Book reviews with Pauline Atkins: The Turnglass by Gareth Rubin
Hello South London book lovers. I was sent through the post a very unusual type of book to review, and I won’t lie to you, I was a little confused.
The book, “The Turnglass” by Gareth Rubin, published by Simon and Schuster for £16.99, at first glance, appears to be like any other book you can buy off the shelf but, that is where the likeness ends.
The book is, two books in one, this is also known as a tête-bêche.
Either book can be read first, once you finish one simply flip it over and start reading the second book.
One book is set in England in the 1880s and is about a young doctor, Simeon Lee who is called upon to care for an ailing cousin that he has never met, Parson Oliver Hawes.
Parson Hawes believes he is being poisoned by his sister-in-law, Florence Hawes, who has been accused of killing her husband, the Parson’s brother, and to save her from the madhouse (Bedlam) the Parson has designed a glassed apartment within his library.
But Florence has a secret and once Simeon discovers what that is, the whole story comes together beautifully.
On the flip side, the second book is set in California in the 1930s, this story is about the Tooke family, the eldest son, Oliver Tooke is a young writer who befriends a struggling actor, Ken Kourian.
When Oliver is found dead in his writing hut, Ken is compelled to investigate his death along with Oliver’s sister Coraline.
They unravel mystery after mystery, which all have a connection to Oliver’s very last book, which is set in the 1880s and just so happens to be a tête-bêche novel about a young doctor called, yep, you’ve guessed it, Simeon Lee.
It took me just over a week to read it and, as I thoroughly enjoy crime fiction, I really did enjoy reading these books.
You will feel yourself being drawn into the lives of the main characters and you will find it very difficult to put the books down.
Pauline Atkins. Picture: Pauline Atkins
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