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TIGERS IN RED WEATHER
by Liza Klaussmann
Picador, August 2012
400 pages
12.99 GBP
ISBN: 1447212053


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Nick and Helena are American cousins who have a shared history of family summers spent in a sprawling family house on the coast. After they both marry, the tradition continues with their growing families. One year a young woman is found murdered by Ed and Daisy, the two children, and the atmosphere changes. The family dynamics become more complex with long- lasting consequences. Was one of the family members involved in the murder? A degree of suspense is maintained right to the end.

It is refreshing to read a book in which the author plays with time to such good effect. The story is retold by different characters from their personal perspectives and in the context of their lives, both before and after the eventful summer. The section for each character is not necessarily chronological – and this further opportunity to play with time is used as a means to create atmosphere or confusion to reflect the mind of the character. The order of the stories takes the reader from boring American summer holidays through to the complicated mind of the most complex and interesting of the characters. This happens to be a young man – a theme that seems to recur frequently in this genre of American literature.

Throughout the book, the atmosphere is of a hot American summer – felt through descriptions of the clothing, of the outdoor parties, and the frequent references to water. The pervading low- level influence of alcohol can also be felt. The atmosphere in the house, often one of lethargy, is constantly overlaid with references to this heat. There is an unusual approach to much of the descriptive writing in the book. The author doesn't just describe people for example, but uses their body image to show their emotion. The wonderful description of two people playing tennis, early in the book, exemplifies this. Such descriptions often appear to start with an outcome and work backwards to the cause, a very clever and revealing strategy. Another strategy that is used most effectively are the references to real world events. Reality is effortlessly integrated into the story, something not always easily achieved.

Overall the book is an interesting, though not always a comfortable, read which is not hide-bound by traditional forms of structure. The story-telling in general is fluent and impressive for a first novel.

§ Sylvia Maughan is a retired university lecturer, based in Bristol.

Reviewed by Sylvia Maughan, September 2012

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Contact: Yvonne Klein (ymk@reviewingtheevidence.com)


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