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A review by katykelly
The Truth About the Harry Quebert Affair by Joël Dicker
5.0
Review of an audiobook version.
I wouldn't have noticed this but for the Richard and Judy list, and I was glad I gave this a go. Even on audiobook (20+ discs) I found this easy to listen to and got caught up in the intrigue and central mystery.
Three decades ago, Nola went missing. Now she's been found, dug up in a famous author's garden, with an original manuscript of his masterpiece buried with her. Harry Quebert, the author, who was in love with Nola in 1975l though twenty years her senior, is the only suspect.
And so begins a media frenzy. At the centre of which is Marcus Goldman who soon appears to be our main character, and whose story rivals Harry's own - a famous writer himself now, hailed for his debut he is stuck on what to write next. We discover that his second book, all about precisely this situation, is destined to be an even bigger seller. So with the knowledge that Marcus is going to write about Harry and Nola's murder, we travel with him to both his 'present' as he tries to investigate (with some very reluctant police assistance) as well as to his past, as we learn how he first met Harry.
Several plots in one contend for supremacy, but even on audiobook I found it fairly simple to follow, which surprised me. I loved Marcus's backstory, and I felt just as I did when watching The Killing as every suspect I thought of, I ended up discounting. The solution was one I couldn't have guessed - bet you can't either, and there were a few twists that I was pretty impressed by - didn't see THAT coming!!
Twisty, large-scale murder, mystery and love stories rolled into one, it's quite an epic and manages to convey both writers' passion for books and writing, the humour of the publisher/agent's scrabblings and pleadings, the frustration and procrastination writers' block. I wasn't convinced by Harry's love for Nola, I just couldn't feel the attraction or see her as anything other than a pretty, naive adolescent - she isn't overly mature for her years, so it didn't feel quite right, but it was the only aspect I didn't like.
The audio version is well read by a male voice to represent a whole range of characters who are easily distinguishable, and he keeps the story moving nicely.
I really enjoyed the twisty story, the look at the lives of two very different writers, and at the book that says a lot about notoriety and bandwagon-jumping.
Great for book groups, and for readers who like a bit of a mystery to solve.
I wouldn't have noticed this but for the Richard and Judy list, and I was glad I gave this a go. Even on audiobook (20+ discs) I found this easy to listen to and got caught up in the intrigue and central mystery.
Three decades ago, Nola went missing. Now she's been found, dug up in a famous author's garden, with an original manuscript of his masterpiece buried with her. Harry Quebert, the author, who was in love with Nola in 1975l though twenty years her senior, is the only suspect.
And so begins a media frenzy. At the centre of which is Marcus Goldman who soon appears to be our main character, and whose story rivals Harry's own - a famous writer himself now, hailed for his debut he is stuck on what to write next. We discover that his second book, all about precisely this situation, is destined to be an even bigger seller. So with the knowledge that Marcus is going to write about Harry and Nola's murder, we travel with him to both his 'present' as he tries to investigate (with some very reluctant police assistance) as well as to his past, as we learn how he first met Harry.
Several plots in one contend for supremacy, but even on audiobook I found it fairly simple to follow, which surprised me. I loved Marcus's backstory, and I felt just as I did when watching The Killing as every suspect I thought of, I ended up discounting. The solution was one I couldn't have guessed - bet you can't either, and there were a few twists that I was pretty impressed by - didn't see THAT coming!!
Twisty, large-scale murder, mystery and love stories rolled into one, it's quite an epic and manages to convey both writers' passion for books and writing, the humour of the publisher/agent's scrabblings and pleadings, the frustration and procrastination writers' block. I wasn't convinced by Harry's love for Nola, I just couldn't feel the attraction or see her as anything other than a pretty, naive adolescent - she isn't overly mature for her years, so it didn't feel quite right, but it was the only aspect I didn't like.
The audio version is well read by a male voice to represent a whole range of characters who are easily distinguishable, and he keeps the story moving nicely.
I really enjoyed the twisty story, the look at the lives of two very different writers, and at the book that says a lot about notoriety and bandwagon-jumping.
Great for book groups, and for readers who like a bit of a mystery to solve.