Book Review: "Falls to Pieces" by Douglas Corleone

I have never ever heard of this writer and I have never ever heard of this book. But one day, I was browsing through Amazon and this randomly popped up. It had never been in my recommendations before, there was nothing that had ever suggested it to me but once I saw it and read the blurb, I was interested. Packed with tension and atmosphere, this book lays in on well and carries it along the whole text, through every character and in every crack and scratch. I was very surprised at how much I enjoyed it to be honest. Let's take a look at in then...

Kati and her daughter, Zoe are hiding away under brand new identities, trying to escape a past that the reader knows nothing about as of yet - but it's safe to say we are very concerned. Whilst on a hike, Kati's partner vanishes and then - things start to get super weird. Law enforcement gets involved and the reader gets an insight into the fact that Kati may not be the protagonist we think she is. The more unwanted attention she gets, the more intense the novel becomes. I honestly enjoyed this aspect of the book because we start off with the aftermath of something we don't know about and that is obviously an odd place to begin and must be difficult to write successfully. But Douglas Corleone does just that.

Kati's maternal instinct to protect her daughter Zoe falls apart when Zoe goes missing as well. However, the writer deliberately hides Kati's morals and intentions from the reader. We therefore see them as ambiguous and shady - as if we are watching what she is doing through frosted glass, desperately trying to see what's going on. Her fear is palpable, especially as it becomes clear that Eddie’s disappearance may not be an accident. It becomes more and more apparent when the story moves on to Zoe's disappearance. This is an especially great factor added in by the writer as the book starts with Zoe's narration.

When it comes to why Kati and Zoe ran away, when you learn why it was you can understand why the next events happen as they do. It makes Kati look even more morally grey than we already see her at the time her partner disappears. However, as we move through the book - Kati's decisions seem to reflect our own emotions. There is something in it where the writer is trying to engage with the reader about their own opinions about things: is there any justification in what Kati is doing, has done and will do? I can't tell you exactly what that is because it would be a spoiler. You are forced to reflect on yourself right to the end of the book because yes, there's more. But the pacing is brilliant because it starts off so slow and fragmented, as if the writer is tip-toeing around the topic. The last third of the book is much more fast-paced. The control is excellent.

After reading the book, I read some reviews of the book and I noticed that many people are calling the plot convoluted and complicated. I thought that initially as well, but I had a good think about it before writing this review. I think that the plot is meant to reflect the main character's actual life rather than playing into the formulaic plot of a psychological thriller story. It seems like Douglas Corleone is recreating the erratic nature of having your child disappear whilst also giving us a taste for that Hawaiian atmosphere in the setting. I enjoyed that original train of thought he was on because it felt more realistic.

All in all, this is not your simplistic psychological thriller and if you love the formulaic ones that perhaps don't push the boat out very much then this one will probably rub you the wrong way. There's many difficult topics to deal with and the morally grey protagonist keeps shifting here and there across the moral chessboard - so if you're sensitive to these topics then probably skip over this one. However, if you like burying yourself deep in a read that keeps you unsure about the character who's supposed to be drawing you in and you want something really different from your psychological thriller reading then this one is definitely for you.