Saint X by Alexis Schaitkin is a complex and dark narrative about family, privilege and how the environment we grow up in shapes our thoughts and opinions.

The story of a girl searching obsessively for the truth about her murdered sister is beautifully told through the anguish and uncertainty of the main characters and it’s easy to empathise with them both. Their backstories were fascinating and the manner in which it was written created a deep, moving narrative of two very lost souls.

I did find some of the descriptions, especially in the second part of the book, very long. I thought these descriptive passages could have been shortened without affecting the mood or messages conveyed.

Overall a beautiful story about tragic events and the detriment others’ actions have on our lives.

#netgalley #saintx #alexisschaitkin #panmacmillan

This was an excellent thriller by an exciting new author that really made me think. Impressive character development along with a fascinating storyline make this book a success.

Some of this novel for me was pure brilliance, beautifully atmospheric with a melancholy feel that spoke well to the central theme of a loved one lost and an obsession with the truth.

Some of it was way too slow and there were a lot of times I found the main protagonist, Claire, inordinately irritating. So a bit of a mixed bag.

The opening that dealt with a missing girl on a paradise island was stunning. The voyeuristic viewpoint, the gentle, arching nuances that can mar perfection, the waiting and the hoping, then the horror of the worst discovery. At this point I fully expected to adore it. A different way of telling a classic story.

Then it was kind of like another writer took over in the middle part as it slowed down and meandered away for what felt like forever even though it's a short novel relatively speaking. Claire's obsession never really felt authentic and at one point I wondered if I'd finish it.

I'm glad I did though..as the novel entered its later stages the beauty and insightful prose returned- I'm not sure the resolution will completely satisfy that will be subjective, however the heart of it was very well done. A writer I would read again.

If the whole novel had held up the promise of the initial stage this would be a 5* rating from me- as it is a solid 3 tells the tale of my relationship with Saint X.

If you are looking for a fast paced crime or thriller read, then I would advise you to steer clear of Alexis Schaitkin's remarkable slow and considered character driven debut, a tantalising, acutely observed study of grief, loss, class, race, family, privilege, memory and obsession. 18 year old American Alison Thomas is holidaying with her family, her parents and 7 year old sister, Claire, on the fictional Caribbean island, Saint X, with its friendly locals, staying at The Indigo Bay Resort. The apparently confident, beautiful, athletic and flirtatious Alison goes missing, only for her body to turn up on a beach later. Two locals, Clive Richardson and Edwin Hastie, are arrested but with insufficient evidence, they are released and the mystery of Alison's death remains a mystery through the years.

The young Claire was close to Alison, her lovely sister was everything she wanted to be, she and her parents lives were left indelibly fractured and broken, with the tragedy of what happened to Alison receiving intense media attention in the US. The consequences led to the family moving from New York to Pasadena, California and in Claire's use of the name Emily. Many years later in New York, the 25 year old Claire coincidentally bumps into Clive. She has never been able to forget and let go of her beloved sister, haunted by her death, so she follows Clive, her desperate obsession driven by her need to know the truth and perhaps more pertinently her desire to get to know who exactly Alison was. As it soon becomes clear that there was far more to Alison than her limited childhood memories had led her to believe, Claire becomes disturbed by what she discovers.

Schaitkin writes a thought provoking novel, beautifully written, with heavy rich descriptions, although there are occasional jarring notes, essentially about the wide ranging repercussions on a surprisingly large number of people of Alison's death. The effects of grief and loss run so deep in her family, particularly the young Claire who grows up unable to ever get over losing her sister, which in turn leads to the unforeseen consequences later of her decision to enter Clive's life. This is a compulsive read, with themes that had me immersed in this impressive and memorable debut. Many thanks to Pan Macmillan for an ARC.