The Strange Book Of Jacob Boyce by Tom Gillespie
A spiralling obsession. A missing wife. A terrifying secret. Will he find her before it’s too late?
When Dr Jacob Boyce’s wife goes missing, the police put it down to a simple marital dispute. Jacob, however, fears something darker. Following her trail to Spain, he becomes convinced that Ella’s disappearance is tied to a mysterious painting whose hidden geometric and numerical riddles he’s been obsessively trying to solve for months. Obscure, hallucinogenic clues, and bizarre, larger-than-life characters, guide an increasingly unhinged Jacob through a nightmarish Spanish landscape to an art forger’s studio in Madrid, where he comes face-to-face with a centuries-old horror, and the terrifying, mind-bending, truth about his wife.
About the Author
Tom Gillespie grew up in a small town just outside Glasgow. After completing a Masters in English at Glasgow University, he spent the next ten years pursuing a musical career as a singer/songwriter, playing, recording and touring the UK and Europe with his band. He now lives in Bath with his wife, daughter and hyper-neurotic cat, where he works at the university as an English lecturer. Tom writes long and short stories. His stories have appeared in many magazines, journals and e-zines. He is co-author of Glass Work Humans-an anthology of stories and poems, published by Valley Press. Visit Tom at tom-gillespie.com
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Review
When I read the last sentence and put the book down, I must admit I wasn’t quite sure what I had read! It really does mess with your brain. What was reality? The quote on the front cover about it being an art based Vanilla Sky is very apt. I may have been confused and confounded but I did know that I utterly enjoyed the book.
The narrative opens with Jacob being obsessed with his work and in particular a painting which is hanging at City Galleries in Glasgow. I have to admit some the mathematical theorem went right over my head. It was very detailed and nuanced and I’m sure I must have missed some of the points being raised or just plain didn’t understand them. But as more aspects of the plot became apparent it began to draw me in and finally I became hooked and needed to know what happened.
I loved how there wasn’t really a hero character. Yes, Jacob was the main character but he has flaws. All the characters have them and this makes the book a lot more relatable and real to the reader. Especially, when you realise you are dealing with issues like grief, loss, mental health, obsession etc.
There are still parts of me that are confused. Did that happen or not? But then I think that is the beauty of this book. It’s open to interpretation, there is a mystery behind it. There are numerous layers to peel back and then they just keep going. Plus my views and opinions might be completely different from another reader. I love when a book can prompt such discussion between readers.
The Strange Book of Jacob Boyce is definitely one that needs to be on your radar! Go read it now.
