31 May 2012

On My Bookshelf: The Naked Room by Diana Hockley

The Naked RoomThe Naked Room by Diana Hockley
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

“I crouched over the steering wheel, urging the Suzuki car on. Drivers coming the other way leaned on their horns as they fronted my headlights. The car behind me caught up and settled right on the back bumper, forcing me to take more chances. It swerved and began to draw alongside, until I could see the dark shape of the driver in the side mirror. I did a lightning inventory of what was in the car. Nothing available for a weapon. Can’t out-run him.” – The Naked Room

The Naked Room was recommended to me as a cracking good read, and it’s that and more. Hockley’s writing is strong, sensory and compelling, the plot complex and fed on secrets and lies. The many strands are woven seamlessly into the story.

The book’s structure is a bit different from the norm in that there are multiple points of views with most narrated in first, one point of view per chapter. It’s a technique, I imagine, that takes skill, but it works well here. Chapter headings help keep the reader in the right head and on track, although I had to occasionally flip back to check whose head I was in. I think that’s probably more about the way I read than the narrative, though.

Highly recommended. I look forward to reading Hockley’s next, The Celibate Mouse.

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4 comments:

  1. Thanks for your review on this book Vicki - I'm intrigued to experience Hockley's writing technique.

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  2. I think you'll enjoy it, Susan. Happy reading...

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  3. Oh too right I did Vicki! Thank you once again for another beaut recommendation.

    The ease with which Diana presented each character's persona served to enrich the background to this exciting and intricately twisted tale.
    I wondered, at first, whether I could keep up with so much input, but soon found myself being carried along and fully engaged with each easily identifiable 'voice'.

    I wholeheartedly enjoyed this thrilling page-turner :D)

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  4. That's brilliant, Susan. So pleased you enjoyed it.

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