Review: The Murmur of Stones

I must thank Quercus for releasing the new book by Cook in the UK, after the tour de force that was the CWA Gold Dagger nominated Red Leaves. The Murmur of Stones is a tremendously well crafted work; which thematically shares a similar structure to Red Leaves; the secrets hidden in the families of the dysfunctional and fractured. The narrative enfolds from David Sears’ perspective – a divorce lawyer coming to terms with the loss of his father and his young nephew, who both suffered from schizophrenia. The chapters are divided by an exchange between Sears and Detective Petrie, because the deaths of his father and nephew Jason may or may not have been of natural causes.

When the young Jason is found drowned in a deep pond in the garden; being cared for by his brilliant but distracted father, the scientist Mark Regan, David Sears watches his sister Diana slowly unravel. She suspects that her husband Mark had a hand in her son’s death, but there is no tangible proof. David has to confront the past and wonder if there is madness in their family gene-pool; something that the David can’t bring himself to accept; because his own sanity is at stake.

As Diana’s behaviour becomes more and more bizarre, her brother fears for his own daughter Patty’s life as Diana starts to form a bizarre bond with her. David’s wife Abby watches from the sidelines as does David’s business partner Charlie.

The short chapters are filled with dark insight, but you really can not trust the relaying of events by either David who narrates the tale, nor any of the other protagonists because there is the smell of madness rippled throughout the story. It becomes clear that many of the characters start to hear voices, and perhaps there is something behind these voices, and soon it’s impossible to differentiate the mad from the sane; as the trail leads back to Brigham mental hospital where David’s father was held, before being discharged into Diana’s care.

It is an uneasy story, and perhaps the ending was telegraphed a little, but even so it still shocks as the reader has started to care for the characters. It does pose one interesting point that I often ponder upon - how insane are the people who hear these voices in their head? Cook calls these whispers as ‘The Murmur of Stones’, so where do these voices come from? Expect this novel to feature heavily in the award nominations next year, such is the strength of the narrative.

Reprinted with permission. Do Not repost without permission from the author, Ali Karim - RAM

Please Note: Books reviewed are usually provided by the publisher, author, or an agent. Reviewers usually get to keep the book.

Book Review: The Murmur of Stones

Please Note: Books reviewed are usually provided by the publisher, author, or an agent. Reviewers usually get to keep the book.