"Mr. Mortimer" by Neil Bastian is what my blogging friend Nan would
probably describe as a quiet book, although some of the events are
rather dramatic.
Samantha and Frank, a married couple in their forties, have been living next door to an elderly couple for five years when one night their neighbour calls to inform them that his wife has been found dead at a place popular for suicide.
Mr. Mortimer has no nearby relatives or friends to turn to. Samantha, who is known in her family for "fussing", takes it upon herself to support the widower when it comes to making meals, organising the funeral and so on.
At first, everything seems innocent enoough, but then she realises she keeps finding reasons and excuses for seeing Mr. Mortimer on his own, without her husband present. But she loves Frank, doesn't she, and not only is Mr. Mortimer still grieving the loss of his wife, he is also considerably older.
Frank, a long-distance lorry driver, becomes suspicious, and things culminate one day.
I won't tell you what happens, I will just tell you that I found the end bitter-sweet and in spite of the drama, still had the impression of a quiet book, throwing light on the everyday lives of ordinary people.
This was a story I really liked reading. The characters grew on me, and I did want to know what was going to happen to them. Also, when Frank suspects his wife of having an affair with the elderly man, he behaves in a way that made me cringe - I could really feel Samantha's embarrassment and despair. In my opinion, it is a sign of good writing if an author manages to make you feel what his characters feel.
It was my first book by Neil Bastian. According to Amazon, he has written two more books which both sound good. His homepage is here. Something interesting for Kay: The author is a songwriter as well (maybe even more so than an author of novels). You can find out more about that also on his homepage.
Samantha and Frank, a married couple in their forties, have been living next door to an elderly couple for five years when one night their neighbour calls to inform them that his wife has been found dead at a place popular for suicide.
Mr. Mortimer has no nearby relatives or friends to turn to. Samantha, who is known in her family for "fussing", takes it upon herself to support the widower when it comes to making meals, organising the funeral and so on.
At first, everything seems innocent enoough, but then she realises she keeps finding reasons and excuses for seeing Mr. Mortimer on his own, without her husband present. But she loves Frank, doesn't she, and not only is Mr. Mortimer still grieving the loss of his wife, he is also considerably older.
Frank, a long-distance lorry driver, becomes suspicious, and things culminate one day.
I won't tell you what happens, I will just tell you that I found the end bitter-sweet and in spite of the drama, still had the impression of a quiet book, throwing light on the everyday lives of ordinary people.
This was a story I really liked reading. The characters grew on me, and I did want to know what was going to happen to them. Also, when Frank suspects his wife of having an affair with the elderly man, he behaves in a way that made me cringe - I could really feel Samantha's embarrassment and despair. In my opinion, it is a sign of good writing if an author manages to make you feel what his characters feel.
It was my first book by Neil Bastian. According to Amazon, he has written two more books which both sound good. His homepage is here. Something interesting for Kay: The author is a songwriter as well (maybe even more so than an author of novels). You can find out more about that also on his homepage.
Sounds interesting with an unusual plot line.
ReplyDeleteIt definitely is. Partly foreseeable, partly surprising.
DeleteI agree with Terra. Was this a book you found on your Kindle?
ReplyDeleteI downloaded it to my kindle a few years ago, when I had it brand new and was on a downloading spree at Amazon's kindle shop. I found loads of free ebooks back then (still do), and this was one of them.
DeleteAnd now I have it on my kindle.......I does sound rather original.
ReplyDeleteThank you for letting me know, Kristi! I hope you will find it a good reading experience, too.
DeleteThanks very much for you positive review, and for posting it on Amazon! I wrote this and a few other books a few years ago and had kind of forgotten about them. When I get a chance, I might revisit them - I think they might need an edit. You can get some free short stories by clicking on my name here - it takes you to my website. All best and happy reading!
ReplyDeleteThank YOU very much for taking the time to come here, read my review and leave a comment! It is so special when that happens (getting a reaction from an author, I mean). I really did enjoy "Mr. Mortimer" and am going to check out your short stories.
DeleteSounds like a pleasant read.
ReplyDeleteIt was, I really enjoyed it and had a brief email correspondence with the author.
Delete