Oh man, this book took forever to finish. But the payoff at the end is worth it. But honestly this beast of a book could have been shorter. It really tried to do the most.

In A Traitor To Memory the author opted for two narrative styles. One is the inner thoughts of musician Gideon Davies. He has forgotten the events surrounding the death of his sister Sonia which is linked to his inability to play and a current bout of hit and run accidents. The other style is the straightforward plotting of a police investigation. And it takes patience to handle the discordances between these styles. One gives the psychological look at a bizarre family whilst the other tackles Inspector Lynley and his partners. Linking these two, initially is motherhood with all its complexities. But the ultimate link is facing your past.

For a first book by this well touted English author, it may be considered not the best start. I noted the poor reviews but I’m glad I started here. I know that her plotting will involve very nuanced characters even if I can guess the whodunit aspect off the bat. Elizabeth George made me reconsider how women prisoners deal with life after, especially with violent crimes and how we view outsiders. And that ending made perfect sense.

Definitely not a perfect book but still worth the effort if one is willing to read a slow burn read with commentary on being an outsider and on family relationships.