Book Review: The Pursuit of William Abbey

A young and naive English doctor, William Abbey, witnesses the lynching of a local boy by the white colonists. As the child dies, his mother curses William. William begins to understand what the curse means when the shadow of the dead boy starts following him across the world. It never stops, never rests. It can cross oceans and mountains. And if it catches him, the person he loves most in the world will die.

I love Claire North's writing. This latest novel follows her regular template - a person with uncanny abilities has to survive a world which wants to abuse their talents.

It's a long and winding tale, almost a travelogue. It gradual ratchets up the tension and horror building to a satisfying conclusion.

There's also a lovely bit of fan service which vzcyvrf gung zbfg bs ure obbxf gnxr cynpr va gur fnzr havirefr!

Perhaps my only criticism is that it's a little long. I guess it just represents excellent value for money.

Well worth reading her previous novels. "The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August" is sublime. "The Sudden Appearance of Hope" is excellent. "The End of The Day" is magical. And 84k is pretty good too!