In a Cat's Eye by Kevin Bergeron

Review by The Mole

The police said Nancy OD’d and she was a tramp. But she wasn’t; she was my friend. I didn’t see her Virgin Mary statue in her room, and I said some guy killed her and took it. Mr. Winkley was in the hallway meowing. The Colonel knew all about crimes. He said, Okay Willy we’ll conduct an investigation... There were lots of suspects in that hotel.

Willy isn't the brightest of individuals and lacks a lot of self control. He is an honest person - as he sees honesty - and is generally harmless. He is also friends with Nancy who lives in the same hotel. Some people say he is delusional and forgets what he has done. Nancy tells him she is going away and then next morning she is found dead in her flat after a drug overdose. Willy cannot accept the police findings of either suicide or accidental OD. It is driving him crazy. Literally.

I have to admit to not reading and remembering the synopsis before I read this and enjoyed it all the more for that. I wondered where it was actually going to end up - there seemed more possibilities with each passing page and Willy getting more stressed and out of control.

Where it ended I felt a huge emotional tug and was very surprised by it.

But it's not just Willy who is not quite 'in control' - every other resident of the hotel is in some way compromised and at some point Willy suspects every one of them of the crime that only he believes to have been committed. I have to admit to being reminded of "Conjuring The Infinite by Kirkland Ciccone" Although it's only the establishment and the surprises the residents bring that bears any similarity.

I enjoyed this one immensely but it's not a 'comfortable' novel for many people to read - until the end. It's a quickish read for people who like reading about how others live and survive and I would highly recommend it.

Maryom believes that from my description there are parallels to "The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time" - something I haven't read - so it should appeal to those readers who enjoyed it.

Publisher - Authonomy
Genre - Adult Fiction, Suspense

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