Book Review: Fallen Angel by Christopher Brookmyre
Book review by Applewood resident, Judy
Ian Rankin, a Scottish crime and thriller writer, commented that he admired two other Scots highly; Denise Mina and Christopher Brookmyre.
Brookmyre also writes kind of science fiction, which I haven’t tried, but his thrillers have me on the edge of my seat! His series following his detective, Jack Parlabane, are excellent, but this one, “Fallen Angel” is a standalone novel.
The Temples, Max and Celia, are both public figures and to the world, present themselves and their adult children as the perfect family. The truth, we learn by the end of the book, is very different.
The story moves between 2002, when Niamh, the toddler daughter of teenage Sylvie, disappears one night, from the family holiday villa in Portugal during a party and is never found, and 2018, when after Max’s death, Celia commands the family to return to the villa for a family memorial.
It is clear from the start that this is a family totally estranged from one another. Marion, Rory, and their younger sister all carry their own particular burdens. The prologue sets the tone with a death and a protagonist full of rage and contempt.
Another villa is owned by family friend and lawyer, widowed Max who has recently remarried. The only outsider is 18 year old Canadian Amanda, who through her parents has been offered a summer job as the nanny for Max’s baby son. Amanda is tech savvy, and is keen after University to be a journalist and investigative reporter.
Fascinated by the situation and the unsolved mystery of Niamh’s disappearance, she at once decides to solve the case.
It may be sunny in Portugal, but all is very chilly and dark below the surface facade of the Temple family, and Amanda’s cleverness gets her into treacherous waters.
This is not a straightforward novel. The reader moves from 2002 and 2018 throughout, and chapters are from the point of view of different characters. However, each chapter names the person (or in some cases persons) and the year we focus on.
The characters are well drawn and so while at the beginning you might dislike one, you come to understand the dreadful experiences which have shaped them.
It is a masterful plot, well executed, and can be highly recommended for anyone enjoying a twisty thriller with a satisfactory ending - the “good guys” come out ok!