Pippa was introduced to crime fiction by a Francis Durbridge-loving grandmother and a Christie-loving primary schoolteacher. Pippa has looked after the admin for a crime fiction book group for the last 20 years or so and is the author of Cambridge – Myriads of Misdeeds.
An unusual and quickly dark novella, mainly in epistolary form, features four main characters: Mira, a bereaved daughter wanting revenge; and Jiwon, a widow and mother to Yuchan and Yujae.
Two of these communicate through letter and response. The third communication is more of an essay than letter, written by Yujae, explaining his situation with graphic clarity. The novella ends with a final communication from Mira.
Of the four central characters, the only one not heard from directly is Yujae’s older brother Yuchan and yet he is central to the story. His thoughts, actions and his character are revealed through the words of the others.
It is difficult to say too much without revealing the essence of the novella. It is disturbing, not least for the chilling matter-of-factness of the description of the violent acts, the calculated mental and verbal cruelty and the lack of genuine remorse. There is a line in Mira’s first letter “The worst kind of act isn’t done out of ignorance; it’s an act that is committed knowingly” which accurately sums up the novella.
There is a flatness of tone and, with the exception of Yuchan, the characters all appear calculating and virtually without emotion. There are many lies and much obfuscation – will the truth eventually emerge?
It is an interesting read but perhaps should be avoided by those affected by graphic cruelty.
