Ever read a book, turn that final page, stare off into space and not know how you felt about it, or even if it was good. You appreciated the prose, sharp dialect and descriptive settings, yet in the back of your mind, you just wanted something more. Well written, but just felt like a two part Law and Order episode. Not enough character development, or just enough, hard to tell. This review is by no means useful, or is it? The Singer's Gun, a fiction novel by Emily St. John Mandel, is a captivating thriller about a young man named Anton Waker, and how he can never seem to escape the corruption that surrounds his life. Growing up in Brooklyn, New York, Anton learns from a young age that what his parents do for a living is out of the ordinary. He discovers that his family deals in stolen goods, and his cousin Aria has a knack for stealing things. Growing up, Anton becomes a part of 'the family trade' and he takes on a large-scale forgery business with Aria, who moved into deeper forms of corruption, this time with forging passports and things of that sort. As time goes on, he finds himself wanting to lead a normal life, and leaves the business with Aria wanting to find an office job. Anton struggles coping with his wife, who cancelled their wedding twice until finally going through the third time, only for the marriage to be cut short by one last job he must perform for Aria, forcing him into leaving his wife while on their honeymoon. It all boils down to what events take place on the tiny island off the coast of Italy, and a past affair with a co-worker of his, turning into love. In the end, all the thievery and corruption in his life finally catches up to him, but he may be able to dodge it all and find his true identity, one last time.I would recommend this book to a wide variety of readers. It is labeled as a thriller, yet not in the sense you may think of one as. The plot seems to slowly unfold into a couple huge surprises at the end, with the murder weapon being the book's title, The Singer's Gun. The plot moved along at a great pace, and I often found myself not wanting to put the book down at all. The author did a magnificent job of drawing me in, and building up tension in the book perfectly, giving way to a dramatic and eventful climax. This book was a quick, but very enjoyable read for me, and I think a lot of people would have the same reaction.
What do You think about Aria Voor Een Verleden (2011)?
Thriller with immigration fraud set in US and Perugia.
—Rebecca
Not a bad read. A bit sluggish at times.
—daintynicky199
