Thank you Netgalley and Publishers for granting me early access to "The Pursuit of William Abbey".

I'm currently in the middle of a major move, and will definitely come back at a later time and write out a full review and rating.

Thank you so much!

I enjoyed the writing style which i found refined and somewhat elegant and I found the characters relatable and interesting but the story dragged for me, I do recommend the book to all fiction lovers

Another beautifully written piece by North, although this might be the darkest of her novels that I've read. The complexity of the story is enough to be so unique and engaging but not so much as to be difficult to enjoy. I especially appreciated the span on the storyline - both across time and around the world - and thought the sheer diversity of the characters was absolutely wonderful.

I received an ARC from the publisher through Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to the publisher, via NetGalley, for providing me with an arc for review. This has in no way influenced my opinion.
The concept of this book is so much more interesting than what is executed on the page. The idea of a character being cursed by a grieving mother, due to his lack of intervention in the torture and murder of her son, leading to him being followed forever by the spirit of the boy is fascinating. Add to that an espionage plot, Abbey can see the truth in others the closer the boy comes and that the nearer the boy is the more imperiled Abbey's loved ones are - well, it is rich with material.
The book is 400+ pages but reads like it is much longer - the pacing is off and the character of William Abbey isn't a good conduit into his own story. I enjoyed several of North's other books, but this is a miss for me.

"There is the truth we tell ourselves, [...] and then there is the reality of the world as it is, and that is always harder to see. "

I enjoyed Claire North's earlier book "The Sudden Appearance of Hope", though felt it fall into the same trap as this one for me. Amazing idea, but an execution that just wasn't 5 stars for me. The Pursuit of William Abbey follows a 19th-century British man cursed because he witnessed a lynching of a young Black boy and did nothing to stop it. As the ghost of the murdered boy, Langa, follows him, he kills anyone the man (William Abbey) loves. He also allows Abbey to hear the unfiltered truth of anyone near me. So, a blessing and a curse, with some complications explained in further in the novel.

The writing style is refined and elegant, and the characters interesting -- I think my main issue is that this book is just LONG. the 450+ pages felt closer to 600 for me, so if you need a fast-paced read this might not be for you. However, if you like that literary, heavy expository style, you'll probably really enjoy this.

P.S. Thought its commentary on truth was particularly interesting, critical, and insightful -- much needed in the sort of "post-truth" world we're in right now.

I requested an electronic advance copy of this book from NetGalley because the premise it's built on sounded fascinating, and I was delighted that the publisher approved my request. The premise here is that William Abbey, an Englishman who sees (and doesn't act in response to) a child killed by a white mob in Africa, is cursed by the child's mother. The shadow of her son will follow Abbey for the rest of his life, and any time the shadow catches up, the person Abbey loves most will die. In essence, Abbey is stuck in a deadly game of tag.

There are some "rules" involved. First, Abbey is now a Truth-Teller. The closer the child's shadow gets, the more clearly Abbey will hear others' private truths and feel compelled to blurt them out. Second, the child's shadow travels at a steady pace, regardless of terrain. Abbey can buy himself time by using modern transportation to distance himself from the shadow, but eventually the shadow will catch up with him, unless he keeps moving.

Now, add two complications. First, Abbey isn't the only person who has been turned into a Truth-Teller by a curse—it turns out there are others like him. Second, the governments of many nations are on the hunt for "Truth-Tellers," who are exceptionally useful in resolving questions of guilt and acts of rebellion. The governments aren't necessarily looking for Truth-Tellers who will work with them voluntarily; they will imprison Truth-Tellers, if it serves their purpose.

That's the basic formula: one curse, two rules, two complications. It's potentially fascinating and nail-bitingly exciting, but the book never really hits its stride. Abbey can see into others, but not himself, so readers have a protagonist about whom they know relatively little and who remains partially occluded throughout the book. Also, the book is long (464 pages) and its pace is steady—a bit like the pace of the ever-approaching child's shadow. It's like driving at thirty-five without ever speeding up or slowing down.

The Pursuit of William Abbey is interesting (an over-used word, but an appropriate one in this case). Unfortunately, interesting isn't the same as engaging or engrossing. The reader's experience feels flattened.

I love Claire North's books. They have unique perspectives with a beautiful style and flow. While I found the themes in book interesting, I just wasn't drawn in by the story. Certain sections were beautiful, and it is worth the read, but if you are a huge fan like me, temper your expectations a bit. You will probably enjoy it more if you do.

This will definitely be popular with library patrons, but not with me. After starting this title, I realized this wasn't my cup of tea. Will move on to other titles!