Official Review: Duplicity by Fin C Gray
Posted: 05 Apr 2020, 10:49
[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Duplicity" by Fin C Gray.]
Terrorists, sexual abuse, cancer, and mental illness are all part of the Duplicity plot, which surrounds Tom McIntyre and his family. The author, Fin C. Gray, writes a fast-moving, captivating book that pulled at me from the first page. This is what you want to hear: I could hardly put this book down. That being said, Duplicity is quite an excellent choice for a quarantine read if you find extra downtime in your schedule. Characters are drawn so completely that some are loved, some are hated, and some are both. In telling the story, Gray deftly guides readers through flashbacks and the present. While some writers cause confusion jumping back and forth, Gray designed his flashbacks to provide the foundation for the main plot. They add to the story seamlessly.
Tom and Alison McIntyre live with their two children, Daniel and Jenny, in suburban England. They are a typical married couple trying to provide for their family and create a good home. How do the lives of such seemingly ordinary people get permeated by evils of the day? One small choice at a time. The results of bad decisions build and boil until distress causes them to explode, affecting the lives not only of the family but also those of strangers. Secrets crawl out of the darkness, bringing with them consequences and dread.
Gray does a consummate job of not just drawing characters, but also giving them texture -- motivations, habits, and attitudes. When Daniel, for instance, describes a friend's appearance, the reader can see how much influence his mother has on him. When Tom drinks himself into a stupor, Gray illustrates what the man is experiencing and how he got to the point of self-annihilation. Beyond good character building, the author equally creates compelling imagery. Gloomy nights, melancholy faces, and unforgettable melodies climb easily from the page to the imagination.
I am delighted to give this book 4 out of 4 stars. I couldn't stop reading it because the plot is top-notch, and the characters are fascinating. This author focused on what seemed to be an average family to show the fallout of bad decisions. The path led through pain to some growth, but it also led to heartbreaking failures. It was fascinating not only to observe the characters' actions but also to understand their motivations.
Duplicity was apparently professionally edited. There were a handful of mistakes, fewer than ten, and most of them were typos. Prospective readers should know that a lot is going on in these pages. This book reaches into painful memories and damaged minds. In that regard, this book contains profanity, violence, gore, sexual situations, and an incident of cruelty to animals. I do not recommend this book to younger readers. However, mature readers looking for suspense, family drama, and psychological undercurrents will appreciate this book. If that is you, dive in now!
******
Duplicity
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Terrorists, sexual abuse, cancer, and mental illness are all part of the Duplicity plot, which surrounds Tom McIntyre and his family. The author, Fin C. Gray, writes a fast-moving, captivating book that pulled at me from the first page. This is what you want to hear: I could hardly put this book down. That being said, Duplicity is quite an excellent choice for a quarantine read if you find extra downtime in your schedule. Characters are drawn so completely that some are loved, some are hated, and some are both. In telling the story, Gray deftly guides readers through flashbacks and the present. While some writers cause confusion jumping back and forth, Gray designed his flashbacks to provide the foundation for the main plot. They add to the story seamlessly.
Tom and Alison McIntyre live with their two children, Daniel and Jenny, in suburban England. They are a typical married couple trying to provide for their family and create a good home. How do the lives of such seemingly ordinary people get permeated by evils of the day? One small choice at a time. The results of bad decisions build and boil until distress causes them to explode, affecting the lives not only of the family but also those of strangers. Secrets crawl out of the darkness, bringing with them consequences and dread.
Gray does a consummate job of not just drawing characters, but also giving them texture -- motivations, habits, and attitudes. When Daniel, for instance, describes a friend's appearance, the reader can see how much influence his mother has on him. When Tom drinks himself into a stupor, Gray illustrates what the man is experiencing and how he got to the point of self-annihilation. Beyond good character building, the author equally creates compelling imagery. Gloomy nights, melancholy faces, and unforgettable melodies climb easily from the page to the imagination.
I am delighted to give this book 4 out of 4 stars. I couldn't stop reading it because the plot is top-notch, and the characters are fascinating. This author focused on what seemed to be an average family to show the fallout of bad decisions. The path led through pain to some growth, but it also led to heartbreaking failures. It was fascinating not only to observe the characters' actions but also to understand their motivations.
Duplicity was apparently professionally edited. There were a handful of mistakes, fewer than ten, and most of them were typos. Prospective readers should know that a lot is going on in these pages. This book reaches into painful memories and damaged minds. In that regard, this book contains profanity, violence, gore, sexual situations, and an incident of cruelty to animals. I do not recommend this book to younger readers. However, mature readers looking for suspense, family drama, and psychological undercurrents will appreciate this book. If that is you, dive in now!
******
Duplicity
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
