In
Losing
You, Nicci French has woven a tale bursting with emotional impact. The
book reads like a personal experience, such is the depth of detail and
intensity of feeling in the writing. And, for the reader, this is not so much a
read as a personal trip taken with the extraordinary mother on her search for
her missing daughter. I will say no more about the plot, as I have no wish to
inflict spoilers on potential readers.
In
common with many of today’s writers, I have a day job. Because I share the
family car with my daughter, I sometimes travel to work by bus. I’m willing to
put up with the inconvenience because it’s better for the environment and it
gives me time to read. I tell you this only because this particular book made
me miss my stop; twice! I was so absorbed by the characters and the tale that I
was past my normal disembarkation point before I realised it. It was one of
those books that, had I had the practical opportunity, I would’ve read from
cover to cover without pause. Unputdownable.
The
narrator, Nina, is so well drawn that the first person account propels the
reader through the roller-coaster emotional ride with consummate ease. Every
other character, no matter how insignificant, is drawn with care and attention,
so that each is a believable person; rounded and complete. The story builds
slowly at first, with subtle hints pointing at a potential disaster on the far
horizon. But, as the various elements of the drama are revealed, the tension
builds and builds, making the pages turn with increasing speed as the reader
lives through the growing terror with Nina: a woman who sees herself as
ordinary but who demonstrates that we all, in the necessary circumstances, have
the potential to be extraordinary.
All
the barriers placed before the lead character are utterly credible and Nina’s
response to them illustrates our mix of frustration with authority and our incomprehension
of the need for seemingly pointless protocols when these prevent us acting in
ways that seem obvious to us. The urgency of the need for action instead of
talk slowly increases as time passes and all the possible outcomes flood Nina’s
mind with their horror and dread.
I
think you’ll glean from the above that I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It
carried me with it on the breathless ride, involving me emotionally in every
step and misstep along the road to the tortuous conclusion. The denouement is
brilliantly written and constructed with such detail that the reader feels the
author must have suffered something similar to bring such feelings and actions
to the page.
I’ve
read only one other novel by Nicci French but I shall be reading more. Just as
soon as I’ve completed my self-imposed trawl through the 180 odd titles still
on my ‘to read’ list. I have no hesitation in recommending this piece of superb
writing to all and sundry.
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