‘Another Sun’ by Timothy Williams

Published by Soho Crime,
April 2014.
ISBN: 978-1-616953638

A body has been found in a pond: Monsieur Calais, local magnate and estate owner.  The culprit is obvious: ex-convict Hégésippe Bray, who believed M. Calais had stolen his land while he was in prison.  Obvious to everyone, that is, except juge d’instruction Anne Marie Lavaud, who suspects a political cover-up ...

From the twilight opening to the final showdown, this was an atmospheric read.  Williams has lived in the West Indies for many years, and so he brings the sights, sounds, smells alive for the reader.  I knew only that Guadaloupe was French-speaking, so I learned a huge amount about this département of France: its administration, its importance to the Giscard d’Estaing government (ousted the year after the events of the book), its racial tensions. The central character, Anne Marie Lavaud, was not only coping with ‘woman status’ in the world of work, but also with difficulties in her marriage to local man Jean Michel, currently unemployed, and the tensions within his family.  A recurring twist was her itching hand – is voodoo involved?  Her graffiste Trousseau certainly thinks so.  From interview to interview, the plot kept twisting, and the final perp was a surprise.  The short chapters made it a quick read.

A well-plotted PP in a beautifully evoked and unusual setting.

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Reviewer: Marsali Taylor

Timothy Williams was born 1946, in Walthamstoe, Essex. He attended Woodford Green Preparatory School, Chigwell School and St Andrews University. He has previously lived in France, Italy, and in Romania, where he worked for the British Council. He  is a bilingual British author who has written five novels in English featuring Commissario Piero Trotti, a character critics have referred to as a personification of modern Italy.

www.timothywilliams.uk.com

Marsali Taylor grew up near Edinburgh, and came to Shetland as a newly-qualified teacher. She is currently a part-time teacher on Shetland's scenic west side, living with her husband and two Shetland ponies. Marsali is a qualified STGA tourist-guide who is fascinated by history, and has published plays in Shetland's distinctive dialect, as well as a history of women's suffrage in Shetland. She's also a keen sailor who enjoys exploring in her own 8m yacht, and an active member of her local drama group.  Marsali also does a regular monthly column for the Mystery People e-zine.