Customer Reviews

Besotted

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This second of Joe Treasure's novels, while it shares a few motifs and other superficial similarities, is entirely different from his first, The Male Gaze, and just as absorbing. The author writes literary novels that read like suspense thrillers, but with more depth. With a wonderful eye and ear for period and place, he draws us into the world of the characters and brings it to life. But it's the characters who keep us wanting more, and the subtly planted musings on the big issues and small details that lead to our own ruminations. Each character is fully realized with a distinct voice. Each brings as much mystery as illumination, drawing us further into the plot. The hierarchy of knowledge shifts, particularly in the second half of the book, keeping us vigilant and pulled forward, allowing moments of surprise and others of ironic distance. Though written in third person, we experience the story through the point of view of Michael, the protagonist. It's his thoughts and feelings we're often privy to. We get a glimpse into the minds of other characters almost exclusively by what they say--or write--to Michael. Even in these and in some of the seemingly objective narration, there are false cues that we realize later we've misinterpreted.

Not as farcical as the first book, Besotted is, nevertheless, leavened with humor, despite it's backdrop (and often foreground) of turmoil, pain and violence. Somehow the book manages often to be funny and heartbreaking, even at the same time. I won't talk about the ending, except to say it was both satisfying and distressing. I hated to leave these people; always a sign of a good book.

In the interest of full disclosure, I should note that I know Joe Treasure personally; however, this isn't a case of saying something nice about a friend's work, since it was the work that initiated the friendship. We met when I heard him read a portion of The Male Gaze before it was published, and was so impressed and intrigued, I introduced myself to him. When I finally read the book, I loved it so much, I read the second right away, though with some trepidation that it wouldn't come up to the standards of the first. I wasn't disappointed. I can't wait for his next.

Besotted has everything you want in a book with adventure, love, mystery, and true to life. I found myself immersed in the characters, identifying with their stories and the twists and turns of their journeys. I was transported to where they were and could envision how they looked and feel the emotion of their feelings as I read this book. Well done Joe Treasure!