Alone, Lisa Gardner

Alone is the second novel I’ve read by Lisa Gardner, and is part of her D.D. Warren and Bobby Dodge series (unrelated to Gone which is part of the Peirce Quincy series.)

In comparison to Gone I found Alone much harder to get into. I believe this to be because the events in Alone take place over a much longer period of time, therefore the pace of Alone is much slower than that of Gone. It was still a compelling novel, Gardner’s attention to detail continued to impress and eventually I found myself unable to put it down, but it certainly took much longer to get that point than when I was reading Gone.

Despite it being part of the D.D. Warren series, this book follows Bobby Dodge closely and D.D. Warren appears only intermittently. Perhaps reading the series in order would be better but unfortunately I had no concept of there being an order or different series in fact. The inside covers of Gardner novels do highlight her other works, but it does nothing to help the reader follow either series or any kind of order.

Moving on, Alone was fascinating in regards to its plot and character development. There were truly unexpected turn of events, plot twists which were described in a way which was just enough; never too much- making them believable and I would never have suspected them. Again, as in Gone, character development within Alone is a driving force in this novel. It flows easily within the plot, paragraphs are just the right length and descriptive passages are acute; with minor characters being used to add context to our major characters.

Crime thrillers are often so abundant with minor characters, police etc. thankfully I don’t feel that Gardner has fallen into this literary trap of the genre.

Alone produced some very strong emotions from me as a reader. There was plenty of death, murder and sexual tension. Raw emotion flowed from the characters such as Bobby Dodge and Catherine Gagnon and I felt the shock they felt, the fear they experienced and the drive to survive was so forcefully evident- it made me unable to put the book down. I kept willing those major characters to make that all important connection, to realise who the real threat was. Those parts in particular were very exciting to read.

One interesting technique Gardner has used in Alone, is that she never allows her readers to become completely trusting of any of the characters. One sentence, one action can change how you feel about a certain person. But in the next chapter you can be forced to re-think this opinion again and again. You are never wholly sure of who is bad and who is good; perhaps this is a reflection on the idea that people are a combination of both. By the end of the novel I was still unsure of Catherine Gagnon, and the answers and never fully revealed. But don’t worry this doesn’t leave you feeling too dissatisfied; there is enough resolution to whet a reader’s appetite.

Once more I strongly encourage you try Lisa Gardner’s work, but would wholly advocate that you try to reader the series in order, I don’t doubt this would improve your overall experience of Gardner and her characters.

© Gemma Feltham 2 November 2014

Inferno by Dan Brown

Following a suitably short, but none-the-less intriguing if rather stark and violent prologue, in the first chapter of Dan Brown’s Inferno, readers are greeted by a very confused Dr Robert Langdon; immediately readers are thrust into this latest fast-paced, nightmarish adventure. Having read many of Brown’s previous novels, being re-acquainted with Robert Langdon felt like meeting an old friend, familiar but new at the same time because it’s been a while. It was a lovely feeling which allowed me to immediately sink into the novel and I dare say other readers would feel the same.

Characters who initially suffer from amnesia or memory loss as Langdon does are fascinating, because there are endless scenarios, multiple possibilities which could explain how they came to be in that predicament. It is always an exciting adventure finding out exactly what happened; and in doing so Brown allows readers to indulge in making up their own answers, before the secrets are revealed. But of course painstakingly revealing secrets is Langdon’s (and therefore Brown’s) forte. Combine this literary technique with a rapidly changing pace and the inclusion of both long and short chapters, and you’ve got a novel which grips and pulls at a reader’s every sense and emotion.

As is my usual thoughts on Brown, Inferno is gripping, full of suspense, eloquently detailed (although some may feel it’s overly descriptive) and educational in a fun way. Art History has never been so appealing! In comparison to The Da Vinci Code I found Inferno somewhat darker in tone. This comes from the very nature of the possible impending threat, a topic which is very much at the fore front of the global political agenda, the nature of some of the characters and some quite shocking and stark violence within the pages. Whilst you hope never to be in Robert Langdon’s shoes, as a reader you get a thrilling and adrenaline-fuelled adventure to enjoy from your sofa, bed, bath or wherever!

In particular I must praise Brown for his ability to convey to the reader everything Langdon sees, hears and feels. There is a fluidity to the novel each revelation, clue cracked and new location appears sequentially with ease, again the change in pace and length of chapters assists with this. You do not merely have to be a spectator, Brown gives his readers the opportunity (through his literary prowess) to step into the novel and become Langdon, his companions and to an extent even his adversaries.  Inferno is full of plot twists and turns, cliff-hangers and extremely detailed and intriguing back stories, for characters whose role in the novel is often not fully explained or understood; until it is revealed at the very end. The deceptions revealed in chapters 81 and 82 in particular I found truly astounding- I never saw them coming! At one point I was so stunned I closed my book and just thought about what I had just read. The level of thought put into the concoction of deceptions such as Brown’s; if they truly exist in the world well… but each reader will make of that what they will, but it makes for very gripping and very entertaining reading

There is some repetition within the novel, and at times the amount of paragraphs given to describing the numerous places and countries Inferno involves can be distracting from what is an otherwise a well-established plot. One does wonder how much of the description is for the scriptwriters of the film, and how much is for the actual readers.

Overall I think it’s a good addition to the adventures of Robert Langdon. Fans should find it enjoyable to read but also those just being introduced to Dan Brown’s novels will find they can equally enjoy the novel without needing to have read any of his previous books. Despite the numerous negative reviews out there this series will always be one of my favourites and I will continue to buy Brown’s novels, simply because of the experience I get when reading them.

© Gemma Feltham 15 June 2014