BY MAUREEN RISSIK
THE BLURB:-
ANGELA WYATT HAS THREE ENVIABLE ASSETS: MONEY, BEAUTY AND A TENACIOUS INSTINCT FOR SURVIVAL...
She is a woman fighting for success in a complex world of ambition and corruption, a world in which the ultimate abuse of power leads to the ultimate crime of murder.
Angela has three passions: to return to England to confront the events that cost her her innocence and her dreams; to make her peace with her cool, aristocratic parents; and to curb her passion for the man who threatens not only to hamper her search for the secrets of her past, but also to destroy everything she cares about.
THE REALITY:-
Ooooh, a bit of a tome, and written in 1987- the age of big shoulders, jet-set lifestyles and g-l-a-m-o-u-r. Think Dynasty: think Judith Krantz: think Danielle Steel: and you're right at what this book is about!
I have to say, I did enjoy reading this. You have a very varied mix of characters here; from Angie, who's from an aristocratic and rich background, but who now lives in New York and is a widow. As our main character her story- and backstory- was the most intriguing, and oh-so-real. We learn that even posh people don't always play fair and behave decently (well, actually, I knew that already!) You also learn about their foibles; as one character has a serious drink problem, and you learn the damage that the keeping of secrets can inflict upon a human being. This novel caused me to pick up a lot about the publishing industry; although I did struggle a little with understanding the complexities of the business world, and how stock market deals and games work. But it didn't put me off the story.
You had a good mix of characters between these pages, and Paul was the second most compelling. It was interesting learning about his Greek heritage, and his father's generational foibles were incredibly well-tuned. But I'm not sure about Paul's motivations- why (spoiler alert!) would he want to metaphorically have such a hold over Angie? Yes, it was easy to understand that he wanted to bed her, but his possessiveness seemed... weird. I didn't really get the point of Cory- I suppose he was what they call “a vehicle” in the tale, and someone who existed so that the story could evolve the way it did. Even so, top marks to the author for making him suitably irritating and stupid.
The main thread which ran through the story was Angie's development: from being the initial drunk mourning Lou, her loving husband; to the grown woman looking for her (spoiler alerts coming!) teenage daughter. We got to learn the devastating truths regarding that and the subsequent cover-up. A final shout out to loyal Benn- the Jarman's butler- who's there at the beginning and the end of this novel.
I will certainly keep my eyes peeled, in charity shops, for more books by Maureen Rissik.
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