Rupture [Kindle Edition]

On the surface, Rupture is a simple investigation of a school murder. But the careful narrative - revealing each fact in a controlled way to keep you turning the page - is turbo-charged by the voices of the characters.

Lelic's choice to mix first-person testimonies of the crime with a more 'standard' approach to the detective novel is brave. But each individual character seems real - not just in their language but through their approach, life experience and personal view of the crime itself.

The effect is to catapult the reader through a twisting tale of the darkest side of humanity. The book tackles so many issues head on - child abuse, bullying, sexism, racism, homophobia, xenophobia - but without shoving them down the reader's throat as 'themes'. Instead, the issues remain in your peripheral vision as you concentrate on the story winding its way to a satisfying, and surprising, conclusion.

Overall this is an enjoyable, rewarding and fascinating book. Lelic takes a series of complex elements and fits them together easily. I can't wait to read his next one.

Crime novels are not my thing and this is not a book I would be drawn into reading ordinarily. But I gave it a try after reading a few fantastic reviews and hearing friends rave about it. After two straight nights staying up way too late, because I simply could not put it down, I was left with one of those oddly enjoyable "book hangovers" that happens when the characters, voices and story linger in your head for days afterwards. I was astounded by the way the story so thoroughly twisted around my own feelings and assumptions from the beginning to the end. It was an emotional rollercoaster, in the hands of a clearly clever and talented writer, and I highly recommend others going along for the ride. You might be unsettled but you won't be sorry.

When a young teacher, Samuel Szajkowski shoots 3 children, another teacher and himself in a seemingly unprovoked massacre in the school assembly hall, Lucia May, the detective in charge, quickly realises that maybe this attack is not quite as unexpected as it looks on the surface and with her own experience of sexual harassment and bullying in her "man's world" job, she sets out if not to clear Samuel's name then at least to help explain why it happened, avoid it happening again and also to try and place the responsibility on who she perceives as the real perpetrators.

The main theme is bullying in its different shapes and forms. It shows that it is not only happening between children, but that adults are equally afraid of not conforming and leaving the stronger group. In that sense it is a frustrating read because this is a real problem that is so hard to solve - and I think the author puts it very well in this exerpt from the book: "Why was the onus always on the weak when it was the strong that had the liberty to act? Why were the weak obliged to be so brave when the strong had license to behave like such cowards?"

The story is told in the form of a compilation of interviews/conversations with the teachers, pupils, parents, and Lucia's colleagues, family and friends - a bit like "The Rehearsal" by Eleanor Catton. I like this mix of voices and overall the author does a great job in making them authentic and "compiling" the storyline, however, there are a few issues, e.g. Lucia's boss, Cole. Their conversations do not seem as believable and well-written as the rest of the book, but despite these few glitches, I found it very entertaining and highly recommendable.

One thing though... I agree with one of the other reviewers, surely the final edition of this fine book is not going to be tainted by a cheap and easy shot as we currently have at the police station - there must be a better way to move on!