When the Siren Calls [Paperback]

Isobel is a rich Surrey housewife adrift in the world of 'husbands, airports and business'. She has it all yet has nothing.

Peter, her alpha male husband, pays more attention to his phone and doing deals for his high powered international business clients than he does to her.

A chance encounter with a suave stranger who saves her from a sticky situation in a Marakesh souk leads Isobel on a sexual and romantic adventure that turns her life on its head.

Egged on by Maria, her adulterous confidante, Isobel swallows her scruples to embark on a steamy affair with Jay, another but very different sort of wheeler-dealer buziness man to her ice-man husband.

Tom Barry's WHEN THE SIREN CALLS chronciles Isobel's erotic liberation and subsequent fall as the net of lies she plunges into closes in around her.

The story-telling is strong throughout with the romantic lives of the players set against the fortunes of a decidedly questionable time-share complex in Tuscany.

The characters are skillfully drawn, especially Isobel, who felt very real in her hopes, ways, flaws and responses.

A couple of the chapters were also richly witty, farcical almost as the characters sought to further their romantic hopes and dreams.

And sex. There is plenty of sex. But this is not primarily an erotic of sexual story because the sex always feels secondary to the charachters' quests for fulfilment. Lucy, the most overtly sexiest player of all wants marriage and children. The main men, Peter, Jay and Andy, are motivated as much by winning their business power plays as by sex. Indeed, the story is as much about male power as sex. But then don't men seek power as a means to achieve sex, too?

The rivalries between the men are excellently portrayed and give an expertly observed and credible insight into the ways of rich professional men for whom, 'using the rules to your own advantage is not a crime'. This is one of the story's great strengths.

There is also a pleasing balance to the structure of the story and characterisaion with Jay, the lothario, at the cente of a diamond of six women. Isobel with her second, Lucy with her advisor, Rusty his wife. Gina, a luckless employee, completes the pattern.

For me though, the quality of the writing was especially pleaing because of the convincing insights to be had from it. It all felt very grown up and intelligent. For example:

~~ She imagined Tessa must have read about love in books and seen it at the movies but dismissed it as a weak fabrication of a lesser human mind

~~ Lucy lowered her eyes in shame and self-loathing, her eyes coming to rest on his pocket, which revealed the outline of what seemed to be a small square bod, pushing into sharp relief by his still, gentle hand.

~~ (Lucy) blessed with nipples he could hang his umbrella on.

~~ If Isobel had looked down the corridor she would have seen him break into a run as he reached the corner.

~~ (Driving along in a white cabriolet in Tuscany) The cool breeze rendered the sub-beaten landscape no more than a vast and beautiful painting, an idyllic backdrop for their perfection.

~~ when the shit hits the fantasy.

~~ with the iron resolve of a man crushed by an ultimatum.

~~ testosterone rising like mercury in a blast furnace.

~~ the entire opening paragraph of Ch 49.

~~ unable to bear the memory of her own happiness.

~~ because it was easier than resisting.

~~ If you only knew how loose that tongue already is for me.

~~ swirling herself around him in manic, hysterical sadness.

Yes, the writing is definitely investment grade quality, as is the characterisation, as is the story-telling. I loved it. The insights into human nature made me think of D.H.Lawrence at times.

When The Siren Calls was, for me, the perfect escapism from the grey British weather and the daily routine. In fact, I thought it was so ideal for 30-something women (like Isobel - the lead female role in WTSC) that I recommended it to my book group and they're now all reading it (and enjoying it immensely according to the text messages I've been getting from them telling me they've gone to bed early to catch up on the latest happenings in Tuscany!).

This is categorised as a 'romantic business thriller' and it has its fair share of steamy scenes, but all are extremely well written and most definitely not over-the-top. I found myself wishing Isobel would just shake her husband and wake him from his perpetual work daydream, but in the end she didn't need to, he did that all by himself. I'm still unsure whether he actually cheated on her, whether he knew about her love affair with Jay (I think he did on both counts) or why she didn't prolong her time with Jay, but I think she made the right decision in the end. I never really warmed to Jay, although think he must be a fairly troubled soul and imagined him to look like Robert Pattinson...but then again, anyone vaguely gorgeous in a novel these days seems to be R-Patz in my mind! This is the fun thing about this book though and a question I'll be asking the girls at the book group: who would play Jay Brooke in the WTSC film? Other questions will be: Have you ever considered if you're on the right path? Would you be as brave as Isobel and give up the life she was expected to lead, if you were in her circumstances?

I loved 50 Shades of Grey and this has been compared to that, although I think, personally, the fact that it has been written by a man and an Irish born man now living in England, makes it even better...Tom Barry is a competent writer and a great story teller. I read this book in just two days and enjoyed every minute of it. The problem is that unlike 50SOG the second book, Saving Jay, in The Siren Calls trilogy hasn't yet been published, so I couldn't download it instantly on my Kindle to continue the journey...

I'll just have to wait patiently.

This book was recommended and I have to say I found it a really good read. It was interesting that none of the characters were particularly likeable. The serially unfaithful wheeler-deeler Jay, the workaholic Peter, the neglected and self-absorbed wife Isobel and the nymphomaniac Lucy with her eye on the big prize. However,in bringing all these characters together Tom Barry managed to weave a great plot. I did tend to get a little bogged down with all the detail concerning the finance of building luxury homes abroad, but it was crucial to the plot and I guess in the end I found this did not really intrude on the story too much. A really good read which I would recommend.