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A review by sadiereadsagain
Saint X by Alexis Schaitkin
5.0
This is the story of Claire, who was seven when her idolised older sister Alison was found dead on a family holiday. As an adult, she jumps in to a cab which just happens to be driven by one of the men suspected of Alison's murder, and an obsession to discover the truth takes over Claire's life.
I'm just going to jump right in an say it - this book is brilliant. It had me gripped right from the beginning and I thought it was intelligent, layered and incredibly well written. This is not your average mystery novel, it is so much more. How people cope with loss, how circumstances shape a person, how family dynamics play out and how our perceptions of people evolve as we ourselves develop are all explored in this book, so well that the whodunnit aspect almost becomes secondary. I adored the stories of both Claire and suspected killer Clive, Schaitkin has a real talent for crafting complex characters and backstories.
This book is a slower pace of mystery, but that is what makes it such a great read. As each layer unfurls you get more involved. I love a book with depth, and this certainly has that. One of my favourite reads of the year so far.
Many thanks to Picador Pan MacMillan for my NetGalley of this title in return for a review. All opinions my own.
I'm just going to jump right in an say it - this book is brilliant. It had me gripped right from the beginning and I thought it was intelligent, layered and incredibly well written. This is not your average mystery novel, it is so much more. How people cope with loss, how circumstances shape a person, how family dynamics play out and how our perceptions of people evolve as we ourselves develop are all explored in this book, so well that the whodunnit aspect almost becomes secondary. I adored the stories of both Claire and suspected killer Clive, Schaitkin has a real talent for crafting complex characters and backstories.
This book is a slower pace of mystery, but that is what makes it such a great read. As each layer unfurls you get more involved. I love a book with depth, and this certainly has that. One of my favourite reads of the year so far.
Many thanks to Picador Pan MacMillan for my NetGalley of this title in return for a review. All opinions my own.