Review by LinaJan -- Shifting Sands by Barry Litherland

[LinaJan]

[Following is a volunteer review of "Shifting Sands" by Barry Litherland.]

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3 out of 4 stars

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Shifting Sands by Barry Litherland is said, rather appropriately, to be a mystery thriller. While waiting around for his friend to come back from his somewhat unsavory ‘job,' Winston encounters a naked and confused man wandering the country lanes. He soon tells his friend Philip about this unusual sight. Philip is a journalist at a local newspaper; he does not fancy himself as someone who is up for fighting over the limelight getting involved in controversies. However, his curiosity is aroused. The first hesitant steps to investigate the story lead him to a tucked-away countryside house locally known as Westleigh Lodge, where he seems to encounter a dead-end. He is not too keen to investigate any further but decides to share the lingering doubt with his editor, Liz. Liz never holds back and says things as they are. Having received Liz’s uncharacteristic blessing, Phil pulls himself together and decides to dig a little deeper. After all, someone must be missing that poor country-lane wanderer. And what are all the electrodes and gel all about?

I loved Shifting Sands by Barry Litherland. Britain has a special place in my heart, so the fact that the story is set in Britain had tilted the scales straight away. If I did not know that the author was British, I would suspect that he is. The wit and the unmatched metaphors are, in my view, very characteristic of the British sense of humor. For example:

‘She turns it on you and you feel like you’ve just been stapled to the wall […]’ (Chapter 2 – I am unable to cite the page number as the format that I had been given access to was that of EPUB)

‘They’re very polite, like saccharine on a cyanide capsule.’ (Chapter 3)

‘Get to the point, Philip. I’m due to die in the next forty years.’ (Chapter 2)

The character development is strong; I felt everything from repulsion to adoration regarding most of the characters; not once I felt indifferent. I was quite befuddled to find that the first real connection I felt was that with Winston – the dirty-mouthed cowardly part-time thief. When I witnessed Winston interact with his mother, I felt even more warmth towards him. Philip – the protagonist – annoyed me at first. Until I got to know him, and he turned out to be alright. The relationships between the characters, for example, between Liz and Philip or Philip and Winston, felt realistic. The story and suspense building are also, in my eyes, impeccable. The pace, the dialogues, and the narration are tuned perfectly. And, hiding in all the action, bickering, and swearing, the reader comes across some unexpected gems that serve greatly for self-reflection:

‘I feel that relief you get when you’ve done your best without having to do anything at all — a kind of self-deluding virtuousness.’ (Chapter 15)

If I could, I would wholeheartedly award Shifting Sands by Barry Litherland 4 stars. But, because more than ten errors and typos must be declared, I have no choice but to give it 3 out of 4 stars. I wish to stress that these errors do not in any way affect the pleasure of reading. The majority of them are simply omissions of the closing inverted comma at the end of direct speech.

This book is rich with both borderline and non-borderline profanities. Whilst one can often find that some authors overuse vulgar words and they may often feel out of place and strained, in the case of this book, they only make it more authentic and the dialogues more real and relatable. There are no explicit erotic scenes, but there are a couple of instances where an allusion is made to what could be described as having a ‘sexual nature.’ I recommend this book to mature audiences who enjoy detective stories with an undertone of a conspiracy.

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Shifting Sands
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon

[AnnOgochukwu]

I recently read a sample of this book and I did enjoy it. I too was curious to know what the electrodes and gel were about. And I was kinda scared of Liz.
I never got to notice the humor inherent in this work, that's a plus to the book.
You wrote a nice review, I enjoyed reading it.

[Melexa]

I did a review on another book written by Barry Litherland - Breakers - and I loved it. Hence, I was drawn to this review when I saw the author's name. This book sounds interesting. I definitely want to give it a try. Great review.

[LinaJan]

I recently read a sample of this book and I did enjoy it. I too was curious to know what the electrodes and gel were about. And I was kinda scared of Liz.
I never got to notice the humor inherent in this work, that's a plus to the book.
You wrote a nice review, I enjoyed reading it.

Ooooohh you lost out on the best aspect - the subtle (and sometimes not so much - humour! I definitely recommend this book. I was gutted to have to mark it down for the minor, hardly noticeable errors. The story is definitely both thrilling and chilling, and the character development is top notch
I was scared of Liz too And then I wanted to be like her

Thank you for stopping by!

[LinaJan]

I did a review on another book written by Barry Litherland - Breakers - and I loved it. Hence, I was drawn to this review when I saw the author's name. This book sounds interesting. I definitely want to give it a try. Great review.

I was just thinking that I'll have to look for more works by this author, so thank you for a tip! I certainly recommend this book. Not only the storyline is enthralling and suspenseful and the character development is masterful, but the humour aspect - to me - makes it what it is

Thank you for popping in

[Sou Hi]

Thanks for your nice review. I read the sample once, and I found Philip's behaviors a bit questionable. Like, he directly confronts the suspect without thinking about the consequence. It's not like they will tell you what they are hiding, so why bother ?

[Melexa]

I did a review on another book written by Barry Litherland - Breakers - and I loved it. Hence, I was drawn to this review when I saw the author's name. This book sounds interesting. I definitely want to give it a try. Great review.

I was just thinking that I'll have to look for more works by this author, so thank you for a tip! I certainly recommend this book. Not only the storyline is enthralling and suspenseful and the character development is masterful, but the humour aspect - to me - makes it what it is

Thank you for popping in

My pleasure
Then you will love 'Breakers'. My review of the book is yet to be published, perhaps when it is, you could have a look-see and decide if it'll be worth your while.

[Raluca_Mihaila]

Thank you for your recommendation! Good mystery thrillers are my kind of books

[LinaJan]

Thanks for your nice review. I read the sample once, and I found Philip's behaviors a bit questionable. Like, he directly confronts the suspect without thinking about the consequence. It's not like they will tell you what they are hiding, so why bother ?

Hahaa yea, I thought that! Wouldn't you want the person(s) you're investigating to NOT know that they are being investigated?! Surely should be more fruitful approach

[LinaJan]

Thank you for your recommendation! Good mystery thrillers are my kind of books

It was indeed good Both the story and the writing style

[Eutoc]

I sometimes try to mimic the British English anytime I read a book by a Brit. This is enough to actually convince me to read a book. I would definitely check it out. Thanks for recommending.

[Nqobile Mashinini Tshabalala]

You clearly enjoyed reading this one! Your review is beautifully written.

[quaintrelle4]

This is not the type of book I like to read but your review has left me intrigued as I can’t help but to wonder how you felt connected to a character as repulsive as Winston. Thanks for the review

[Dominik_G]

I've read Shifting Sands and I enjoyed it a lot. I agree with you: if it wasn't for the typos and small errors, it would deserve a perfect rating. Thank you for your great review!