#Review The Last Thing to Burn by Will Dean

 Review

Jane is an unwilling participant in her marriage. She is a captive. She stays only to keep someone else safe, although her husband has made it impossible to escape his clutches. Hope seems to be a thing of the past until something changes her determination to break free of the chains that bind her so tightly.

Dean certainly is full of surprises, which isn't a bad thing when it comes to writing or creating captivating stories. Just when you think you have the measure of the flair, spectrum and ability, and then he goes and writes a complete curveball. A brilliantly engaging, intense and incredibly important one.

Aside from the immaculate plotting and on point characters there is another element of the story that absolutely deserves a kudos. The way Dean was able to immerse himself into the world of coercive, mental, physical abuse and the psychological abuse that goes hand-in-hand with trafficking and modern day slavery. You'll often hear or read cries of indignation 'why didn't he/she leave or ask for help, which of course is one of the many reasons abusive relationships are incomprehensible to someone who hasn't experienced them - the inability to comprehend the dynamics of control, power and abuse.

Whilst it is absolutely true that the young, vulnerable and inexperienced are statistically more likely to become victims, abuse does not halt before the intelligent, educated mind or person. It is far more complex than that. Anyway I digress.

My point is that Dean writes this with such an in-depth perception it made me wonder about the ability of certain storytellers to write beyond the construct and patriarchal dogma or bias of their gender, which is important depending on the topic and the gender of their characters. This story would have been ruined by tropes, instead it is a hard-hitting piece of fiction set in realism.

It is also written in an almost minimalistic style and mindset, which captures the isolation of the main character and the surroundings. An element I found extremely intriguing given where the story takes place. It serves as a stark reminder as to how disconnected the majority of us are from each other. Easier to look away and ignore the obvious signs than to become involved and help.

Above all Dean shines a spotlight on one of the most prevalent crimes of our modern era, although one could argue that slavery and human trafficking has merely evolved with the times and the demand. Unfortunately it's a very profitable, albeit completely despicable business and crime.

This is a cracking read. Oh and kudos to the author for the name and identity part of the story, especially in relation to Mary. Subtle, and yet simultaneously gut-wrenching and visceral. 

Buy/Pre-order The Last Thing to Burn at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton; pub date 7 Jan. 2021. Buy at Amazon com. Hive. Bookshop org. Waterstones.

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When All is Said by Anne Griffin

In its own solitary way this book is a thing of beauty and I hope it gets a nod next year when it's time for handing out awards and being listed on distinguished and best books lists. It's a story of sorrow, vengeance, loneliness, abuse and loss.

The story is narrated by the main character, Maurice Hannigan, as he tells the tale of his life and how he became the man he is and the people who helped him become that man. Now as an old man he looks back upon mistakes, the events that formed his character and some of his regrets. Five people, five toasts and his entire life in one evening.

The natural inclination of man or woman is to look back upon their lives as they grow older, especially if they are nearing the end of their time. The author really captures this nostalgic mood and how conflicted Hannigan feels about certain situations and people in his life.

One of the more poignant moments is when Hannigan has no choice but to put himself in the shoes of the man he has hated his whole life. Not that it makes that man less of a muppet, but it does give Hannigan a different perspective on certain behaviour and events he had to endure. Sometimes we only see one side of the story, which is often coloured by our own frame of reference and emotional involvement.

Griffin has a natural flair for writing and telling a story. With the most basic of recipes, one man and his drink of choice, just his voice and his memories - the author gives us a deep well of emotions, caustic commentary and breathtaking honesty. The reader lifts their drink and toasts alongside Hannigan, as he contemplates and reminisces the many decades of calculated moves. It's a subtle and spectacular read.

Buy When All is Said at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Publisher: Sceptre (pub. date 24 Jan. 2019), imprint of Hodder & Stoughton.

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