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Snap by Belinda Bauer is a crime drama/ psychological thriller. It’s been longlisted for the Booker prize and is causing much debate.
I read a lot of crime novels and thrillers so was impressed to find one on the list. This however, was a strange example of the genre to choose.
Snap is set in Tiverton a small town in Devon (about 15 minutes from my home!) The story starts with a mother leaving her children in a broken down car on a motorway, whilst she goes to seek help. She is eventually found murdered. No murderer is caught. The mystery then jumps on a few years and the investigation continues.
The cast are a mix of the ordinary and colourful ...... comical policemen, shabby crooks, family next door types, world weary children with a wily but vunerable teenage hero.
The writing is simple and un-showy with touches of inspired vividness.
The style is often jokey and the characters at first feel like caricatures. This makes them harder to connect with, but eventually I began to like them.
The humorous style also weakens the impact of the more tense plot lines ............ and yet it would often make me smile - I still think of Donald, the pet tortoise, being rescued from the fire as he makes a very ‘slow run for it�� - sorry for the spoiler :)
Yes there are some weird coincidences and unlikely plot twists but the storyline does feel original.
I’m trying not to be too judgemental, as part of the the problem with this book is that it has been nominated for a big literary prize. It doesn’t really need the heightened anticipation, the intense scrutiny and the thorough dissection it will now receive.
It’s not the best example of a crime novel out there but it’s definitely not the worst and for its faults (and I did get exasperated at times!) it feels different and quirky ....... and I liked never quite knowing where the story was heading.
A controversial Booker choice but overall I enjoyed Snap.