Mysteries, myths and motherhood all feature in this month’s list of page-turners
Words by Charlotte Griffiths
The Three Locks by Bonnie MacBird
The game’s afoot! This splendid romp of a novel is packed with twists and turns, effortlessly capturing the chaotic energy of Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes and his anchorman, Dr John Watson. It’s the latest Sherlock novel from Bonnie MacBird, and her background in screenwriting is extremely apparent throughout the book. Perfectly paced to keep you guessing and turning pages, The Three Locks leads the duo from backstage at illusionist performances in London to the depths of the old Cavendish Laboratory, where Holmes always ‘dreamed of studying’ – crossing paths with professional magicians, university professors, pawnshop owners, physicists, archers, clergymen and a huge host of other supporting characters. Many sites around our city star in the pages: anyone who’s walked over Jesus Lock Footbridge after a heavy rainstorm will be well aware of the awesome thundering power of the waterway, and the scene where a character meets their end in the murky waters, hair entangled in the Lock’s mechanism, is shudderingly well drawn. Equally disturbing is the appearance in the plot of the Spinning House, Cambridge University’s self-policed ‘house of correction’ which imprisoned (without trial) young women accused of heinous crimes, including ‘walking with members of the university’ – don’t research the Spinning House unless you’re prepared to have your outrage levels heightened considerably. An ideal winter night read, The Three Locks will no doubt leave you wanting to pick up MacBird’s other full-length Sherlock novels: TV adaptations are surely not too far away…
Elektra by Jennifer Saint
Hot on the heels of her smash-hit Ariadne comes Elektra, the newest novel from Jennifer Saint, who has pleasingly stuck to re-examining Greek legend for her source material. This time, the book follows the thoughts of a trio of mythical women: Clytemnestra, the sister of Helen and wife of warmongering king Agamemnon; her daughter, the eponymous Elektra; and Cassandra, doomed princess of Troy. In turn, these three tell the stories of their lives and choices running up to, and after, the Trojan Wars.
It’s not really a spoiler to mention plot elements written about by ancient Greeks, but Saint’s masterful retelling shines new light on these characters. The depiction of Cassandra’s ‘madness’ is heart-rending, and leaves you feeling guilty for accepting her diagnosis as ‘insane’ in previous interpretations. Iphigenia’s sacrifice – told from the perspective of her mother Clytemnestra, who is under the impression that her daughter is about to be married, not murdered – is beyond heartbreaking. It starkly depicts the searing, unthinkable horror of the scene – which rolls on, unstoppably, into Elektra’s understandable fury at her mother’s subsequent actions.
It’s as if Saint extends a hand to each of these snarling characters, cornered by their fates, enabling them to tell their story, point at their hurt and explain why they did what they did: after all, aren’t we all heroes in our own narratives? If you’re a fan of the movement to re-examine myth, this will no doubt already be on your to-read pile. If you’re new to this world, Saint’s book is a superb point from which to strike out on your own literary odyssey.
Our Wives Under The Sea by Julia Armfield
Captivating from the very first lines, this genre-defying novel tells the story of Miri and Leah – a married couple living in London, as they try to re-enter normal life after oceanographer Leah’s recent expedition beneath the waves. The ambiguously named Centre, which ran the mission, is proving less than forthcoming with follow-up support, leaving Miri adrift as she tries to cope with her wife’s strange and unsettling needs, which have been fundamentally altered by her underwater experiences. The slow drip of information as the book descends to the depths leaves much for the reader to piece together, adding to the growing sense of unease and, in parts, hand-to-mouth horror. The almost Gothic nature of Leah’s worsening, mysterious condition is perfectly set against everyday domestic matters, such as the neighbour’s loud television, amusing articles in the newspaper, or memories of the couple’s easy-going happinesses in the past. Staggeringly beautifully written, Armfield’s prose – like the deepest, most unexplored parts of the ocean – looks sparse at first, but is teeming with life when you let it wash over you. This poetic musing on love, loss and grief is mesmerisingly romantic, in the oldest, truest sense of the word. By the time the book resurfaces, you’re left bereft, both heartbroken for the lovers and simultaneously awestruck at nature’s unknowable vastness, depicted so magnificently in this tiny, intimate tale of two women and their unbounded love for each other.
Are We Having Fun Yet? by Lucy Mangan
It feels lazy to describe this novel as Bridget Jones meets Motherland, but the narrator Liz bears so much resemblance to both iconic representations of contemporary womanhood that it’s hard not to mention. And it’s no bad thing! This is a superb book, tracking a year from January to January in the life of London-based Liz, and her attempts to navigate modern existence peacefully. But this aim is constantly thwarted by the demands of her husband and two children, and of course her relationships with other parents, which Liz describes as ‘Game of Thrones without the bloodshed.’ “You think you’re in a gang,” she states, bleakly: “You think that the experience of creating and successfully expelling via whatever means possible an actual new human life from within would form some kind of universal unbreakable bond between you – and then, too late, you realise you’re not.” Her friends, however, provide support, who then get it back in spades when facing their own crises – including errant husbands, heartbroken babysitters and the annual challenge of World Book Day. It’s a fantastic read, wickedly sharp and gloriously funny.
For more book recommendations from Charlotte, check out this article.
