How do you rebuild the world?
How do you put it back together?
Nealon returns to his family home in Ireland for the first time in years, only to be greeted by a completely empty house. No heat or light, no furniture, no sign of his wife or child anywhere. It seems the world has forgotten that he even existed.
The one exception is a persistent caller on the telephone, someone who seems to know everything about Nealon's life, his recent bother with the law and, more importantly, what has happened to his family. All Nealon needs to do is talk with him. But the more he talks the closer Nealon gets to the same trouble he was in years ago, tangled in the very crimes of which he claims to be innocent.
***
Opening the door and crossing the threshold in the dark triggers the phone in Nealon's pocket.Country Feedback
***
(Canongate Books, 26 October 2023, e-book, 192 pages, borrowed from North Ayrshire Libraries via Borrowbox)
***
***
I enjoyed This Plague of Souls a lot. It's a short read but felt much longer than the sum of it's parts. I had so many questions as I read. What happened to Nealon's family? Who is the stranger who calls him who seems determined to screw with him? What crimes is Nealon supposed to have committed? This is not a fast paced read and all the more powerful for it's slow burn and suspense. I enjoyed it and would recommend it.
