Review by aacodreanu -- Shifting Sands by Barry Litherland
Posted: 16 Nov 2020, 12:24
[Following is a volunteer review of "Shifting Sands" by Barry Litherland.]
Shifting Sands is a hot (as right out of the oven) mystery novel (published in May 2020) by Barry Litherland. The author describes himself as being "an author, reviewer, reader, and springer spaniel owner living in the North of Scotland. He writes literary crime thrillers, paranormal crime thrillers, and MG children's books (8-12) and has published several novels.” The press seems to be at the center this time as a reliable agent in discovering most of the time unpalatable truth. Yet the real focus is on the shifting character of the truth in general: it is like shifting sands, the author's message seems to be.
The novel features Philip Tyler, a young, enthusiastic and resourceful journalist at The Evening Post, the local paper, who gets a lead on an incredible case: a naked man covered in gel and with electrodes sticking out his body runs on a secluded road, in the middle of the night, calling ”Bunny, Bunny”. So, the journalist starts to investigate, and he does not let go, like a dog its bone, not even when the police short of laughs at his face for reporting the case. All leads point to Westleigh Hall, a shadowy research establishment for the rich, protected and covered by the authorities. After numerous clues but also false clues and dead-ends, a former high-school date who now is strangely interested in him and a lovable presumable victim Philip falls for, the truth of the situation comes out. All is now clear (or so it seems).
The story, both the events and the reaction they create in the hero’s mind and soul, is told from the perspective of the main character in his own words (first-person narrative). Philip suffers from a permanent lack of confidence and discontent with himself. He always represents in his mind conversations where what he says is not taken seriously, and is surprised when this does not happen in the real exchanges with third parties like his editor Liz.
The other characters involved in the action are also well defined: editor Liz, the fifty years old married to the job whom everybody fears, Philip’s former high-school mates Warren – the source, and his mate Benny Jarret, who also saw the supposed victim while they were both burglarising an empty house. (As a consequence, Jarret experienced the mysterious treatment first hand himself.)
The style is very appropriate, both in the investigations the journalist is carrying out – with the various interviewees speaking differently, according to their status, and when he describes the context, his perceptions being those of a young, educated man in a small town in the north of England.
The whole book is likable, with the special mention of the fast pace of the action, the way the mystery is present up to the very end, with just odds and bits revealed to keep the readers' interest aroused. I like the way the character identifies the origin of some of the people he investigates: Americans by the way they speak but also act. It is a rare time to see how the Americans' idiosyncrasies are perceived somewhere across the pond.
Was there anything that I did not like? Hard to say. Perhaps the impatience to see the main character falling into traps despite the warnings from the reliable, friendly people around him but also his apprehensions. Yet these features are inherent to Philip's personality, and the reader is in the position of a movie watcher who wants to warn the character of the bad guy.
Fans of the crime and mystery genre will love Shifting Sands. They will not be able to stop reading until the very end. There are no too offensive profanities and no sexual innuendos. Thus, even younger fans of the genre will meet with no harm in reading the book. Also, people who are interested in the present way of life of young people close to the Scottish border will not be disappointed.
I could not find any flaws and mistakes in the book; the proofreading is quite remarkable.
Therefore, it gives me great pleasure to grant Shifting Sands four out of four stars for the freshness and consistency of the mystery it carries. However, I would appreciate a sequel, even if it was Barry Litherland’s intention to leave the reader wondering: shifting sands of reality.
******
Shifting Sands
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Shifting Sands is a hot (as right out of the oven) mystery novel (published in May 2020) by Barry Litherland. The author describes himself as being "an author, reviewer, reader, and springer spaniel owner living in the North of Scotland. He writes literary crime thrillers, paranormal crime thrillers, and MG children's books (8-12) and has published several novels.” The press seems to be at the center this time as a reliable agent in discovering most of the time unpalatable truth. Yet the real focus is on the shifting character of the truth in general: it is like shifting sands, the author's message seems to be.
The novel features Philip Tyler, a young, enthusiastic and resourceful journalist at The Evening Post, the local paper, who gets a lead on an incredible case: a naked man covered in gel and with electrodes sticking out his body runs on a secluded road, in the middle of the night, calling ”Bunny, Bunny”. So, the journalist starts to investigate, and he does not let go, like a dog its bone, not even when the police short of laughs at his face for reporting the case. All leads point to Westleigh Hall, a shadowy research establishment for the rich, protected and covered by the authorities. After numerous clues but also false clues and dead-ends, a former high-school date who now is strangely interested in him and a lovable presumable victim Philip falls for, the truth of the situation comes out. All is now clear (or so it seems).
The story, both the events and the reaction they create in the hero’s mind and soul, is told from the perspective of the main character in his own words (first-person narrative). Philip suffers from a permanent lack of confidence and discontent with himself. He always represents in his mind conversations where what he says is not taken seriously, and is surprised when this does not happen in the real exchanges with third parties like his editor Liz.
The other characters involved in the action are also well defined: editor Liz, the fifty years old married to the job whom everybody fears, Philip’s former high-school mates Warren – the source, and his mate Benny Jarret, who also saw the supposed victim while they were both burglarising an empty house. (As a consequence, Jarret experienced the mysterious treatment first hand himself.)
The style is very appropriate, both in the investigations the journalist is carrying out – with the various interviewees speaking differently, according to their status, and when he describes the context, his perceptions being those of a young, educated man in a small town in the north of England.
The whole book is likable, with the special mention of the fast pace of the action, the way the mystery is present up to the very end, with just odds and bits revealed to keep the readers' interest aroused. I like the way the character identifies the origin of some of the people he investigates: Americans by the way they speak but also act. It is a rare time to see how the Americans' idiosyncrasies are perceived somewhere across the pond.
Was there anything that I did not like? Hard to say. Perhaps the impatience to see the main character falling into traps despite the warnings from the reliable, friendly people around him but also his apprehensions. Yet these features are inherent to Philip's personality, and the reader is in the position of a movie watcher who wants to warn the character of the bad guy.
Fans of the crime and mystery genre will love Shifting Sands. They will not be able to stop reading until the very end. There are no too offensive profanities and no sexual innuendos. Thus, even younger fans of the genre will meet with no harm in reading the book. Also, people who are interested in the present way of life of young people close to the Scottish border will not be disappointed.
I could not find any flaws and mistakes in the book; the proofreading is quite remarkable.
Therefore, it gives me great pleasure to grant Shifting Sands four out of four stars for the freshness and consistency of the mystery it carries. However, I would appreciate a sequel, even if it was Barry Litherland’s intention to leave the reader wondering: shifting sands of reality.
******
Shifting Sands
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
.