This is definitely a unique story with apparently lots of humour well I guess I have a lousy sense of it. I was not able to grasp the essence of the story, where it was leading to and simply thought it was due to poor writing (too much slang) and a lousy plot, well apparently I am totally out in the left field since many have expressed the opposite. This Bonny and Clyde à la 21st century was not able to tickle my fancy in the first few pages and upheld my full attention subsequently, although I did manage with great patience to read it to the last page hoping everything will gel eventually, it never did. In retrospect, this romantic western crime comedy was without any doubt not meant for me I should have read between lines and paid more attention to the synopsis before tackling it.
Let me be fair to the writer, he is after all a professional writer with a fertile imagination and great capability to simulate particular accents, those who can understand the nuance will most likely enjoy it. This book is a crime lite set in Texas and features lovebirds doing just fine shooting up South Texas and making hair-rising getaway and eventually getting over their head with real robbers and crooked politicians, mixed up with an embezzler nerd, a grizzled bounty hunter, wild bikers, etc. This is a caper like you never read before narrated in a southern drawl with plenty of local slang. It has unique twists along the way and cock-eyed romance to entertain. Some may find the writing to be rich and spunky and have amazing characterization unfortunately I fail to see this….. Well my lost.
This thriller/mystery may be Simon Kernick’s second novel but far from the second one I have read through the years. I am just catching up with his repertoire. In fact, I have highly recommended his novels in the past and I have a sneaking impression I will do so for many more years, yes I admit being a huge fan….
“The Murder Exchange” is a gritty exploration of London’s underworld. The engaging plot is cleverly written, has a touch of humour to it and provides numerous twists to keep us tuned in and flipping pages. Told from the points of view of its two lead characters and in alternate chapters, this dual narrative delivers an interesting contrast and proves to be an excellent way of building the tension, albeit confusing at first. Mid-way through the book the action really kicks off and the reading gets exciting, though some twists seem rather far-fetched and some scenes have plenty of violence. Mr. Kernick’s books are known to be fast paced and for pulling the readers in a matter of a few chapters, this one is no exception. We have a wide scope of characters all intricate in their own way and surprising brief appearance from recurring ones (or maybe they appeared in later books).This novel is another excellent read hard to put down.
This fiction is the story of Anne Lindbergh the wife of the famous aviator Charles Lindbergh. In her notes, the author clearly writes that while the basic timeline is accurate, her motivation was to tell Anne’s entire story and make her the heroine. Some parts are the factual skeleton of the story although its mind and heart are the work of her vivid imagination.
The first person narrative captures remarkably Anne’s life: a deeply intelligent, courageous and resilient woman who was too often overshadowed by the dominant personality of her husband. While the story is of a marriage it is primarily the story of a pioneering aviatrix: the first American woman to earn a glider pilot’s license, a fearless navigator and one of the first licensed radio operators who became her famous husband co-pilot.
We have of course the familiar and tragic side that everyone knows. In details we see how along with her husband they were continually hounded by the press and needed to wear disguises in order to go out in public. How Anne grieved over the loss of her firstborn in private because her husband forbade her to do so in public. Never contradicting him and tried to justify his isolationist leanings prior to WW11 and build an entire life for herself and her children when Charles all but abandoned them in his increasing unrest after the conflict ended. She then learned to talk back and to tell her own story famously in “Gift from the Sea”. Anne also had a surprising adulterous affair in middle age, refused to be buried next to her husband, this national hero who had three secret families including seven additional children. Of course I am only mentioning a few of the events mentioned in the novel.
On one side, “The Aviator’s Wife” is a well-crafted historical fiction that vividly brings to life people and events from the past in a narrative that is highly emotional and very passionate. The author has produced an exquisite work of sympathy towards Anne in her long and difficult journey in life. This is a captivating tale of love and hate, admiration and resentment that also maintains interest and even suspense throughout. On the other side, Anne is a frustrating protagonist and a weak character, too much of a wet noodle but again this was another era where most women were expected to be submissive. The melancholy style in which the novel is written became annoying in the long run…way too mushy for my taste…..But having said this, it was a nice perspective of Anne Lindbergh and well worth reading.
