A man returns from a tour of duty in Afghanistan, causes trouble for everyone that likes him and gets involved in a murky plot.There are some really good themes in this story, but the plot is jumbled up with too many different ideas (some of which are stupid) making it an unsatisfying read. The war scenes in particular were vivid and grabbed my attention – but the rest of story was weak / plodding.The fact that the main character is unpleasant and doesn’t under go any form of redemption (although realistic) didn’t help me engage with the story. My initial expectations of what this book was, and where the plot would go were completely blown out of the water. It starts a rather unbelievable opener surrounding Richard's irresponsible betting habits, and turns into something I wouldn't have imagined. For that alone, Torday is extremely likable. His writing is full of style and has very well constructed dialogue, meaning it makes for an incredibly fast read.The characters are a little undeveloped, and it seems at times that I've missed a huge backstory, or even another novel. They're also rather shallow seeming, the only exception being Adeena, and for that they're instantly unlikable. I usually shy away from novels centered around modern war, not because I can't emotionally take the mental pictures, but because it is often written in a very solemn, uninteresting way. Torday flips this, creating a rich backstory for his protagonist, but unfortunately left me disappointed. I felt the symptoms of Richard's PTSD could have been developed more, and the flashbacks were explored in far too little detail. Richard's memories, and his visit to Seargent Hawkes were the highlight for me, and I wished the novel had taken a different route so we could explore it more. At the end though, I have to admit that this was a very enjoyable read, and I'll probably read again.
Do You like book More Than You Can Say (2011)?
I love all of Paul's books so I was disappointed with this one... a bit boring...
—jan91
Good to see Paul is back on form after the previous book which wasn't up to much
—zeedat
Not my favourite Paul Torday. I enjoyed the beginning best.
—hipstericoniacx
Started well, but rather disappointingly ran out of puff.
—Magooski123
