Review: Haunting, evocative and deep
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 06 23, 2014
The Threshing Circle, by Neil Grimmett, is a story as cryptic and intriguing as its characters, set in a modern world imbued with the blood and depths of history, and flowing with glorious scenery, haunting images, and the winds of change.The story takes place on Crete, tying past and present through the fates of a beautiful Englishwoman during the Second World War, and the equally beautiful tourist who reminds people of her. The tourist is on vacation with her husband, but restaurant owner Kirsty is sure there’s more to the story when rumors spread that the English couple have fled without paying their bills.Scottish Kirsty doesn’t quite belong among her Cretan customers, but this is as good as place as any to flee a foreign past, though it holds its own past close. Young men dance alluringly. Old men make cryptic comments and hide their age. Sinister landowners leave warnings. And villages hide their secrets in the shadows where tourists never go.There’s an English literary feel to this novel, beautifully balancing light with dark, icy hatred with warmth, and ugliness with love. It’s a powerful, haunting tale where characters and history matter at least as much as the drama and suspense. And it’s highly recommended.Disclosure: The author gave me a free ecopy and I offer my honest review.