- Paperback: 198 pages
- Publisher: Revel Barker (22 Oct 2009)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0956368611
- ISBN-13: 978-0956368614
- Product Dimensions: 22.8 x 15.2 x 1.6 cm
- Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 801,312 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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Product Description
Product Description
A TV journalist is invited to his ageing stepfamily's beautiful but decaying country house for one last Christmas. Beyond the gates, terrorist bombs and industrial unrest threaten the government of Margaret Thatcher. This political chaos mirrors the unravelling lives of those within - a retired British diplomat and his once glamorous wife, each burdened by past sins, suppressed guilt and approaching death. Their step-son's idealised picture of them is revealed as a sham. He uncovers a tantalising Russian doll of a story, secrets locked in secrets in a conspiracy of murder and revenge across Europe and North America, all rooted in history's greatest crime - the Holocaust.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
A beautifully written and well researched novel in which we are effortlessly transported between the calm and beauty of present day Shropshire countryside and the ravages and concentration camps of war-torn Central Europe.
It tells the story of a man searching for his past in which he has to peel back layer after layer of duplicity, heartbreak and betrayal before he can find the truth.
A book written with intelligence, acute observation and all the more powerful for the author's instinct for understatement despite, from time to time, passages of almost lyrical intensity.
It tells the story of a man searching for his past in which he has to peel back layer after layer of duplicity, heartbreak and betrayal before he can find the truth.
A book written with intelligence, acute observation and all the more powerful for the author's instinct for understatement despite, from time to time, passages of almost lyrical intensity.
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
If you want a good read that embraces excitement and intrigue, poignancy and pathos, Geoffrey Seed's 'A Place of Strangers' is for you.
The story of a man's quest for his true identity, it moves through time and from country to country at a pace that keeps the pages turning. The short chapters add a sense of urgency.
Part thriller, part 'spy-spiel', Seed's book is not so much a whodunit as a who didn't do it. All the characters have something to hide. 'Anything to declare?' could be an alternative title.
McCall, the mixed-up and messed up man at the centre, has much appeal. Let's hope he finds a place in future novels.
Wherever the story roams it always returns to the mysterious house in the Shropshire countryside, the Place of Strangers. Beautifully written, in a concise style with lively dialogue, this is definitely one for the holiday box.
The story of a man's quest for his true identity, it moves through time and from country to country at a pace that keeps the pages turning. The short chapters add a sense of urgency.
Part thriller, part 'spy-spiel', Seed's book is not so much a whodunit as a who didn't do it. All the characters have something to hide. 'Anything to declare?' could be an alternative title.
McCall, the mixed-up and messed up man at the centre, has much appeal. Let's hope he finds a place in future novels.
Wherever the story roams it always returns to the mysterious house in the Shropshire countryside, the Place of Strangers. Beautifully written, in a concise style with lively dialogue, this is definitely one for the holiday box.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
A Place of Strangers is a stylish and beautifully written upmarket thriller about a TV journalist who discovers his diplomat step-parents have lied about his early life - and have even darker secrets to hide.
The more he investigates, the more deceit he uncovers. It is a hard-edged but tender story of love and loss, betrayal and revenge, all rooted in history's greatest crime - the Holocaust.
Engrossing and interlinked narratives weave seamlessly across five decades as the damaged lives of vividly drawn and subtlety nuanced characters emerge in a Russian doll of a tale in which each mystery holds yet another.
The mood created is one of introspection and foreboding for the journalist knows the truth he seeks to unearth can only destroy those who've loved him most.
The plot drives between time and place, compellingly evoked in language that is both rich but spare and powerfully portrays the author's extraordinary depth of feeling towards the terrible history that is the real and harrowing backdrop to the novel.
It is told with an assured and seasoned researcher's eye for detail and human frailty, is thoughtful yet exciting and unputdownable while carrying genuine emotional punch.
If ever there was a calling card from a new writer of intelligent psychological thrillers, then A Place of Strangers is it.
The more he investigates, the more deceit he uncovers. It is a hard-edged but tender story of love and loss, betrayal and revenge, all rooted in history's greatest crime - the Holocaust.
Engrossing and interlinked narratives weave seamlessly across five decades as the damaged lives of vividly drawn and subtlety nuanced characters emerge in a Russian doll of a tale in which each mystery holds yet another.
The mood created is one of introspection and foreboding for the journalist knows the truth he seeks to unearth can only destroy those who've loved him most.
The plot drives between time and place, compellingly evoked in language that is both rich but spare and powerfully portrays the author's extraordinary depth of feeling towards the terrible history that is the real and harrowing backdrop to the novel.
It is told with an assured and seasoned researcher's eye for detail and human frailty, is thoughtful yet exciting and unputdownable while carrying genuine emotional punch.
If ever there was a calling card from a new writer of intelligent psychological thrillers, then A Place of Strangers is it.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
An excellent first novel
This is an excellent first novel. As others have said, the writing is exceptionally beautiful. The story is unusual and demands concentration. Read more
Published 11 months ago by Nick Crabb
I could not put it down!
As a rule I tend to avoid anything to do with the Holocaust, due to the pain such books usually evoke. Read more
Published 11 months ago by Valerie Fee
A book for avid or occasional readers alike
Much as I hate to do a "me too" and give this book 5 stars, it would be wrong to do anything else.
Cards on the table first - I'm not much of a reader. Read more
Cards on the table first - I'm not much of a reader. Read more
Published 11 months ago by Adrian Bradshaw
One not to miss
Thank heavens for the independent publisher.
Without one of them taking on this project we would have missed out on a real treat.
For a debut novel this is a gem. Read more
Without one of them taking on this project we would have missed out on a real treat.
For a debut novel this is a gem. Read more
Published 13 months ago by P Calverley
A breathtaking first novel
This book is Geoffrey Seed's first work of fiction. Based on a true story, told to him at a dinner party, "A Place of Strangers" is a powerful and intriguing piece of writing. Read more
Published 13 months ago by Weston Front
A Place of Strangers, by Geoffrey Seed
"In Geoffrey Seed's novel, A Place of Strangers, a journalist's investigation of his own past uncovers a story of guilt and betrayal during the darkest period of European history,... Read more
Published 17 months ago by george miller
Much to recommend
I thoroughly enjoyed this skilfully woven tapestry of a family beset with long past secrets struggling to piece their history together. An enthralling debut novel. Read more
Published on 15 Mar 2010 by 99rahcz
An enthralling thriller that draws you in from the first few pages
First of all I have to say that this is not normally the type of book I would pick up and read. However as soon as I had read the first three pages I wanted to know more. Read more
Published on 16 Jan 2010 by Elaine W
A very different and essential read.
A Place of Strangers proved to be a fascinating and beautifully crafted story.
Geoffrey Seed has drawn on his first rate talent as a journalist, and set down the unravellings... Read more
Geoffrey Seed has drawn on his first rate talent as a journalist, and set down the unravellings... Read more
Published on 11 Jan 2010 by A. Johns
Lies, intrigue and revenge
This is a beautifully written book, which was easy to read. It was succinctly written, backed up with historical facts and had enough intrigue to keep the story line flowing. Read more
Published on 17 Dec 2009 by Jaytee
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