In his debut novel, the author presents the portrait of a family, gives a message that, finally one
has to pay for the wrong actions, that it is not good for any partner to have extra-marital affairs, & that wedlock is a less stressful mode of living. It is presented, as if written by Matthew Bourne, who is at the centre stage in this novel. Matthew Bourne, 29 years old, is having a career with a human rights agency. Marianne Soubirous is his mistress. They have a daughter Jessica, & one more child is expected. He has been appointed leader of a team, for a major campaigning to secure the release of Jarawa, a condemned African dissident diplomat, poet & writer, who has received death sentence. Jamie of the above agency has constituted the team,consisting of Matthew Bourne, Christian Tedeschi & Joanne. Christian Tedeschi about 40 years old, is married to Susan Tedeschi. The novel begins with the tragic incidence of a car crash in Oxford, wherein Susan Tedeschi is killed. When Christian receives this message, he seeks help of Matthew Bourne, who is called to identify the body of Susan. This incident appears to seep into Matthew’s life, like a slow poison, & he faces the nightmares of betrayal & death. Matthew starts campaign presentation for release of Jarawa, for labour MP’s & wants to follow up with the Ambassador & others. At his office Matthew finds that, a protest for Jarawa has been organized. There he meets the representative of the Embassy. Later, Matthew is informed by Joanne, about Jarawa losing the appeal, & date of execution having been fixed. Mrs. Jarawa informs Matthew on phone, that she does not want to get involved, in any public campaign for her husband. Jamie said that another NGO “Freedom Africa” had set up the unit of specialists & Oxford academics, to negotiate Jarawa’s release, but the whole thing fell through. One day, Matthew found from newspapers that the execution of Jarawa, is scheduled for the next day.
Before his live-in relationship with Marianne, Matthew had affairs with an Australian girl in London, & also with a Brazilian woman. Marianne tells Matthew that she is pregnant again, & that she wants to marry him. Matthew also wanted to nurture this relationship, but subsequently, Marianne decided against marriage. One day, one South African lady Charlotte Fischer reminds Matthew, of their meeting at Nick Tate’s dinner party. She recounts to Matthew, the story of her taking revenge with her lover. One day Charlotte invites Matthew for dinner, thus leading to their affair, but the subsequent meetings are unfriendly. Once Matthew saw Marianne embracing a person. Later on, he found that they had rented an apartment for their meetings. Later, Oxford Professor Richard Weldon, becomes Marianne’s lover. The love affairs of Marianne, are not to the liking of Matthew. Matthew meets Prof. Richard Weldon in his
house, & talks about his relations with Marianne, but Professor tells him about his earlier meeting with Jarawa, when Jarawa was a Minister for Culture. Then, Matthew hits him hard on his head with a flower vase, blood starts coming out of his head & he dies. Matthew phones Christian, who arrives at this house. Together they clean the house of all the traces of this incidence, lift the body, & take it along with the trash in Christian’s car. They drive a long distance, & dump the body in a cave. Later on Matthew arrives at his house, & behaves normally. Once while driving, Matthew is stopped & taken to
Police station, for testing for alcohol. There he reads the news, about the disappearance of the Oxford Professor, & that police was investigating. Later he leaves for his home. The two police man arrive at the house of Matthew, & ask for Marianne. On questioning, she did not confirm her relationship with the Professor. Matthew alsoconfirmed that, he does not know this Professor. Later on, he found two police officers again waiting for him. They showed some more photos of the missing Professor, & asked whether he knew any of the two, i.e. the Professor & his woman friend, looking like Marianne. He felt the fear of confessing at some stage. One day at his house, Marianne is found to be having haemorrhage. Matthew takes her to the hospital. He suspected her taking sleeping tablets. Marianne is found to have aborted, but she is out of danger. Later, Matthew brings her back to the house. Marianne says that, she is never going to leave Matthew. In the meantime, a police car pulls up outside Matthew’s house. Matthew felt that his final moment has come. On opening the front door, he finds the same earlier two policemen. He just tells them, to allow him to wish good-bye to his wife & daughter. He confesses to his wife, bids his wife & daughter good-bye, & surrenders himself to the police. The book can be highly spoken of, as a suspense thriller, & unraveling of a seemingly clear life. The author’s style of narration of events is artful & powerful. Taking an overall view, it is an impressive & interesting novel. Once started, it cannot be put down, unless completed till end.