A SHORT LIFE
Author: Nicky Greenwall
Publisher: Penguin
Reviewer: Beryl Eichenberger
Producer, entertainment journalist and former television presenter Nicky Greenwall has added another string to her bow – that of novelist! Her debut book ‘A Short Life’ is an unsettling tale of six friends whose lives are forever changed by two accidents on the same night. It sits in the genre of domestic noir, in the familiar setting of Cape Town, and the road to the truth is as twisting – and surprising – as the road where the accidents occurred…
Greenwall is a disciplined writer, by that I mean she knows when to ‘cliffhang’, when to delve deeper and when to reveal secrets. This had me turning the pages and holding my breath as the bends in the road got trickier.
Imagine you are out with friends celebrating an anniversary – old friends. You’ve grown up with them, worked with them. Lots of history here. There’s Charley – the driving force – a woman who is sure of what she wants with Sebastian, her husband and soulmate. They have a successful production company, two children and a house in Llandudno – could be called the golden couple. Franky, Charley’s bestie, friends since childhood, both creative but our Franky is a tad neurotic, insecure, a worrier, and oh so precise. Married to Nick – the smooth engineer – a contemporary chap who reflects his privilege. Finally, Adam (bit of a loser) and his younger wife, the gorgeous Maria with their three children. And then there is Franky’s widowed mother…
Tragedy strikes as two of the friends have separate accidents on the same stretch of road. One dies, is the other culpable?
The characters are layered, recognizable, and as the story unfolds, you’ll be surprised at their complexity, their secrets, their fears, and their real sense of friendship in finding the truth. It’s a real story – one of connections, loyalty, guilt and everything that goes with longstanding relationships. It’s dark and edgy – that twisting road is fraught with shadows and hidden places. And questions that throw doubt over a golden relationship. Do friends really know each other? Why was she driving away from home that night?
It’s a thriller that keeps surprising, not least at the end. Greenwall keeps you guessing and she drops a few red herrings – look out for the psychologist – which may have you heading in another direction. Whichever way you look at it this novel will resonate, it might have you wondering what you don’t know about your besties, but it will certainly stay with you. A sincere and well thought out debut novel, one which I think has legs and well, life is short, as we know only too well.