Worn down by a job he hates, and a stressful family life, middle-aged, middle-class Bradley picks up a teenage escort and commits an unspeakable crime. Now she’s tied up in his warehouse, and he doesn’t know what to do.
Max is homeless, eating from rubbish bins, sleeping rough and barely existing – known for cadging a cigarette from anyone passing, and occasionally even the footpath. Nobody really sees Max, but he has one friend, and she’s gone missing.
In order to find her, Max is going to have to call on some people from his past, and reopen wounds that have remained unhealed for a very long time, and the clock is ticking…
Hard-hitting, fast-paced and immensely thought-provoking, Faceless – the startling new standalone thriller from New Zealand’s ‘Queen of Crime’ – will leave you breathless.
It's such a pleasure to be hosting the blog tour for Faceless today. Many thanks to Vanda Symon, Orenda Books and Anne Cater from Random Things Tours for inviting me and for my advance copy of the novel.
Vanda Symon's excellent Sam Shephard series has already ensured this crime writer from New Zealand has fans around the world (and I count myself among them) but has taken a break from her dynamic young detective with Faceless, a stand alone novel that will surely garner her even more admirers.
However, those expecting more of the same are in for a shock because this is a far grittier book and Faceless has none of the warm humour that lightens the mood in her series. This is a dark, harrowing read that wrings every ounce of tension from its short, punchy chapters . There have been a few crime novels featuring homeless characters and Faceless is up there with the very best of them. It's raw and uncompromising but empathetically shines a light on people who have become the faceless members of society; ignored, feared and belittled.
It's this reaction to his presence that Max has to confront when he realises his young friend, Billy is missing. It's an unlikely friendship; he is much older than her and her Fijian upbringing means they're from different cultural backgrounds too. Nevertheless, they have a pact to look out for one another so when she disappears, he becomes deeply concerned for her welfare.
The narrative switches between the characters allowing each of their stories to unfold across the days following the moment when Billy is snatched. It means that readers know more about Billy's ordeal than Max or the police, who are largely reluctant to investigate the disappearance of yet another street kid. However, we are given the privilege of seeing beyond the young woman who has resorted to selling her body and know she's a passionately talented street artist who uses prostitution to pay for her art materials. Of course, it's taking these risks that eventually leads her into trouble and the chapters that follow her abductor, Bradley, are the most disturbing in the book.
Bradley is the sort of middle-aged, stressed white-collar worker who in a different story, would be easy to sympathise with. Restructuring at his work has meant he is expected to work long hours and give up his weekends and with his boss and wife demanding more from him, it's not surprising that he eventually cracks. Watching his descent from a pressurised everyman to a violent sadist is terrifying, particularly the ease at which his self-pity and misogynistic sense of entitlement allows him to justify his actions. There are scenes in Faceless which are devastatingly bleak and there is no disguising Billy's terrible ordeal. It's not an easy book to read and the awful sense of foreboding as Bradley experiences a form of relief from his toxic rage becomes almost visceral as it becomes clear what this means for Billy.
A novel as grim as this needs some sort of light and that balance comes from Max, whose indefatigable determination to find Billy leads to him confronting the demons of his own past. This happens gradually and against his will at first and what caused him to end up barely surviving on the streets is hinted at, until the tragic truth is finally revealed. If that doesn't sound particularly light, it's not and Vanda Symon's exploration of mental health is starkly poignant when it comes to Max's story. Nevertheless, it's his resolve to do whatever is demanded of him, in spite of his deeply buried memories painfully resurfacing, that gives us some sort of relief from the sheer horror of Bradley reclaiming control of his life and Billy's heartbreaking attempt to protect her mind from the barbarity inflicted on her body.
Faceless is a taut, atmospheric read that never flinches from its searingly honest portrayal of violence and suffering but it also sensitively portrays those who have fallen between the cracks, revealing the courage, strength and hope that persists. The best and worst of humanity is here; the high-stakes tension never lets up in this twisted, gripping thriller but without ever becoming sensationalist, Vanda Symon has also written a heartfelt story exploring a host of contemporary issues. Thought-provoking, compelling and utterly brilliant, I cannot recommend it highly enough!
Faceless is published by Orenda Books and can be purchased directly from their website or from bookshop.org, Hive, Waterstones, Amazon, Audible and Kobo but please support independent bookshops whenever possible.
Don't miss the rest of the blog tour, details are below.
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