To say I was excited to see De Maria’s latest book was a Catholic whodunit would be an extreme understatement. I reviewed her novel, We’ll Never Tell Them, and was impressed by her style.
I started to read this book as soon as I had downloaded it to my Kindle library – and I did not put it down until I had finished it, reading it cover to cover (screen to screen) in a single sitting.
The Sleeping Witness may be the perfect length for the busy mum – but that doesn’t mean that it skimps in other areas.
De Maria has a beautiful way of portraying her characters in such a realistic, and flawed way. Her protagonist might be a priest, and a monk, but he struggles with disobedience, among other things and is a very relatable character.
Her characters are always well rounded which made it hard to solve the crime before Father Gabriel did (unfortunately I have a habit of doing that in others, Gone Girl and The Girl On The Train are two recent examples), and she does through in a few plot twists that work well.
Her descriptions of a time and place post World War II are evocative and so effective that you feel as though you can reach out and touch the care worn furniture.
I enjoyed this book immensely and loved the subtle jabs at various areas – Agatha Christie and the Jesuits are just a few – that are both funny and intelligent and unlikely to cause offence.
De Maria’s first in what is to be a series is a great introduction and I’m very much looking forward to the next instalment.
You can grab a copy here.
Originally posted 2017-04-06 23:28:13.