The Fault

Kitty Sewells latest thriller takes her readers to an unusual location: the rock of Gibraltar. If one had the idea of Gibraltar as only a military outpost or a rather tacky tourist stop-over, The Fault gives a much better sense of its long and interesting history, its mix of races, traditions and languages among the native Gibraltarians, its awesome scenic beauty (which is under pressure) and its vast tunnel and cave system within. For some way into the book, the setting is more attractive than at least two of its three central characters. Although not narrated in the first person, each section (through most chapters) is seen from the point of view of one of the three Sebastian Luna, the engineering genius; Mimi, his 17-year-old, punky, rebellious sister; and Eva, his recently acquired, fabulously beautiful lover, who is a professional diver. Quite how much their points of view of events may be trusted becomes increasingly an issue as we move through the novel. Kitty Sewell is a psychotherapist as well as an author. This is central to her earlier book, Bloodprint, and becomes important here both in the character of Sebastian (whose mental instability is hinted at early on) and in the case of Eva, who is apparently strong, professional and stable but is haunted and hunted by an earlier damaging relationship, just as Sebastian and Mimi are by their traumatic childhoods. How Eva transcends this and builds a loving relationship with Mimi is a very positive strand in the novel, but the secrets of their pasts constantly keep Eva and Sebastian from the vital communications they need to have. Mimi begins as a most unlikable, awkward teenager with a ghoulish streak and little sensitivity for the feelings of others. If her resistance to Sebastians protectiveness is understandable, her behaviour has given him plenty of reasons to worry. When she strikes up a friendship with their older neighbour, Carlo, she deliberately provokes both her brothers obsession and Carlos sexual reserve. Her development through the novel is well charted, as is her increasing maturity and concern for others (not least for the previous tenant, the late Mrs Cohen). The scenes of Evas diving explorations and discoveries are particularly vividly described and enjoyable. Although Sebastians vision of the new city on a shelf is made much of in the opening chapters (as are the warning notes that Sebastian thinks hes God), a bit more material on the build-up towards construction would have increased the sense of the reality of the project and its threat to the environment. This strand is bound up with the Luna familys involvement with Carlo Montegriffo, a leading opponent of the scheme, and at times one is led to suspect that his interest in Mimi is a way of spying on or distracting Sebastian. The Fault is a story of many secrets and many twists which winds up into a series of tense hunts both for predators and for their prey set in a unique and intriguing location. Caroline Clark It is possible to use this review for promotional purposes, but the following acknowledgment should be included: A review from www.gwales.com, with the permission of the Books Council of Wales. Gellir defnyddio'r adolygiad hwn at bwrpas hybu, ond gofynnir i chi gynnwys y gydnabyddiaeth ganlynol: Adolygiad oddi ar www.gwales.com, trwy ganiatd Cyngor Llyfrau Cymru. -- Welsh Books Council