Official Review: Shifting Sands by Barry Litherland
Posted: 09 Jun 2020, 08:56
[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Shifting Sands" by Barry Litherland.]
Shifting Sands, by British writer Barry Litherland, is billed as a mystery-thriller. Set in Sefton in the north-west of England, the book uses British-English spelling and has a few references that may be unfamiliar to non-UK readers. Do not be deterred, however. This is an entertaining read with a wide appeal.
On hearing an odd tale from his dodgy pal, Winston, thirty-something journalist Philip Tyler gets the scent of a story. He makes a few inquiries and finds his attention focusing on a nearby stately home, Westleigh Hall. Philip learns that a major company, Logrum Research, has acquired Westleigh, ostensibly to turn it into an exclusive rehabilitation center for an upmarket clientele. There is something about the company’s attitude, however, that leaves Philip feeling fobbed off. Further digging leads him to Wendy, who has experienced the treatment being offered at Westleigh. It also leads him to old-flame, Melissa, who now works for Logrum. Is she helping or hindering him? Philip is not sure. Nor is he sure why Logrum is being bankrolled by an American billionaire and protected by the British government. To go up against such formidable adversaries, Philip needs a crack team by his side; instead, he has his editor, Liz, who doesn’t seem to like him very much, the reliably unreliable Winston, and a former cop-turned-barfly called Slattery. To Philip, it seems like a bad dream. Indeed, he can’t be sure that it isn’t all a dream anyway. It’s so hard to tell the difference. Dream or reality? Solid ground or shifting sands?
I enjoyed reading this light, well-crafted novel. My only quibble with its description as a mystery-thriller is that it overlooks the rich thread of comedy running through the story. The tale is told in the first-person from Philip’s perspective. The narrator’s witty commentary on events is one of the book’s strong points. His pal Winston is on the receiving end of many of his disparaging observations and insults: ‘He relaxes, and the big smile returns. You can’t offend Winston. God knows I’ve tried. I used to think if I was offensive enough often enough, he’d get the hint and leave me alone. He didn’t.’ (location 99 of 4127)
The narrative moves at a decent pace. There is a lot of dialogue in the story, which helps shift things along, while the author’s frequent use of short, staccato sentences also keeps the story from stalling. The plot is easy to follow. The book, as a whole, is not complicated but larger themes are raised by the author. The reality of our experiences in a world with a growing capacity to create new, virtual realities, is the issue that sits at the heart of the story. It is a question that both Wendy and Philip are forced to confront. Yet even if they come up with an answer, can they be sure it’s real?
The book is not perfect. The use of a first-person narrator means that we only get to experience events through Philip’s eyes. Consequently, the thoughts and feelings of other characters are left unexplored and they remain largely undeveloped as a result. Despite that, I am happy to award this exceptionally well-edited novel 4 out of 4 stars. There are a few curse words scattered around its pages, but these are neither excessive nor distracting. There are no explicit sex scenes. I recommend the book to fans of mysteries and thrillers, and to anyone who fancies an enjoyable yarn laced with humor.
******
Shifting Sands
View: on Bookshelves
Shifting Sands, by British writer Barry Litherland, is billed as a mystery-thriller. Set in Sefton in the north-west of England, the book uses British-English spelling and has a few references that may be unfamiliar to non-UK readers. Do not be deterred, however. This is an entertaining read with a wide appeal.
On hearing an odd tale from his dodgy pal, Winston, thirty-something journalist Philip Tyler gets the scent of a story. He makes a few inquiries and finds his attention focusing on a nearby stately home, Westleigh Hall. Philip learns that a major company, Logrum Research, has acquired Westleigh, ostensibly to turn it into an exclusive rehabilitation center for an upmarket clientele. There is something about the company’s attitude, however, that leaves Philip feeling fobbed off. Further digging leads him to Wendy, who has experienced the treatment being offered at Westleigh. It also leads him to old-flame, Melissa, who now works for Logrum. Is she helping or hindering him? Philip is not sure. Nor is he sure why Logrum is being bankrolled by an American billionaire and protected by the British government. To go up against such formidable adversaries, Philip needs a crack team by his side; instead, he has his editor, Liz, who doesn’t seem to like him very much, the reliably unreliable Winston, and a former cop-turned-barfly called Slattery. To Philip, it seems like a bad dream. Indeed, he can’t be sure that it isn’t all a dream anyway. It’s so hard to tell the difference. Dream or reality? Solid ground or shifting sands?
I enjoyed reading this light, well-crafted novel. My only quibble with its description as a mystery-thriller is that it overlooks the rich thread of comedy running through the story. The tale is told in the first-person from Philip’s perspective. The narrator’s witty commentary on events is one of the book’s strong points. His pal Winston is on the receiving end of many of his disparaging observations and insults: ‘He relaxes, and the big smile returns. You can’t offend Winston. God knows I’ve tried. I used to think if I was offensive enough often enough, he’d get the hint and leave me alone. He didn’t.’ (location 99 of 4127)
The narrative moves at a decent pace. There is a lot of dialogue in the story, which helps shift things along, while the author’s frequent use of short, staccato sentences also keeps the story from stalling. The plot is easy to follow. The book, as a whole, is not complicated but larger themes are raised by the author. The reality of our experiences in a world with a growing capacity to create new, virtual realities, is the issue that sits at the heart of the story. It is a question that both Wendy and Philip are forced to confront. Yet even if they come up with an answer, can they be sure it’s real?
The book is not perfect. The use of a first-person narrator means that we only get to experience events through Philip’s eyes. Consequently, the thoughts and feelings of other characters are left unexplored and they remain largely undeveloped as a result. Despite that, I am happy to award this exceptionally well-edited novel 4 out of 4 stars. There are a few curse words scattered around its pages, but these are neither excessive nor distracting. There are no explicit sex scenes. I recommend the book to fans of mysteries and thrillers, and to anyone who fancies an enjoyable yarn laced with humor.
******
Shifting Sands
View: on Bookshelves
