My Five Word TL:DR Review: Beautifully written, atmospheric and unsettling

Senseless was a novel that I couldn’t wait to pick up.  I’ve read three of Malfi’s novels already and loved them and, okay, this wasn’t my favourite of the four, but, the more I think about it, especially, whilst writing this review, the more impressed I become.  I keep thinking of little nuances and subtle hints.  It’s so clever to be honest, one of those stories where so many pieces are interconnected in a way that you can’t at first fathom.  And I keep having other little lightbulb moments when things randomly pop into my head – and don’t you just adore a book that continues to make you think about it long after you’ve finished – maybe even enough to make you want to pick it back up and go through the final chapters just to make sure you understood everything?  To be honest, I feel like I need to sit down with this author and have a long chat and he can give me the yay or nay to some of my final thoughts.

In a nutshell this is a story with murder at its core.  Two murders to be precise.  Murders that seem to have been undertaken by the same hand.  It involves three key storylines that at first seem to have so very little in common, so much so that you really can’t see how they’re ever going to be relevant to each other.

Our three povs:

Detective Bill Renney.  Was the original detective responsible for investigating the murder of a young woman whose body was found in the desert outside Los Angeles.  A year later and another body is found in the same place and with the same traits.  Surely this is the work of the serial killer.  And yet, hard nosed detective Renney has doubts.  He also has a new, eager and anxious to prove himself, partner helping him with this murder – and something is giving Renney pause for thought.  It takes a little while to understand why so patience is a virtue.

Maureen Park is an author, recently, almost in a whirlwind romance, engaged to Greg Dawson, Hollywood producer whose career seems to be on a downward trajectory.  As the story begins an engagement party is taking place, one that is very important to Greg.  Maureen is anxiously arranging and rearranging things that have no need of arranging and slowly trying to consume as much alcohol as possible, and to an extent things are going smoothly until Greg’s unruly son arrives, supposedly he’d been sent to Europe to keep him ‘out of the way’ but he’s decided to crash the party and cause a stir. Landon is a rather (read very) unpleasant character who quickly insinuates himself under Maureen’s skin.

Finally we have Toby Kampen.  A very unusual character indeed.  This storyline really does tap into the horror side of the novel so be aware of that.  Toby thinks he’s a fly.  He’s been living rough until his new found obsession with a young woman who has attracted his eye, means he needs to return home (to the spider) in order to have access to certain resources – such as money and wheels.

What I really enjoyed about this.

The writing is really good.  It’s packed with tension and unease.  The full novel is grimy and horrible and unsettling in a way that is simply a testament to Malfi’s writing.  He explores the seedy underworld but at the same time takes us to some of the more exclusive homes and neighbourhoods.  And, he just sinks his teeth into you and makes you read on – like you’ve been literally glamoured!

The characters are also a bit unsettling in totally different ways.  Renney is a deeply unhappy character haunted by the loss of his wife.  The original murder (the first woman in the desert) came at a difficult time for him and he clearly made mistakes that he regrets.  This will eventually come out as things progress and from there there’s this nervous apprehension that everything in his life is going to come crashing down.  He’s not a bad person and his story is easy to follow – at first I thought this would very much go down the route of ‘police procedural’ but that’s far from the truth.  Maureen is also haunted by her past.  There’s the whole issue of ‘why the whirlwind romance’ and really, her new found position, as the ‘latest’ love interest of Greg – seems to be a dodgy position to say the least.  Finally, Toby.  He’s one of the strangest characters.  His story is definitely weird and, well, unsettling but also difficult to tear your eyes away from.  Clearly, I’m anxious to not reveal spoilers so I don’t want to overdo my descriptions for any of these characters.

I will say that sections of this book become a bit psychedelic, at times I was almost like ‘what did I just read’.  I also did experience a point in the read where I just felt confused, the storylines felt so random, and I started off deeply interested in the murder mystery element but then I felt like the plot went sideways.  But, that being said I was hooked.  I had to know what the heck was going on.  DId I get all the answers.  I’m not entirely sure.  I feel like I could probably read this book all over and find a whole bunch of things that I completely missed.  At the same time I keep thinking of little things that I really love.  There are Dracula references here.  We have a character known as the fly who definitely seems to be caught in a strange web of deceit by a young woman that ‘seems’ to be a vampire.  He certainly becomes her general dogs body in a typically Renfield fashion.  The detective is called Renny – is this also a Dracula reference or am I reading too much into things?  He also caught in a web – maybe even of his own making.  Finally Maureen – she definitely feels trapped, of the three I really wanted to just yell at her to run away.

Anyway, I think I’ve said enough.  Well written, complex and thought provoking.

I came for the murder mystery and stayed for the deeply dark horror.  A story that can be read with hints of the supernatural but that at the same time can be explained without reverting to the supernatural.

Also the title.

I received a copy through Netgalley, courtesy of the publisher, for which my thanks.  The above is my own opinion.

My rating 4 of 5 stars