I feel like this is one of those books that suffered from all the hype around it. I was really intrigued by Oliver and who he was and his many identities but I feel like I never really got my teeth into his story. The jumping round between places and times was confusing for those of us listening on audiobook, perhaps this would have been clearer on paper/eBook. A lot of people have said how compelling this book was. Whilst I didn't find that to be the case I did find the social commentary on Oliver's situation very astute and I enjoyed the whole nature versus nurture debate that came across through the narrative.

(I received a free copy of this book from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.)

Oliver Ryan is a handsome and charismatic success story. He lives in the suburbs with his wife, Alice, who illustrates his award-winning children's books and gives him her unstinting devotion. Their life together is one of enviable privilege and ease - enviable until, one evening after supper, Oliver attacks Alice and beats her into a coma. In the aftermath, as everyone tries to make sense of his astonishing act of savagery, Oliver tells his story. So do those whose paths he has crossed over five decades. What unfolds is a story of shame, envy, breath-taking deception and masterful manipulation. Only Oliver knows the lengths to which he has had to go to get the life to which he felt entitled. But even he is in for a shock when the past catches up with him.

This was definitely a book of halves.

The first half of the book was quite gripping. Why did Oliver do what he did? We went for a bit of a trip down the rabbit-hole (so to speak) in trying to work out the motivations. And that was dark and downright scary at times...and then, for some reason it wasn't. It started getting repetitive and, shall I say it, just a little tedious, hearing the same details from the different characters around Oliver's life.

And speaking of the characters...why didn't we follow this story from Oliver's point of view? I mean, I wanna hear from the bad hombre, not a bunch of outsiders "who know him best." I actually felt a little ripped-off that this was the way the author chose to tackle this narrative.

Finally, the ending - well what happened there? I was expecting some huge reveal but, no, the story just stopped. No real tension, no real "thrill" - just ended. Another example of the second half of the book being a poor relative to the first half.

And, really, this is such a shame because the story was there, begging to be told...but I just think it would have been better told from Oliver - we could have charted his unravelling right from the source.

If you like a slow-burner of a thriller novel, then this could be the one for you.


Paul
ARH