A story about stories within stories, as four interconnected mysteries take the reader through the ages, from Shakespeare’s day to a 19th-century Gothic former Priory, to 1920s Venice, and finally to 1940s California, from the internationally bestselling author of The Turnglass.
We begin with the last testament of William Shakespeare as he investigates the real-life murder mystery of his friend, playwright Christopher Marlowe.
The second story is a 19th-century Gothic tale about the discovery of Shakespeare’s manuscript, set in an isolated former Priory, now a clinic for those who cannot sleep.
The third is a lighter Golden Age detective tale set in Venice, where private investigator Honora Feldman looks into a baffling case of theft and murder in the British expat community, with the Gothic story at its heart.
And finally, a 1940s American Noir, as Ken Kourian finds that a serial killer is recreating all the murders in The Waterfall, the companion book to his friend Oliver Tooke’s The Turnglass.
The Waterfall is a beguiling and intricate mystery that cements Gareth Rubin’s position as one of the most original authors writing today.
I'm delighted to be hosting the blog tour for The Waterfall by Gareth Rubin today. Many thanks to Simon & Schuster and Anne Cater from Random Things Tours for inviting me and for my advance digital of the novel.
Having read Gareth Rubin's previous two books, The Turnglass and Holmes and Moriarty, I was already familiar with the author's atmospheric storytelling and intricate, playful manipulation of the narrative. Nothing could quite have prepared me for the ambitious scope of The Waterfall, however. This audacious four-in-one novel takes readers from Shakespeare's England to wartime LA, via a dysfunctional 19th century family and Venice in the 1930s. It's not the easiest book to review without giving anything away but with its separate yet intertwined stories within a story, is one of the most engaging, memorable books I've read this year.
Having William Shakespeare as a central character in the first part of the novel is a masterstroke, particularly as he is forced to turn detective when his friend and fellow playwright, Kit Marlowe leaves a coded message for him. With Marlowe's suspicious death remaining a mystery to this day, Gareth Rubin is able to cleverly mix fact with fiction here and also introduces other notable real-life characters, including Thomas Kyd and John Whitgift, the Archbishop of Canterbury. Shakespeare's investigation into his friend's death takes him to Amsterdam and into mortal peril. With the prospect of war with Catholic Spain a very real threat, spies and manipulators are everywhere. Shakespeare has to figure out who he can trust but what he discovers is more perplexing and chilling than he could have imagined. The conclusion to this section features a deliciously intriguing mention of one of Shakespeare's most famous plays, before the action moves to the 19th century.
In 1892, Amos Sacher leaves India for England to stay with relatives, including the beautiful Jessica and her companion, Cleo. Having spent time together in India, the smitten Sacher follows them on the SS Molly to London but instead finds himself in a Gothic nightmare where he is disturbed at night by unknown figures moving about and where the family, headed by the irascible Sir Elijah Delpont all seem to have secrets. When one of those present at Kirchin Priory meets an untimely end, it seems obvious that one of the other residents is the culprit. This is probably the most unsettling section of the novel and there are some tense, creepy scenes here.
By contrast, the story which takes place in Venice in the 1930s is much lighter, echoing a Golden Age murder mystery. One of the most impressive aspects of The Waterfall is the way in which Gareth Rubin switches the tone of the narrative to match the period in which each story is set. Our narrator here is Pips, plucky assistant to the redoubtable Honora Feldman. While sailing to Venice on board a luxury ship, they are invited to stay with Penelope Batley and her husband, Aldrich at their villa. After witnessing various altercations between the English ex-pats, they inevitably become caught up in a tragic murder. Both Honora and Pips take it all in their stride and this is a much more humorous interlude, although there are more sombre callbacks to the past, especially regarding the plague which ravaged Europe. Being a classic murder mystery, there is, of course, that moment where all the suspects are drawn together before the dramatic reveal.
Throughout both the 19th century and 1930s set tales, the events mentioned in previous sections are referred to, with books written about the strange happenings featuring heavily.
In the fourth and final story, Gareth Rubin ups the ante still further, however by also bringing in characters from The Turnglass, including Ken Kourian. The fictional version of The Turnglass is a tete-beche novel, just like its real-life counterpart but here the companion book is The Waterfall and once again, it becomes central to proceedings. This noirish tale featuring LA clubs, gangsters, beautiful women and bent cops is written with pitch-perfect narration as Ken has to first clear his own name before tracking down a killer who is using a book for inspiration...
The Waterfall is a brilliantly plotted, compulsively immersive book from start to finish. The vibrant, redolent descriptions are complemented by the lively characterisation and the intricately intertwined mysteries. It's the sort of book which begs to be read again and I have no doubt it will be equally as enjoyable on subsequent readings. I loved every word and cannot recommend it highly enough.
The Waterfall is published by Simon & Schuster, purchasing links can be found here.
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Thanks for the blog tour support x
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