Anticipating highly mixed reviews on this book and recommend it for book clubs everywhere. The subtleties that Ward has left behind for the readers is genius. It will leave readers contemplating facets of the story long after they’re finished. I still don’t know if I love or hate the characters and who, if any of them, I should feel bad for. The irony of the story is that Ward purposefully neglects laying out a complete narrative. She leaves so much open for interpretation; it’s spectacular. How refreshing to have a book challenge an explanation and force the reader to think beyond what is simply laid out in the dialogue before us.
Ian and Maddie meet overseas in war-torn Eastern Europe just as it is on the brink of civil war and just prior to the fall-out of 9/11. The setting is enigmatic and their meeting is simply by chance. Ian, who grew up with little schooling and proceeded to the English military, now works as a bodyguard to high profile officials. Maddie, a well-studied, multilingual American, works as a travel journalist. The time they spend together in the Balkans is brief. But the feelings they developed while they are there are genuine and hard to ignore. The book takes us through the story of their lives and also that of Maddie’s best friend, Jo. We are led through the journey of Maddie and Ian finding their way back to one another after spending years apart. But as the story toggles from present day to past, we get glimpses of the dark and somewhat crazy side of all of these characters and when the day of the murder happens, it will have you questioning absolutely everything.
Any author can lay out a plot with your typical protagonist/antagonist scenario but it takes someone truly gifted to keep the reader from identifying either of them. Ward keeps us guessing who’s who and gives us a thought-provoking story about love, lies, and betrayal…with a little side of crazy thrown in....5 stars!
Ian and Maddie meet overseas in war-torn Eastern Europe just as it is on the brink of civil war and just prior to the fall-out of 9/11. The setting is enigmatic and their meeting is simply by chance. Ian, who grew up with little schooling and proceeded to the English military, now works as a bodyguard to high profile officials. Maddie, a well-studied, multilingual American, works as a travel journalist. The time they spend together in the Balkans is brief. But the feelings they developed while they are there are genuine and hard to ignore. The book takes us through the story of their lives and also that of Maddie’s best friend, Jo. We are led through the journey of Maddie and Ian finding their way back to one another after spending years apart. But as the story toggles from present day to past, we get glimpses of the dark and somewhat crazy side of all of these characters and when the day of the murder happens, it will have you questioning absolutely everything.
Any author can lay out a plot with your typical protagonist/antagonist scenario but it takes someone truly gifted to keep the reader from identifying either of them. Ward keeps us guessing who’s who and gives us a thought-provoking story about love, lies, and betrayal…with a little side of crazy thrown in....5 stars!