Published by Simon & Schuster,
28 July 2016.
ISBN: 978-1-4711-5047-0
28 July 2016.
ISBN: 978-1-4711-5047-0
Carl Jung, one of the fathers of modern psychology, didn’t dismiss the
paranormal; he regarded it as something we don’t understand yet: a position
most scientific discoveries were once in. So
suspension of disbelief, if the author makes a decent fist of it,
shouldn’t be too difficult if a psychic is a key character in a crime novel
book.
Lisa
Unger makes a very decent fist indeed of it. Her protagonist is Finley
Montgomery, a twenty-year-old psychology student and something of a rebel; most
of her body is covered in tattoos, her hair is partly pink and she rides a
motorbike. Finley has spent much of her life in denial, fighting against the
knowledge that she shares her grandmother’s ‘gift’ and will ultimately have no
choice but to use it as it demands to be used.
Ink
and Bone follows Finley’s progress
through a renewed search for a little girl who was abducted a year earlier. The
child’s mother is convinced she is still alive; her father, who was in charge
when the abduction happened, is equally sure that after a year there is no
longer any hope. The story of what actually happened unfolds through the eyes
of Finley the reluctant psychic, the parents and several other characters; in
places it’s a harrowing tale, and one which will make any parent want to keep
their child close.
It’s
also an absorbing read, and provided you’re not too sceptical to begin with, it
will leave you thinking carefully about that fine line which separates
psychology and paranormal studies. There’s little doubt that the workings of
the human mind are only sketchily understood by the most knowledgeable
‘authorities’ on the subject; Finley herself doesn’t really understand the strange
and unwelcome ability she has.
As
well as a plot which I guarantee will grow on you, Ink and Bone also
paints vivid pictures of small-town life in winter in upstate New York, and
populates it with as varied and sharply-drawn a cast of characters as I’ve
found in a crime novel. There’s even a twist ending which will make you gasp,
and possibly weep if you become as involved with those characters as I did.
One
of the great pleasures of reviewing is the discovery of new authors. Lisa Unger
is well established, but new to me. She’s now on my list of must-reads. If
you’re of a ‘more things in heaven and earth’ mindset, you could do worse than
put her on yours. Ink and Bone is a good place to start.
------
Reviewer: Lynne Patrick
Lisa Unger was born 26 April 1970 in New Haven Connecticut,
USA. She is the New York Times and internationally bestselling author of
fourteen novels. Her books are published in twenty-six languages worldwide. Her
essays have appeared in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, NPR and
Travel+Leisure Magazine. Lisa Unger currently lives in Tampa Bay, Florida with
her husband, daughter and labradoodle.
Lynne Patrick has been a writer ever since she could pick up a pen,
and has enjoyed success with short stories, reviews and feature journalism, but
never, alas, with a novel. She crossed to the dark side to become a publisher
for a few years, and is proud to have launched several careers which are now
burgeoning. She lives on the edge of rural Derbyshire in a house groaning with
books, about half of them crime fiction.
No comments:
Post a Comment