How well do we know the people around us? What façade do they show to the world that hides their deepest thoughts and fears? This is the underlying theme in Harris's new novel, set at St Oswald's Grammar School for Boys (the same setting and characters as in
Gentlemen and Players). The story opens in 2005 with the arrival of a new headmaster, a former student from the class of 1981. That particular year witnessed a horrible event that sent still-felt repercussions throughout the school. Chapters narrated by Roy Straitley, a curmudgeonly Latin teacher with a heart of gold and a passion for tradition, alternate with letters written by an unknown author to "Mousey" that date from 1981.
VERDICT This slow-moving thriller is worth the reader's time—the riveting last 30 pages will have you speed reading to the satisfying ending. Harris's sharp-eyed observations of human behavior are on the mark.
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