Description
Sonny draws a graphic novel, much darker than he expects. Why is Max, his cartoon bread and butter, so keen for Sonny to finish it?
It brings new characters into Sonny’s life:
Tony, newly widowed, facing retirement and with his plans in ruins;
Lisa, young, capable and attractive, facing hard truths about her career choices;
Elin, an art teacher struggling with negative equity and trying to do the best for her teenage daughter, Megan;
And Cheryl, a young PC, haunted by a murder that hangs over all of them.
But what connects them?
Dafydd Glyn Jones –
I have read Max with much interest and pleasure. It has strong characters, convincing dialogue and lively scenes.
Jassa Scott –
I was drawn quickly into each of the sympathetically developed characters, especially Tony, rediscovering his interests and building a new life after the sudden death of his wife and unexpected redundancy. I felt upset and anxious on Lisa’s behalf as she faced daily sexual harassment in her workplace. I silently urged Elin to seek advice and help with her financial issues, so she wasn’t facing them alone.
The style of writing – short snapshots of a day or two in each character’s life – made it very readable. New, hopeful, relationships emerge. But the early description of a female PC dealing with a murdered young woman in a park lends an underlying and growing tension to the story. The murder gives the novel a darker side which casts a shadow over the developing stories of the characters, and there are unexpected twists which kept me guessing.