Skeleton in the wall
If a seasoned literary critic is asked to define class in the genre of living mystery novelists, he will be spontaneously drawn to the French author Guillaume Musso. Once again Musso has created ripples in the realm of literature with his latest mystery fiction The Reunion.
Originally written in French the book has been translated in English by Frank Wynne. So nuanced and immaculate is the translation that the readers will hardly get a feel about the source language of the book.
A school union is often grabbed upon as an occasion of nostalgia loaded with fun and frolic but Thomas and his friends are panic stricken beyond measure due to reason known to them only.
The plot swings back and forth between 1992 to the present day at the reunion. In 1992 Vinca eloped with her dashing teacher Alexis under mysterious circumstances. Neither of them have been traced till today.
With every chapter the element of suspense gets intensified giving birth to several bewildering questions. In the heart of their hearts Thomas and his friends are aware that during those years they murdered someone and buried the corpse in the gymnasium wall, the same wall which will be demolished now in order to construct a new building. Certainly, both the proverbial and the literal skeletons are about to tumble down.
The revenge element in mystery plays of Seneca also seems to haunt the murderers. As if someone either earthly or supernatural may be chasing the killers to settle the score. Intriguing suspense looming large everywhere reminds the reader of Edger Allen Poe, one of the forerunners of the mystery genre.
The eerie setting generates immense spookiness and gives cold shudders down the spine not only to the culprits but the readers as well who remain on the edge of their seats till the story reaches its culmination.
Will the nemesis catch up with the guilty or by some quirk of fate their act will remain undiscovered, shrouded in the mystery? This should be left to the readers to find out. To cut it short, the book is going to be greatly revetting for the aficionados of realistic thrill.