My Review of A Dark Matter by Doug Johnstone

A Dark Matter by Doug Johnstone is a deliciously dark tale set against the backdrop of an evocatively depicted Edinburgh.  Johnstone's choice of Edinburgh is inspired and the narrative is imbued with its rich history of characters, such as Deacon Brodie, who have a secret life. Similarly, A Dark Matter is full of people who are not always the person they present themselves to be. Dorothy, after fifty years with Jim, is forced to confront the essential truth that we never fully know another human being no matter how intimate we are with them. We all have secrets to a greater or lesser extent and this is reflected in A Dark Matter: the secret lives lead to mistrust, betrayal and much worse but Johnstone turns it into an enjoyable romp that sometimes made me think of Jekyll and Hyde and other times the infamous Burke and Hare with a healthy dash of the Me Too movement for good measure.

I loved the use of the three female protagonists as narrators and Johnstone expertly captures the female psyche in the young, middle aged and older generations. Hannah, Jenny and Dorothy are not insipid women, one could say they have balls! It's easy to forget that they are fictional creations as their behaviour is all too human as whilst I always sympathised with them I did not always like them.  All three women are coping with the loss of a loved one as best they can, and like most of us, grief does not necessarily bring out the best in them. Conversely, characters that I had little sympathy for turned out to be more likeable. Its a novel that does not allow you to coast along without engagement. Johnstone does not allow any character to be two dimensional and allowing the reader privileged access to the protagonists' secret thoughts reminded me of Thoreau's assertion, about men but Johnstone is more inclusive, that we all live 'lives of quiet desperation'.

An intelligent and character driven narrative that I heartily recommend.

Thanks to Anne Cater and Karen Sullivan for inviting me to be part of this tour.