"August-Lost" by R G Vaughan

 Whodunnit meets horror in this page-turning read. An incredibly sinister Painter with a obsessively Gothic approach to art. A policeman, psychologically damaged by the repercussions of a murder in his youth. An arranger suffering from a terrible trauma in childhood.

The super-creepy chapter one reminded me of Portrait of a Man by George Perec, a fantastic book that deserves to be better known. The 'fiendish painter' chapters were the very best moments in 'August-Lost'. The twist in which that portrait is revealed was very clever.

It is hard to write original detective literature but this book manages this by getting inside the 'office politics' of the chain of command. This added a dimension. Furthermore, the crippled psyche of the lead detective went far beyond the usual 'disgruntled detective with a failed marriage, a booze habit and a secret in the past'. I think I would have preferred the back story of this character drip-fed to me rather than given en bloc but he was certainly a neatly ambiguous figure and the provenance of his detecting abilities out-Sherlocked Sherlock. 

After the audacious twist in the penultimate chapter, I thought we were on the homeward run. To provide yet another twist demanded some extremely careful writing. This was provided, and the book kept me guessing to the last page.

Selected quotes:

• "The stale smell of alcohol, tobacco, and marijuana lingered in the air and battled for supremacy over thick body odour. The house of three undomesticated men sat on his taste buds, and with every breath, a new flavour trickled down the back of his throat." (Ch 2)
• "Thanks to the odour of man still lingering in his nose, he guessed the shower saw few willing customers." (Ch 2)
• "She could put a typical alpha male in his place with a few choice words." (Ch 3)
• "He was built to play any sport that would benefit from hitting things hard." (Ch 3)
• "Bringing in several files and a big, nervous smile, she took a seat with more uncertainty than usual" (Ch 4)
• "The sterile smell of the hospital’s corridors sold the illusion of cleanliness and wellbeing." (Ch 8)

Clever plotting, some memorable characters and some genuinely spine-chilling moments. I look forward to the sequel.

This review was written by the author of Motherdarling  and The Kids of God