Review: Good Oxford Crime Novel...
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 05 29, 2011
I thought I'd try this book after enjoying the same author's great literary book Songs From The Other Side of The Wall. The Company of Fellows is a detective novel, and as such slightly more conventional. It's still obviously by the same author though, with it's strong descriptions of Oxford in particular really capturing the mood of the place. Wine and philosophical theories of pleasure feature heavily, both as background and providing clues for the murder at the heart of the story.The mystery element is done really well - clues and red herrings well placed, a solid resolution that I didn't get, despite all the signs being there... Equally good is the characterisation - Holloway's protagonists start the novel with previous relationships and histories already in place, and these are changed and challenged by events. In this sense, it reminded me very strongly of Kate Atkinson's Jackson Brody novels - high praise.The narrative is very dark at times, and therein lies the only fault for me - sometimes the mood change between the eloquent realism of most of the novel and some of the dark places it takes you, and then back again, was too abrupt; too jarring. But this is a picky quibble.Recommended.