My review of Trust Your Eyes by Linwood Barclay
Blurb from the back cover
What would you do if you witnessed a murder - but no one believed you...
Map obsessed Thomas spends his days and nights on a virtual tour of the world. believing he must store the details of every town and city in his head. Then one day, he sees something that shouldn't be there: a woman being murdered behind a window on a New York street.
When Thomas tells his brother Ray what he has witnessed, Ray humours him with a half hearted investigation - until he realises Thomas may have stumbled on to a deadly conspiracy, which puts them both in danger...
My thoughts on the book
This book is told mostly from the perspective of Ray, Thomas's brother, but there is also some told in third person about events that Ray hasn't witnessed, but give us more information on the back ground of what Thomas has seen. The jump between narratives is seamless and easy to follow, which isn't easy to do, proving again that Linwood Barclay is a good writer. This is the second book of his I have read, and they have both been equally well written.
This story is full of twists and turns. I love how it is a crime book with a difference - there is very little mention of the police, and the investigation is carried out by Ray rather than a police officer which I think makes it unique.
I also enjoyed reading about Thomas, a diagnosed schizophrenic. I think the author does a very good job of showing his character in a tasteful, sensitive way, but doesn't gloss over the frustrating nature of his character. I also like that Thomas has a personality other than his disorder, something I often feel is missing in this sort of character.
Conclusion and rating
This book has fully developed characters that you will grow to love. I think te insights we get to the murder along the way definitely keep the story flowing and interesting and they are revealed at just the right times. Well written, fast paced. A must read for any crime fans that like something a bit different from the standard police investigation in the genre. 5/5
Have you read this book? What do you think? Let me know in the comments!
