Published
by Matador,
28 May 2016.
28 May 2016.
ISBN: 978-1785891946 (PB)
Georges chipped his glasses the
first time he wore them. Ever since then, he’s been followed by a beautiful
girl who can foretell tragedy – and in the harsh lives of Guernsey
peasant-farmers in the early twentieth century, with war looming over Europe,
tragedy is never far from him.
Under
his pen name of Jason Foss, Monaghan has written four crime thrillers starring
his archaeologist detective, Jeffrey Flint. This novel blends Monaghan’s love
of his island with his knowledge of its history, and the result is
breath-takingly vivid: imagined characters moving and breathing in the reality
of their time. The focus is on a triangle between two brothers, tall, strong
Artie Bazin and his handicapped, gentle brother, Georges, and the girl they
both love, independent Edith Mullane. Edith is determined to escape the fate of
her mother, abandoned by her Irish husband to seek comfort in ‘uncles’ who
might support them. Her beautiful face is her fortune, and she wants to use it
to escape the close confines of island life. Georges loves her quietly, Artie
boldly; when war comes, Georges is refused active service while Artie is, at
first, an objector. The third-person narration moves from head to head, showing
Georges’ calmness and introspection, Edith’s frustration, Artie’s
determination, and later moves from the wartime changes in Guernsey to the
horrors of Cambrai, where a generation of Guernsey men were lost. The novel
gives a real feel of the harshness of life in the pre-war age, made richer by
the use of the Guernsey patois – this is one of these rare books with its own
atmosphere, which lingers in the head. As war begins, then you know the events
described are real happenings, giving poignancy to the story of the characters.
I was drawn into the lives of the characters, and found the ending both
realistic and satisfying. It felt like the start of a family saga, in the best
possible sense; I hope Monaghan’s going to follow this world and these people
into the next generation.
A
richly-textured novel which blends the realities of war for the Guernsey people
with believable, tragic characters. Highly recommended.
-----
Rviewer: Marsali
Taylor
Jason Monaghan born 1959 in
Yorkshire is a novelist and Roman archaeologist. He has also at times been a
financial regulator, an anti-money laundering specialist and a bank director.
The eccentric side of Archaeology provided the background to his first five
novels written under the pen-name of Jason Foss, and he is an active member of
the Crime Writers Association. Glint of
Light on Broken Glass is his first historical novel. Major projects he has
worked on include Britain's most intact Roman ship (from Guernsey), and
possibly the only known English Elizabethan shipwreck (off Alderney). His PhD
thesis was on the Roman Pottery of Kent and he later published research on
pottery from the Roman fortress of York. Each summer since 2009 he has led a
group of friends excavating in Alderney, investigating what looks to be
Britains finest small Roman fort. He lives in Guernsey in the Channel Islands.
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.
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