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A review by karlou
Fault Lines by Doug Johnstone
5.0
I've been looking forward to reading Fault Lines ever since Orenda Books announced they would be publishing Doug Johnstone's next book. I do enjoy books set in alternate yet familiar realities and Fault Lines is exactly that. Twenty five years previously, a volcanic island later called The Inch was being created from an unknown fault line in the Forth of Firth. Surtsey was born on the same momentous day and named after another new volcanic island formed off the coast of Iceland. After a somewhat unconventional upbringing both Surtsey and her younger sister, Iona still live in Edinburgh, in the house they shared with their mother. Her terminal illness has put the sisters' relationship under great pressure as they handle their imminent loss very differently.
Surtsey has followed in her mum's footsteps and become a volcanologist herself, irrevocably drawn to the island that came into being at the same time as her. Perhaps it's inevitable then that she is a rather volcanic character herself - hot-headed, impetuous and unpredictable. When she discovers the body of her boss and married lover on The Inch she makes a decision which soon sees her life spin out of control. She is not always the easiest person to like and yet her mercurial nature makes her an irresistible character. For all her capriciousness however, she is not in control here and what follows is a chilling tale of obsession as Surtsey becomes both a target and a suspect. The Inch though, still has its own part to play; people may have become used to its portentous presence and the occasional quakes but the tremors increase in magnitude and frequency mirroring the growing instability in Surtsey's life. There is a real sense of danger as to what both humans and nature are capable of as the book races towards its breathtakingly tense and compelling conclusion.
The superb characterisation is matched by vivid descriptions of Edinburgh and the enigmatic Inch, and by a high octane narrative which features a gripping mystery and an engrossing domestic drama, as Surtsey's devastating losses also lead her to discovering shocking family secrets which further threaten her already fractured relationship with her sister.
Though only a relatively short book, Doug Johnstone has packed the pages with complex emotions and unforgettable climactic moments. I raced through Fault Lines; it is imaginative yet wholly believable book and I was utterly captivated by this highly original, exciting psychological thriller. Highly recommended.
Surtsey has followed in her mum's footsteps and become a volcanologist herself, irrevocably drawn to the island that came into being at the same time as her. Perhaps it's inevitable then that she is a rather volcanic character herself - hot-headed, impetuous and unpredictable. When she discovers the body of her boss and married lover on The Inch she makes a decision which soon sees her life spin out of control. She is not always the easiest person to like and yet her mercurial nature makes her an irresistible character. For all her capriciousness however, she is not in control here and what follows is a chilling tale of obsession as Surtsey becomes both a target and a suspect. The Inch though, still has its own part to play; people may have become used to its portentous presence and the occasional quakes but the tremors increase in magnitude and frequency mirroring the growing instability in Surtsey's life. There is a real sense of danger as to what both humans and nature are capable of as the book races towards its breathtakingly tense and compelling conclusion.
The superb characterisation is matched by vivid descriptions of Edinburgh and the enigmatic Inch, and by a high octane narrative which features a gripping mystery and an engrossing domestic drama, as Surtsey's devastating losses also lead her to discovering shocking family secrets which further threaten her already fractured relationship with her sister.
Though only a relatively short book, Doug Johnstone has packed the pages with complex emotions and unforgettable climactic moments. I raced through Fault Lines; it is imaginative yet wholly believable book and I was utterly captivated by this highly original, exciting psychological thriller. Highly recommended.