Title: Notes on a Murder
Author: B P Walter
Publisher: One More Chapter
Synopsis:
Everyone is capable of murder. Are you?
It started with an invitation to dinner. An evening of good food and good company at a luxury villa. But as the night progresses, the party takes a dark turn.
The host makes you an offer, a party favour he calls it: another guest has committed a heinous crime, you can end their life, stop their terror. He tells you there will be no consequences; do you believe him?
Your decision will change your life. Choose carefully.
My review:
Notes on a Murder – this title doesn’t give much away about what you should expect within this novel’s pages, other than the occurrence of a murder – but by who? and when? and why? It’s hard not to be intrigued when the book starts with the main character Oliver at a ‘wellness centre’, suddenly seeing someone he thought had died 20 years ago…
After that impactful start, we go back in time to a family holiday with Oliver, his brother Douglas, and their two parents heading to Greece for a break in the sun – a break that ends up causing tension, drama and a shocking turn of events…
I loved reading about the mysterious characters we meet – from the man Oliver has a summer fling with, Alastair, to the strange couple they stumble across at dinner with their father one evening… there’s plenty of intrigue here. Oliver has plenty of faults and, though he may not be wholly likeable, he’s not as awful as some of the other characters we meet (damning with faint praise!) – plus his parents seem like they could test anyone’s patience! I do enjoy books with unlikeable characters. As he moves towards some shady goings on, which we know will end badly – though we don’t know exactly how or why, the tension ramps up.
Notes on a Murder is a slower burn than I expected, as we join the family on their holiday and get to know the family and their (many) flaws, and I really enjoyed the build-up as the novel takes a darker, more shocking turn. For me, it was the perfect mix of dual timelines, unlikeable characters, and a dark and twisted storyline – all delivered in short, sharp chapters that leave you wanting more and more!
My rating: 4.5/5
Many thanks to One More Chapter for providing a copy of this book on which I chose to write an honest review.