We Spread - Iain Reid

I've read all of Iain Reid's books. Each one has brought something different, unusual and unexpected. And that's also the case with his latest - We Spread. 
 

Penny has been living in the same apartment for fifty years. Her partner has passed on. Penny has been getting out, but really has no contact or relationships  with others, excepting her landlord. She has a bit of memory loss (and sure, doesn't everyone her age?) So, my thinking was that We Spread would be an lament for aging. It was and it is. But it's much more.  

As an observer we are witness to Penny's failing memory and her deteriorating  physical condition until the inevitable happens - she has a serious fall. 

Unbeknownst to Penny, her partner had arranged for just this eventuality. Penny is moved to Six Cedars Residence, a small long term care facility in an older house, surrounded by trees. There are only four residents and two staff members at the home. Penny, although distressed by the move, is impressed.  

 And it's wonderful. Or is it? What we come to know of the other residents and staff is through Penny's eyes and experiences. The reader is left to their own imagination and interpretation of what she encounters. And my mind had more than one outlook and outcome happening. The tension rises with every page turned. Reid's dialogue is sharp and short and is very effective in 'speaking' for Penny. Out loud and internally. Aging, art and relationships and more are also explored. There's much food for thought for everyone in We Spread - whether it's yourself or a family member. 

As the book neared the final pages, I still had not made up my mind as to what was really happening. And the ending? Perfectly Iain Reid. See for yourself - read an excerpt of We Spread.

Deep Water - Emma Bamford

There's been a lot of buzz around Emma Bamford's new book, Deep Water. 
And after binge reading it one rainy day, I can say that buzz is justified. 

I was hooked after reading the author's notes at the front of the book. "I've long had an affinity for films about vacations gone horribly wrong". She also  references Dead Calm, The Beach and The Ruins. All films and books I've really enjoyed. Oh, and she's an experienced sailor. The book benefits from that inside knowledge as well.

Deep Water opens with the ending. We know the outcome, but nothing else - the how, the why, the who. Just Virginie praying her husband survives....

Virginie and Jake are newlyweds with a dream of sailing their own yacht wherever they choose. At a port on the way to Thailand, an older man tells them of a beautiful island that few know about, completely off the grid and 'about as remote as you can get in this world.'

Uh, huh - sounds amazing, doesn't it? It does, and Virginie and Jake decide to change their itinerary to go the island named Amarante. When they arrive, there are two other boats and a third shows up. Things start off well, but.....

And that's where I'm going to leave things, so you can experience Bamford's wonderfully insidious plotting. She builds the tension and suspense slowly, layer by layer. It seems easy to dismiss somebody's  actions and behaviour when you've just met them. But as the reader looking from outside in, I could see where things might be headed. And I found myself talking out loud, telling Virginie to open her eyes! 

The description of the island was vivid. I thought that one element of the island's past might have figured larger. 

I enjoyed the plot's slow burn but others may find themselves wanting more 'action'. This reader quite enjoyed Deep Water. See for yourself - read an except of Deep Water.