The Recently Read posts are about books I have recently read and enjoyed and want to share with you. They will not always be crime books as I am trying to widen my reading selection. I hope you enjoy some of these with me.
Rubbernecker by Belinda Bauer
‘The dead can’t speak to us,’ Professor Madoc had said.
That was a lie.
Because the body Patrick Fort is examining in anatomy class is trying to tell him all kinds of things.
Life is already strange enough for the obsessive Patrick without having to solve a possible murder. Especially when no one believes a crime has even taken place. Now he must stay out of danger long enough to unravel the mystery – while he dissects his own evidence.
But as Patrick learns one truth from a dead man, he discovers there have been many other lies rather closer to home…
My Thoughts;
I finished this book just over a week ago and today found out it has been shortlisted for the Theakston’s Old Peculiar crime novel of the year award. You can find the full short-list for that HERE.
Patrick Fort has Asperger’s Syndrome and in a quest to find answers to long continuing questions from his childhood, he takes anatomy class at university where his rigidity to routine and unending questions leads him into the middle of a murder.
This book is absolutely fantastic. It is one of those books that I would hope to get around to reading again. Bauer writes clearly and concisely when describing Patrick. He is a wonderful character that you root for all the way through. I loved reading his interactions with the other characters and how you could clearly see from his point of view that he didn’t understand where certain situations had gone wrong for him, but throughout, he was consistent and calm and completely logical.
As a crime novel, it’s a fantastic twist on the “norm” and a breath of fresh air. It could have had the potential – being written in an anatomy class, to be over gratuitous, but it is not that either. It is simply wonderful and engaging and I could not put it down. I read it in two days which is rare for me. I would encourage any crime fiction fans to read this. Right now!
Here is a short YouTube clip of the author Belinda Bauer talking about how the idea came to her and how she conducted her research for the novel.
readingwritingandriesling says
It was a nice change in style and tempo wasn’t it?
Rebecca Bradley says
It really was. It goes to show you don’t always need to be racing about to have a great crime novel.
readingwritingandriesling says
Or to have high levels of gore….the pathology stuff in this wasn’t particularly gorey I thought.
Margot Kinberg says
So glad you liked this, Rebecca. Isn’t it a terrific combination of character and tension? A great story.
Rebecca Bradley says
I loved it Margot. The pacing is brilliant and yes, combined with those characters it’s just not surprising it’s been short listed here for crime novel of the year.
Jacqui Murray says
Clever plot. I saw a similar idea on Elemental (with the modern-day Sherlock Holmes). I wonder why that sort of stuff doesn’t happen more often.
Rebecca Bradley says
I love that programme! Though I know some don’t because it’s just so different. It may happen but we just never hear about it… 😉
Linda King says
Thanks for the recommendation via Goodreads. It arrived today and will be read on the beach this August!
Rebecca Bradley says
Oh brilliant! I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. Do let me know.