THE BOOK LOVER'S TALE.

THE BOOK LOVER'S TALE by IVO STOURTON.

He collects books:
Interior designer for the rich and powerful, Matt de Voy lends his tasteful eye to the households of his wealthy female clients. He also advises on which books should adorn their shelves. His deep knowledge of literature becomes his sharpest tool of seduction.

He collects women:
Despite himself, Matt begins to fall in love with one of his most beautiful clients, Claudia. She is modest, clever and married.

But is he a murderer?
Matt's fixation on the unavailable Claudia threatens to drive him over the edge....
..... Outer back cover.

FIRST SENTENCE (Prologue): It was very kind of my wife to have sent you, considering the circumstances.

MEMORABLE MOMENT (Page 7): But the books weren't really stock. They were valuable not in themselves but for the ideas they contained. Mad people and bad people and brilliant people came in and out and borrowed and stole and donated, and all these ideas moved again and again. The books were just a means to keep their stories moving.

MY THOUGHTS: Such a disappointing read.

OK, so Matt's job, a 'library consultant' who purchases books constructing a library for rich clients, has to be every bibliophile's dream job and as such made for interesting reading. AND the ending of the book, the last 50 or so pages, were, if not exactly dramatic, unexpected BUT I'm afraid that this in no way made up for the fact that the other two hundred and forty pages were so tedious as to make the whole novel seem actually longer than it was. 

With what I can only describe as a dreary plot peppered with incidents that left me bewildered and wondering what their purpose was, a main character who was arguably without a single redeeming feature and a cast of other supporting characters who, if not altogether surplus to the story, were very much secondary I'm afraid The Book Lover's Tale failed to do it for me. 

DISCLAIMER: Read and reviewed on behalf of NEWBOOKS magazine I was merely asked for my honest opinion, no financial compensation was asked for nor given.