The Girl with a Clock for a Heart by Peter Swanson
The blurb: George Foss never thought he’d see her again, but on a late-August night in Boston, there she is, in his local bar, Jack’s Tavern.
When George first met her, she was an eighteen-year-old college freshman from Sweetgum, Florida. She and George became inseparable in their first fall semester, so George was devastated when he got the news that she had committed suicide over Christmas break. But, as he stood in the living room of the girl’s grieving parents, he realized the girl in the photo on their mantelpiece – the one who had committed suicide – was not his girlfriend. Later, he discovered the true identity of the girl he had loved – and of the things she may have done to escape her past.
Now, twenty years later, she’s back, and she’s telling George that he’s the only one who can help her…
My review: This book has a beautiful cover, I was expecting to read a Scandi-thriller or some out there psychological novel where up was down and down was up. That in essence was correct but this novel has more elements of the hard-boiled US crime novels of the thirties. Damsels in distress, drinking in shady bars, swindling femme fatales and the hard-working hack.
I couldn’t put this book down, even though it wasn’t what I had hoped it would be, it had pace and action by the bucket load. The story crosses two times in George Foss’ personal history, his first meting with Liana at college and his present day entanglement, which is the perfect word for their relationship. You can’t help but sigh at George’s continued fascination with a woman who is clearly screwing him over. But it wouldn’t be fiction if everyone was nice so there’s some interesting twists in here to keep a reader happy and some great descriptive moments.
A rip-roaring crime novel that chugs along, perfect for fans of US hard-boiled Coben-esque books.
6.5 out of 10 stars! ******.5
