Stephen Lloyd Jones’ debut novel is a tale of murder,
revenge, love and erm Hungarian folklore. The Hozzsu Eletek are a rare breed of
people. Blessed / cursed with exceptionally long life they also have the
ability to replicate the appearance of any other person. One of their kind is a
misguided young man who is eventually outcast and hunted by his own. Desperate
and alone Jakab decides to dedicate his long life to tracking down and killing
the descendants of those responsible for what he sees as a terrible humiliation
and betrayal.
The book jumps between present day, the late seventies and
the eighteen hundreds as we follow all the relevant participants in the story.
We have a young Jakab, a university lecturer and his daughter Hannah, who along
with her family provide the most exciting chapters of the book.
This is quite the epic tale and a bit of a challenge for
someone used to regular crime fiction. The challenge was almost too much at
times but that was down to the slow pace of some passages, not the quality of
the writing, which is superior throughout.
The String Diaries is interesting and entertaining but lacks
the tension required to compel the reader to continue with the next chapter,
especially when it takes you away from the action.
Give it a try if you fancy something a bit different but be
prepared to stretch your imagination.
Ric’s Rating: Dodgy
