Cover: Hinterland
by L. M. Brown
The author sent me an ARC of this book (mobi format) in exchange for an honest review).
My rating: ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ (four stars)
Plot
(by Goodreads)
Nicholas Giovanni’s life revolves around his five-year old daughter Kate. When he isn’t driving his taxi, he is taking care of her and her mother Kathleen, whose last involuntary admission to hospital was before Kate was born. When his childhood best friend, Ina, returns next door, tensions rise in the house. Already unstable, Kathleen suspicions of Ina and Nicholas grow until a day of violence ensues and Kathleen disappears.
Kate’s life is shattered by her mother’s disappearance. No-one will tell her where Kathleen is. Although Ina helps to take care of Kate, Nicholas keeps her at arm’s length. He cannot bring himself to tell the truth about Kathleen’s last day, until Kate runs away, and he realizes his silence has torn everyone apart. To find Kate and to keep Ina in his life, there are truths he must face, if it’s not too late.
| Genre(s): | > Family Life Fiction > Literary Fiction |
| Series: | n.a. |
| File size: | 239 pages |
| Release date: | 2020-10-13 |
Teaser
Ina came out of the house the moment Nicholas pulled up in the morning. A drizzle fell, and silver drops caught on her hair. The car door closed behind him and she stood with her arms crossed. He saw the anger in her eyes before she said, “Kathleen better not come near me again.” Nicholas felt as if she’d hit him in the stomach.
“I don’t care what you told her, or what the fuck is going on, but the next time she comes to my house, I’ll phone the cops.”
“What happened?” he asked.
She shook her head as though she hadn’t heard him and said, “I feel so bad for Kate.”
My Opinion
This book introduces you to Nicholas Giovanni and his daughter Kate.
With “Hinterland”, L. M. Brown has created a story with incredibly authentic characters. Each chapter takes you closer to the protagonists, their agonies, and their actions. L. M. Brown presents an intense and well-elaborated story which is intriguing, occasionally disturbing, and that offers food for thought at the same time. The protagonists are believable, complex; their behaviour might not always be reasonable – yet quite understandable in their motives. There are some insights into the human behaviour that will make you wonder which different types of ‘doing the right thing’ exist. It is a pretty absorbing read with authentic characters, interesting turns, and a good flow. The ending left me wondering if there might be a continuation someday; the book lost one star from me there.
This is a book for you if you like intriguing contemporary fiction including mental illness, believable and torn characters, and food for thought.
Recommended.
In brief:
| Cover | ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ (three stars) |
| Writing | ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ (four stars) |
| Plot | ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ (four stars) |
| Characters | ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ (four stars) |
| Mood | Suspenseful |
| Pace | Steady |
| POV | Third person – past tense |
| Language | 😳 (some mild and medium swearwords spread throughout) |
| Violence |  (harmless enough, even with mentions) |
| Sexual content | – 😳 (several mentions) |
About the author
L. M Brown grew up in Ireland but now resides in Massachusetts with her husband and three daughters. She has a master’s in Creative Writing from Emerson College and is the author of the novel Debris. Her stories have been published in over a dozen literary magazines.
Connect with the author:
Please take a look at my statement on reading in My train of thoughts on …reading. Now I am asking you. 🙂
My questions for you bibliophiles:
What about you? What did you think about “Hinterland”? Or – if you did not yet read “Hinterland” – are you now interested in reading it yourself?
I am looking forward to reading your comments. 🙂
My train of thoughts on... 
Youi sold me again, Karen. 🙂 I like the way you rate a several different categories about the book. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks for your feedback on my way of reviewing, Mark. 🙂 A few years back, I felt like optimising my reviews, did a little survey, and updated accordingly. The different categories make it easier to decide if a book is interesting. (Some readers would not read books with too many swearwords, or books comprising to much gore, etc.)
Hi, Karen! I hope all is well 😊
Hi Syl, I am fine, thanks. Hope you are doing great. 🙂
I’m doing good and I’m glad to hear you’re doing fine as well 😊
I really like how you do the separate star reviews for even the cover! You might have done this for a while but o just noticed and really cool
The book sounds intriguing and now I am wondering about the ending
Thanks for your kind feedback.
The book is well worth reading; the ending is not a showstopper. All readers have their unique reading experience and expectation – therefore the remark about the ending which did not completely fit my expectation.
Got it and thanks Karen
📚📚📚
And happy new year
Happy New Year!