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Bleeding Heart Square
by Andrew Taylor
Brilliant use of narrative voice
In 1934, aristocratic
Lydia Langstone flees her marriage to the unexpected refuge of her
father, a man she has never met, in Bleeding Heart Square, a broken
down section of London. Accompanied by her volume of Virginia
Woolf's A ROOM OF HER OWN, Lydia chooses her independence over an
abusive marriage even if her choice puts her at odds with her family
and aristocratic class expectations. As Lydia explores her new
uncharted life, a dark mystery surrounds 7 Bleeding Heart
Square. Four years ago, Miss Penrow, an older spinster
vanished. Rumors about her murder by a lover seem to be the most
popular explanation but if she is dead, why is someone sending Joseph
Serridge packages of bleeding, rotten hearts today? He may have
been the last known person to see Miss Penrow alive, but no body was
ever found. Journalist Rory Wentwood is determined to solve the
mystery and a plainclothes policeman haunts the square, presumably in
an attempt to ferret out a clue. As Rory and Lydia come together
in an attempt to solve the mystery of Miss Penrow's disappearance,
danger erupts in unexpected corners, a danger that threatens their very
lives.
Set during the turbulent years between two world wars, BLEEDING HEART
SQUARE frames the mystery during period of unrest as the British Union of Fascists come onto the political
scene in England. Against this political backdrop, Andrew
Taylor casts his eye on a more personal event, the story of love
gone bad in the case of Lydia Langstone and the dark unsolved mystery
of Miss Penrow's life. Although seemingly unrelated other than by
time and place, the true genius of Andrew Taylor's BLEEDING
HEART SQUARE emerges in the last pages as subtle thematic elements make
connections between the political and the more intimate dynamics in
one's relationship with others. In just the right measure, Andrew
Taylor leaves the reader with an image of evil that haunts.
Just as Andrew Taylor joins history with a more personal lens into
individuals, the author also builds the story through weaving together
different narrative voices, voices with thematic resonances and
differences in the midst of the unfolding plot. In BLEEDING HEART
SQUARE, the narrative alternates
between the present day 1934 story of Lydia Langstone and the earlier
diary of Miss Penrow's own voice and perspective. Each diary
entry is prefaced by a chilling commentary addressed to the reader, a
forewarning of the darkness ahead. Andrew Taylor's brilliant
multi-layered use of different narrative voices heightens the
suspenseful tone of the story. Between the diary itself which
charts the transformation in Miss Penrow's awareness and the eerie
prefaces, the reader catches a partial glimpse of the ending,
anticipating the final expected resolution, but just when the puzzle
seems complete, the narrative takes the reader even further into the
twisted tale of Miss Penrow's diappearance. Andrew Taylor's historical mystery is a
perfect combination of resonance and differences between the history
and the personal as well as the different narrative voices. The Bleeding Heart Square itself is layered with
history. The interrelations between the characters are
interconnected and layered in unexpected combinations that give a rich
depth to this mystery.
Andrew Taylor's historical mystery is a
perfect combination of resonance and differences between all the layers
tht give it such a fine richness. Never heavy-handed, the author allows the reader to make
the connections, with some false clues, with some true, in a manner
that maximizes both the suspense and the breath-taking experience of
reading along the way to the shocking end.
BLEEDING HEART SQUARE deals with issues that may be difficult for some
readers. The very title alone gives a hint that this is not a
cozy light mystery. From the beginning in Lydia's escape from her
abusive husband, the reader discovers that the author is willing to
look into the darker side of relationships and the lives of
women. In this mystery, the violence and darkness is never
gratuitous for the sake of cheap thrills at the expense of his female
characters. Indeed, the beauty of this work comes from the
author's ability to peer into the very heart of darkness, of what some
might call evil, and lay bare the insidious yet incremental manner it
takes hold. BLEEDING HEART
SQUARE is a mystery that will haunt readers long after the final
page. Brilliant and one of the most stunning novels I have read!
Reviewed by Merrimon,
Merrimon Book Reviews
Courtesy of Amazon Vine
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