Don't wake the beast

Author : Luca D'Andrea
Title : The Mountain
Published : 29/06/2017
Pages : 400
Format : Kindle
Publisher : MacLehose Press

     Jeremiah Salinger blames himself. The crash was his fault. He was the only survivor. Now the depression and the nightmares are closing in. Only his daughter Clara can put a smile on his face. But when he takes Clara to the Bletterbach - a canyon in the Dolomites rich in fossil remains - he overhears by chance a conversation that gives his life renewed focus. In 1985 three students were murdered there, their bodies savaged, limbs severed and strewn by a killer who was never found. Salinger, a New Yorker, is far from home, and these Italian mountains, where his wife was born, harbour a close-knit, tight-lipped community whose mistrust of outsiders can turn ugly. All the same, solving this mystery might be the only thing that can keep him sane.

     This time my travels in crime fiction took me to a book set in Italy. It setting I have yet to spend much time in. I'm not really sure why you would think that this would be a rich gold mine to delve into. When I first saw the cover for this book I kind of dismissed it I thought it was a book about mountain climbing or some such similar subject. It wasn't till I flicked it over and read the description that my interest was peaked. Firstly as I previously said it was a setting I wasn't to familiar with and also a case that spans two time periods. So I decide what did I have to lose and got myself a copy to try out.

     When I think of Salinger the first thought that come to mind is obsession. He only comes across the case as a way to fill his mind.  He is man dealing with a lot of guilt and he blames him self to the point of self-destruction and beyond. He is willing to sacrifice everything to get to the bottom of a murder that really has nothing to do with him. Salinger's story is one of a decent into madness in a very isolated location. He in him self questions the path he is on. His complexity and bullheadedness brought the character to life for me. While I cannot agree with the decisions he make I felt I could see his perspective and logic in what his does. And for that I have to give congratulations to the author for forming a great character and using a language that made him easily accessible. His wife and child get dragged into it with him and I cant help but feel sorry for them. It is hard when you get pulled into something which you didn't chose to be a part of . From his wife's point of view she wants to bring him back to the man she fell in love with. And for his daughter it is difficult to understand why her farther is pulling away from her when he is stood right next to her. For me she is Salinger's heart and she is the thing that will dame him or redeem him. Along the way we are introduced to the inhabitants of this small community high up in the mountains. They in them selves add an interesting backdrop for this story. From the town drunk to the local cop. None of these encounters are wasted all adding to the continuing story of death and sadness that take place on the mountain. There is depth and a real complexity to these people all adding to a story that drew me in.

     The location of this book place such a huge part of the story that's told in its self becoming a character. Physically it loom above the town  showing its rage and destructive nature every day. The way the author chose his words around it paint a beautiful picture at the same time. While the story predominantly deals with the deaths from nineteen eight five it small parts it tells of other deaths and near misses that have occurred over the years. I think sometimes standing at the bottom looking up we forget what a dangerous environment they can be. I also had no idea that in parts of this area are small stronghold who speak German and consider them self's so. As for the story itself The author has crafted an amazing tale. His use of both crime elements and horror I think work well. The surreal moments in the story are introduced with such ease that in my case I was full prepared to believe in Salinger's  version of events. Evan at there most bizarre and terrifying moments it all seemed plausible. I think to often when a characters goes mad or delves down into the deepest depths of obsession it tend to be rammed into us. D'Andrea is much sneakier than that he introduces it in away that doesn't jar the mind out of the real world setting. and wraps you up in a big old blanket of crazy. And some how it all seem perfectly reasonable place to be.   As for the murder mystery the author has put in a soiled effort.  This was a case that had been dead and buried for along time. One that had shook the small town right to its heart. And as I read the description of how the murder took place it struck me as a very disturbing event. It's something that leaves a stain on all those who where touched by it. Here the author shines through again by ravelling how it effected the towns people over a long period of time. Can people every real shed such an event like a snake and its skin. If this book is anything to go by the answers is no.

     Over all for a book I wasn't sure about it came through as one of my favourites of the year. In some ways it helped in my enjoyment by not knowing a whole lot about it before I dove in. At its heart its a blinder of a crime mystery. It zigs and zags in the right place to keep the read interested and an ending which is as breath taking as it is heart breaking. I would defiantly recommend this for crime lovers with a bit of the beast in them.