I picked this book off Audible.com on a lark. (For those of you not familiar with Audible, that’s where I download my audio books from for a monthly fee. This allows me to read one book at home and listen to one in the car. I usually point out which method I used for a book as it may affect my appreciation for it.) I had not heard of the author since this is his debut novel. I can’t even tell you what made me click on the link…but I’m glad I did!

If you haven’t seen it, the short synopsis of the book is that a clerk who usually manages the paperwork after cases are solved by detectives is suddenly pulled into the role of a detective to solve the mystery of his missing detective. The main character appears completely unsuited for this, of course, but fumbles his way around and, in a convincing manner, slowly gets the hang of it as the story progresses.

It is this hook that first got me interested. The main character, Charles Unwin, has knowledge of all of the cases and enemies that he needs to solve the mystery, but his knowledge is only second-hand and is somewhat suspect. It becomes clear over time that there are elements of the reports that Unwin removed because he thought they were incorrect, untruthful, or reflected badly upon “the agency.” Over time, he realizes that the world is much stranger than he first thought and those elements he excised from the reports were actually critical.

Here’s the strange thing…since I didn’t have any knowledge of the author and the only thing I knew about the book was the short blurb on the website, I had no idea what to expect. As soon as I started listening to the book, I realized that I made a mistake and I’d probably stop listening and just get a new book (which I’ve only every done once).  That was in the first 10 minutes. One of the problems is that it is set in an older settings, maybe 1950’s or 60’s, but it’s never clearly defined (that I recall). I don’t really care for the “classic” dective novels but I do enjoy modern thrillers. I think once I heard the settings and the “boring” main character (more on this in a minute), I decided I’d had enough.

However, I was already in the car on my way to work and I don’t listen to the radio, so I left it on. At some point in the next 10 minutes before I got to work, things suddenly got interesting and I was disappointed to have to turn it off. I really can’t tell you exactly when it happened, but I think it was when the first dream sequence started.

After the slow beginning, I think Berry does a great job drawing the reader into the characters. Unwin is an intentionally and wholly unremarkable character. As a writer, it is hard to get your audience to associate with such a character.  But over time, I did learn to like Unwin and there were numerous other characters I liked, some of whom were seldom or never actually present in real life. (A quote from one of my favorite characters: “I’ve already remembered too much!”)

All in all, I was very pleased to have picked this book at random. I’ve read some other good reviews of it online and found that other people have had a similarly difficult time describing it. It’s part thriller, part old-time detective story, part fantasy/parapsychology, and a lot of other things you can’t quite put your finger on. Nonetheless, I think it worked very well and I’ve added Jebediah Berry to my NewBookAlerts list!

POTENTIAL SPOILERS

I mentioned the first dream sequence as the point at which I may have gotten hooked by the story. The sequence is completely absured (as a dream should be), but it is described well enough to make you think it could actually happen. As you get further into the book, you learn that this is intentional as the line between wakefulness and dreams is increasingly and intentionally blurred. There were numerous times throughout the book that I had to back up and re-listen to a section to figure out if the scene was live or dreamed. At first I felt silly because I should be paying better attention, but then I realized that this is a critical aspect of the book. There are times when the characters think they’re awake when they’re dreaming (we’ve all had that dream, right?) and those that are awake but can’t tell for sure. The fact that the book was able to confuse me as well is one of the points I now appreciate the most about it.

In the end, I was mostly satisfied with the book. I was very pleased that the little threads shown throughout the beginning of the book all tie into the final story somehow. I also like the fact that I have revisited parts of the story several times in my head and had additional revelations. The only disappointing part for me was trying to keep up with the motive for the bad guys. I say “bad guys” because there’s not just one antagonist–which is usually a good thing. Unwin’s understanding (and yours) of the loyalties and relationships continually evolves throughout the book, which keeps things interesting. However, when the good guy/bad guy merry-go-round stops and you find the last antagonist…I was still unclear on the motive. Perhaps this is because I was listening to the book rather than reading, but I re-listened to a critical section twice to try to find something I missed, but it was to no avail.