning.

Nora walks thru the town and comes across a man walking his dog. He states he is a plumber and just saw Rachel the morning of her death. Nora automatically suspects him and calls the DI. She then meets with a woman who asks her to tea but turns out to be a journalist.

Nora then encounters Sgt. Lewis who informs her that Rachel had visited a man in prison in Bristol who she thought may have been her attacker but it was not him.

Nora remembers the details of Rachel's attack fifteen years ago.

Nora feels what happened in Rachel's house did not fit with anything outside of it.

[Sandi]

11-15

The DI asks if Rachel was on medication for mental problems and while Rachel was not, Nora was.

Nora remembers Rachel at the hospital after her attack how badly she was hurt and how the police did not seem to investigate with much vigor.

Nora imagines how Rachel would have confronted the man at the prison who she thought attacked her. Nora meets with the police again and goes over the old attack and gives descriptions of the assailant. Nora claims surprise that Rachel was still looking for the attacker because she had told Nora she would stop looking 5 years ago.

Nora remembers how when Rachel was in the hospital they did not tell their Dad what happened. How Rachel bought a blackjack for protection and that they started going around to various towns looking for the perp.

Nora reads how the body of the missing woman is found and then meets the plumber at the newsagent's. She asks him to take her to get Rachel's car though she still suspects him. They get the car and then go get a drink at a bar where she accuses him of fancying Rachel. He leaves the bar.

[Sandi]

16-21

The police are done with the house and recommend Nora get a cleaning service. Nora goes over to house though before it is cleaned to go through everything.

Nora remembers their vacation in Cornwall.

Nora leaves the house and is stopped by a Priest who asks about the funeral arrangements. He volunteers to lead a secular service and they go into the church to plan. Nora calls Helen, Rachel's best friend who agrees to do the eulogy. Helen states Rachel stayed with her the previous week because Rachel's boiler was broken. People start to arrive in town for the service.

Nora notices the police at the funeral but her Dad does not show up. The journalist does show but is escorted out by a friend of Nora's. The man Rachel almost married is there and Nora wonders about his alibi.

Nora's friend asks her if she wants to hire a private investigator. Nora decides to sublet her place in London to stay near the investigation.

Nora goes back to London and remembers some of Rachel's less appealing qualities especially her temper and how she would get into actual fights. Nora cleans her apartment and goes back to the train station.

[Sandi]

I am listening to this on audio and, at first, I did not really like the narration but it is either gotten better or I have become used to her voice and style.

Not sure how I feel about Nora yet. Something seems a bit off with her though obviously walking in on that scene would be horrific.

[Ann]

Sandi: I agree, there is something subtle that is a bit off about Nora, obviously it was horrific to discover her sister and her sister's dog murdered, and the previous attack would be a natural memory to return to, so I thought perhaps it's shock.

[Ann]

Sandi: I thought the sense of time portrayed loosely based on Nora's memories and fears, and Nora's forgetting that she and Rachel would no longer do companionable things together the next time they met left both Nora and me unsettled and scared. (And very sad)

[Ann]

Jarmo
One of my favorite sayings sums that up, "your mileage may vary".
When you read a lot of thrillers then some will naturally rank lower; mood or other factors are also considerations and there is nothing wrong with disliking a book. Sometimes an audio narration pulls me into a book when I wouldn't bother with the print version. The narrator's voice for this one as I recall was oddly compelling to keep me listening and I had committed to the group read. ;)
Jarmo wrote: "Have read about 50 thrillers this year. Read Under the Harrow. It was Flynn Berry's first novel. Didn't make me jump. She has a lot to learn in writing. Part of the book was boring. Sorry! 🤔"

[Carol/Bonadie]

I am listening to this on CD and finding it a little hard to keep up with, not sure why. I found that I was missing some of the detail and am glad for Sandi's summaries, which have filled in what I missed.

I think part of it is the narration, part of it is that I'm liking less and less first person accounts where the narrator is closely involved with the murder victim. The whole mood of such a novel is sad and foreboding. Definitely suspenseful though.

[Carol/Bonadie]

I agree with you both that there is something off about Nora and I don't quite trust her but I can't say why. I also don't find real that she would start looking for the killer, again, can't say why. I think what I'm having some trouble with is I don't have much sense of who she is other than Rachel's sister.

I will definitely keep reading, however!

[Ann]

Carol: It is hard for me to put in words why Under the Harrow was hard to keep up with (and it was) but I did find it hooked me; the deep curiosity it engendered to know more about these sisters and the murder had me hooked in so I gave in and followed Nora's disjointed recollections of Rachel with Nora in happier times the best I could. It all seems a bit unreal or something.
And I had committed to the group read. ;)

Carol/Bonadie wrote: "I am listening to this on CD and finding it a little hard to keep up with, not sure why. I found that I was missing some of the detail and am glad for Sandi's summaries, which have filled in what I..."

[Ann]

Carol: Yes, another oddity is Nora's compulsion to investigate and unchecked by the police. I suppose my curiosity is piqued to get at another side of who Rachel was while seeing Nora almost disappear while her life is self described as 'Rachel and Nora', not just Nora.
Still not verbalizing it well.
Carol/Bonadie wrote: "I agree with you both that there is something off about Nora and I don't quite trust her but I can't say why. I also don't find real that she would start looking for the killer, again, can't say wh..."

[Sandi]

Carol/Bonadie wrote: " I think what I'm having some trouble with is I don't have much sense of who she is other than Rachel's sister.
..."

I agree. Even though Nora is the first person narrator I am having some disconnect with who she actually is. Everything seems to be based on how she interacted with Rachel.

I had some problems with the narration at first, but found, as I kept going, the flow got better. Part of it, I think, was the book's structure and the switching from the current events to Nora's recollections of Rachel.

[Carol/Bonadie]

Sandi wrote: "Carol/Bonadie wrote: " Part of it, I think, was the book's structure and the switching from the current events to Nora's recollections of Rachel.
..."

YES. I had the same trouble as with another recent listen, I can't remember which, where a new chapter began and i wondered if I'd skipped a track because it didn't flow from the end of the previous one. I would have been helped by following along with a print copy of the book, and I even had one, but the book moved so quickly I never got a chance to.

[Jack]

Reading the print novel and is also confusing as nora not only goes back in memories but imagines and talks with rachel as she is doing things.

I agree carol, There is so much jumping around without clear openings to the chapters. I think youre right with it being a technique to show the instability of noras thinking and behaviour. I have decided to let it take its course and wait for it to make sense. Being a short book its nice to know its not long before we'll get the answers.

I hope the seach for the original attacker continues to develop and is not a red herring.

I agree it is a sad depressing story so far with such horror inflicted on rachel twice and nora having to regret her actions both times for not being there.

[Carol/Bonadie]

Jack, you won't regret continuing with the book, the journey is satisfying with some small quibbles. I look forward to hearing what you think as you get further along.