The Interpreter

This book was positively chilling at times. I couldn’t work out who the ‘second voice’ was at first and just had to keep the pages turning to try and find a clue. On finishing the book, when all questions were answered, I realized this book was more than just a written story - it felt like it had been crafted and so cleverly.
I felt the author had done an amazing job of telling the story of how one person had been so mentally affected by something she had done years previously. I could feel the way she was haunted by it. The ending was amazing and totally wrapped up my enjoyment of a fabulous story. This is a real ‘must read’.

This debut novel by Brooke Robinson was right up my street - I thoroughly enjoyed it.

The concept was an original one - the ability of an interpreter to alter the course of events by judicious mistranslating of key words. Revelle - her unusual name is never explained - speaks ten languages and works freelance, mainly for the police and courts. She's also in the process of adopting a little boy, Elliot, as a single parent. Revelle has no intention of perverting the course of justice - the reverse, really - but when someone she knows is murdered, the temptation to potentially help make sure the "right" person is convicted overcomes her reservations. Of course, it doesn't end there.

The stakes are high for Revelle - as a single adopter, if anything happens to her, she and Elliot are both in trouble. And someone, it seems, has eyes on both of them...

I liked the characters and the insight into the world of translation, where you're only there to interpret people's words and are often treated as not much more than a translation machine. Revelle seems remarkably alone and unsupported - her mother is dead and wasn't much use prior to that, her stepfather lives on the other side of the world, her one friend is no longer in contact, she has never had a serious relationship - and I did hope she found a bit more of a support network.

A fantastic read and I look forward to more from this author.

An impressive debut novel by Brooke Robinson!
When Revelle, a court interpreter, notices that a guilty man might go free, she realises she has the power to change the verdict. But someone knows what she’s done and they aren’t going to let it go.
A cleverly written thriller with an interesting insight into the role of an interpreter. Each chapter left me wanting more. I can’t wait to read more books from this author in the future.