Following a sudden break-up, Englishman in New York Nick Braeburn takes a room with the elderly Peacock sisters in their lavish Upper East Side apartment, and finds himself increasingly drawn to the priceless piece of Egyptian art on their study wall - and to Lydia, the beautiful Portuguese artist who lives across the roof garden.
But as Nick draws Lydia into a crime he hopes will bring them together, they both begin to unravel, and each find that the other is not quite who they seem.
Paul Tudor Owen's intriguing debut novel brilliantly evokes the New York of Paul Auster and Joseph O'Neill.
***
[Sooner or later, everybody comes to New York, and I was no exception]***
(Obliterati Press, 22 March 2019, 150 pages, ebook, copy from @ObliteratiPress and voluntarily reviewed)
***
***
Can I just say how much I fricking loved this book? The style is very reminiscent of Paul Auster, especially The New York Trilogy. I'm a big fan of Auster so this is a good thing. Trust me. I loved the Egyptian imagery and references used throughout the book, especially Nick's dreams and recurring obsession with the weighting of the heart by Anubis ritual. This adds a nice touch. I'm fascinated by Egyptian culture and mythology so this was an added bonus for me. Nick comes across as a decent guy so I was shocked when he persuades Lydia to commit a crime. The crime is cruel and not something that can be justified and it's unclear what his motivations are. Greed? Lydia? I loved the fact the book shows crime doesn't pay and Nick pays a high price for his cruelty and to an extent his stupidity. The only downside is how short the book is. I didn't want it to end and could have gladly hung out with the characters for another couple hundred pages.
