SUMMARY: Imagine being flown to a new job at a luxury estate belonging to a fabulously rich but obnoxious Englishman, in the Catalonian mountains. This man’s bizarre character is hard to handle, but he is paying you handsomely and you tolerate his rudeness and demands. Then imagine discovering that he is downright dangerous and now you are trapped. What would you do next?
The BookViral Review:
A sharp, taut, action-packed blend of contemporary mystery and historical fiction, The Rosario is one of those clever novels that leaves us in no doubt as to who everybody is, where they are, what they’re doing and why. Quick to establish the emotional groundwork for his characters Sisson’s is quite exceptional when it comes to building intrigue and suspense. Getting inside our heads and keeping us on edge page after page the pacing is quick and agile without being frenzied whilst a superb plot rapidly gathers momentum. With a strong cast of fully developed characters, Katie, Max and the maddeningly unstable Sinclair are well-conceived with Sissons judiciously avoiding the prescriptive stereotypes the genre typically leans towards. We feel Katie and Max’s growing feelings of trepidation as Sinclair becomes increasingly more unpredictable. Each imbued with a real-world presence whilst gritty dialogue is always spot on to render scenes that are compelling and immersive. There are a few tropes to be found in The Rosario, but to his credit, Sissons doesn’t exploit them to the point where we find ourselves reminded of other stories. More importantly, his blending of historical reference neatly blurs the lines between fact and fiction to create an overarching sense of authenticity and uncertainty as we hurtle towards a superb and rewarding denouement.
Powerful and entertaining fiction, The Rosario proves a notable debut for Peter Sissons and one that bodes well for future releases. Likely to appeal to fans of Dan Brown and Clive Eric Cussler it is highly recommended.
