Official Review: The Reincarnation of Annie Brown

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[Following is the official OnlineBookClub.org review of "The Reincarnation of Annie Brown" by W. Scott Mitchell.]

This is the story of Eric, a gifted economics and philosophy graduate who has worked out a way to make himself a lot of money. Unfortunately, his discovery also threatens the financial stability of a powerful and secret international organisation which has the effect of splitting its membership: some view him as such a threat that they want him removed - forever, while others believe they should utilise his skills by recruiting him into the group. At first Eric doesn't fully appreciate the danger that he is in, but when it extends to the people he cares about he is forced to realise that he is caught up in a web of deception: who among his professors and friends should he trust?

Meanwhile he faces further entanglement in his personal life. Following a series of short-lived and unfulfilling romances he meets fellow student Erin, but his promising relationship with her is quickly complicated by emerging feelings towards his best friend's fiancée. And where does Annie Brown come into all this? There are secrets in Eric's past that still bind him and he will never be free until he faces all these spectres.

The reader is drawn into the game as one by one the other characters come under suspicion. It seems that no one is what they first appear to be; who is dissembling, who is telling some or all of the truth and what are their real motives? The story raises a number of issues as it unfolds, such as attempting to justify a bad means to a good end, and it explores values like respect, honesty, trust and loyalty - and just how far one should go in testing that loyalty.

This is quite a long book and there is plenty of time for the characters to develop, even if it is not always easy to judge how much of themselves they are revealing because of the games that are going on. It is written mainly in the first person from Eric's point of view with occasional switches to the third person narrative which, while it does put the reader in the possession of more information than most of the characters, I personally find a little bit erratic.

I have to say that I like Eric, who comes across as honest at heart and somewhat, understandably, confused; but I am not always so sure of the other characters. Quite often they build up trust and then, with a sudden twist, their motives come into question. There is a lot of analysis of their relationships, especially that between Eric and Jill, and the author does state that his intention is to explore the psychological and philosophical aspects of the story. Occasionally I found that makes it a bit slow going, given the dangerous situation they are in.

Overall I enjoyed the book, even if it is a bit wordy at times; in some instances Eric describes his thoughts or emotions in the narrative and then goes on to say exactly the same thing in the dialogue. I did, however, find it worthwhile to reread some passages in the light of later information as they take on a different meaning or greater significance than first appears. Disappointingly, there are a considerable number of typographical and grammatical errors in the version I read; hopefully these will be corrected in future editions.

I have rated 'The Reincarnation of Annie Brown' three out of four stars despite the errors, as I think it deserves more than just two. The author has taken pains to create an intricate story within a story and has an interesting website for anyone who would like further insight into his books.

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