MICROFICTION:
books
BOOK OF THE MONTH
RHUMBA
Elaine Proctor( Quercus) The light at the centre of this dark tale of loss and hope is 10-year-old Flambeau, a spirited boy rushed headlong into adulthood by a world of poverty, human trafficking and violence. He just wants to find his mother. Flambeau is both helped and obstructed by the troubled adults around him, but the truth is they need him much more than he needs them, as neglected and homesick, his search takes him from Tottenham to the north of Scotland. This is film director Proctor’ s first novel, and her writing style propels the story with a lightness of touch, despite the many moments of heartbreak and danger. The final part of the story is emotionally exhausting as, like an impatient child, it pulls you by the hand towards its unexpected end. MLM
GRANDAD, THERE’ S A HEAD ON THE BEACH Colin Cotterill( Quercus) A washed-up head on the beach by The Lovely Resort is found by crime reporter Jimm Juree, who makes it her job to discover how it got there. Her investigation leads to corrupt policemen, slave trading and murder. Added to this are two suspicious guests at the resort, and a stolen monkey. The story is fast-paced and funny, jumping straight into the action and keeping the reader interested with unexpected surprises and lots of humour right up until the end. ES
FLIGHT BEHAVIOUR Barbara Kingsolver( Faber & Faber) Climate change is at the centre of Orange prize-winning author Barbara Kingsolver’ s novel, Flight Behaviour. A swathe of butterflies discovered by central character Dellarobia Turnbow appears to be a miracle on the landscape, but soon proves to be a wider environmental warning. Featuring strong themes of ecology, environment and family, at times the author elaborates on certain descriptions extensively, but on the whole, a compelling and captivating read. RH
ALEX Pierre Lemaitre( MacLehose Press) Commandant Camille Verhoeven the diminutive detective reluctantly heads up a kidnapping of the beautiful Alex Provost off the streets in Paris. He has no clues as to why or whom has taken her. A graphic and not for the faint-hearted account from both the victims perspective and the detective trying to unravel the case. Translated from French and winner of countless French crime writing prizes, Lemaitre delivers a vivid and at times disturbing horror-thriller adventure right up to the final page. MT |
A LIFE APART Mariapia Veladiano( MacLehose Press) Mariapia’ s debut novel( translated from Italian by Cristina Viti) is a beautifully written, gentle, engaging narrative. A Life Apart, the story of Rebecca, an outcast whose own mother won’ t even look at her, is a contemporary take on the tale of the ugly duckling. That it won the Calvino Prize is no surprise. In a world of fastpaced high concept novels and airport fiction, A Life Apart is like a soft gust of delicately perfumed air. Unputdownable. LN |
THE LAST HIT Llywd Owen( Y Lolfa) There’ s an un-honed skill to this story of a hit-man’ s quest for vengeance, but you’ re going to have to forgive an awful lot if you’ re to see it. The book’ s littered with linguistic choices that are easy rather than appropriate, and the broken-back chronology only registers to confuse. Though it tries very hard to shock, The Last Hit only offends – taking an adolescent delight in the inequities it puts its characters through. The cover’ s good though, so it’ ll at least look pretty on the bookshop shelf. MM |
RED SKY IN MORNING Paul Lynch( Quercus) A story about the lives of two men in 1832: one in Donegal, Ireland, and the other travelling to Philadelphia to live another life, Paul Lynch uses the imagery of nature and death to deliver a captivating narrative which challenges us to think about a life consumed with violence and death compared with the beauty and calmness of nature. How does life seem worth living? VB |
MICROFICTION:
NO ESCAPE by Llwyd Owen
BUZZ 54
IN the heart of a dark forest, lit only by the full moon, lies a hole approximately five-feet deep. Two figures stand next to it: one a permed, silhouetted, stereotype of a Scouser; the other a man-mountain from South Wales.“ You don’ avta do this, lar! You know, da follow t’ ru, like. Waddyasay? Lerrus go, like. I’ ll disappear. Into the night. Gone through the mist. Promise, like … on Stevie G’ s life, lar,” blurted the scally with the curly hair.“ Keep digging,” whispered the one with the gun in a patient, but forced, monotone. He watched the stick-thin-scone-’ ead digging his final resting place – his kinky afro shining in the moon’ s full beam, deep in the heart of this lonely woodland, somewhere in mid-Wales.“ Come’ ead, lar,” the Scouser started again.“ I’ ll do one proper. For ever, lar. A-men an’ all dat. Spain. India. Rio. Thailand …” But before Cilla’ s spawn has the chance to turn the forest into a geography lesson, the colossus slowly raised his gun level with arrr Barry’ s face, silencing his words with this stealthy action.
The scally dug while the assassin kept eyes. With the mist hanging low above their private cemetery, the man with the gun wondered how many bodies were buried in this part of Wales. Hundreds, if not thousands, was his conclusion … and he himself had contributed a fair few to that total. An owl hooted nearby, reeling him back to the here and now.“ Come’ ead Tubbs, lerrus go. It’ s no skin off yur nose …” on uttering the assassin’ s ironic nickname, the Scouser lost his very last hope of seeing another day. Tubbs cocked his gun.“ Don’ t be like that, lar. Don’ t be hasty,” pleaded the mark, a rotten smile on his face. But when he saw the lack of emotion staring back in his direction, he lifted his spade once more and got back to work. There was no escape. He knew that now
Cardiff novelist Llwyd Owen, is the author of six Welsh language novels and two English ones. The above is a short extract from, The Last Hit, published by Y Lolfa( www. ylolfa. com). Info: www. llwydowen. co. uk