BOOK REVIEW: Amongst Friends by Katherine E Smith

TITLE: Amongst Friends
AUTHOR: Katherine E Smith
PUBLISHED BY: Heddon Publishing

This is the third novel by Katharine E. Smith; it is an unusual book, the chronology of it is not what readers will expect in that the story is told backwards. It turns traditional story-telling on its head, beginning with the dramatic end to a friendship and gradually unveiling what has happened for things to have gone so wrong.

It starts with a dramatic explosion in 2003 in which one person dies; the story is then peeled back and takes readers backwards twenty plus years to the start of the friendship of Mike, Anna and Lee, to when the three are friends at nursery school, before revealing the final denouement. Each chapter shows how the friends got to the final scenario bit by bit, year by year. Their characters grow and mature, affected by their family situations in every case, some for the better some for the worse. The tragedy of life does not spare Lee in particular and as each set of situations is presented and the wrong path taken, it becomes obvious that he was battling against the odds.

It is really different reading a book in reverse chronological order; I think it really worked. It is an interesting, well-written book, set in Bristol which is lovingly described. I found it an interesting story about how friendships grow and change over time; even when you know people really well, it makes one wonder if you actually know them as well as you think. It's a risky strategy, as readers have to invest totally in the characters in order to care enough to hear their story. There is Anna, a lonely girl whose real family has always been her two best friends. Lee is the friend turned lover, who she eventually marries almost by default. Lee struggles with the aftermath of an abusive father and absentee mother, and is constantly anxious that he might end up falling into the same bad habits. Finally, there is Mike, the quiet one, who has always held a torch for Anna but has been too shy to say so. He’s very protective of her, so when a mutual friend suggests that Lee could be abusing her, he knows he has to act in some way.

This is a very skilfully written book, with excellent characterisation, with the author making sure we care about each character before revealing their secrets. Lee’s traumatic childhood, his complicated relationship with his father and Anna’s need for love and acceptance is brilliantly portrayed. And Mike, who could so easily be a doormat, proves his worth.

It is a far more edgy read than the author’s previous novels, touching on domestic violence and how the victim reacts to it; the author really knows how to balance a story, create realistic worlds and dialogue and above all, keep the reader guessing. Although it is different to the author’s previous books, this didn't detract from the very interesting storyline; I thought it was very clever in the way the story unfolded. it does not disappoint on any level.

This is also an affectionate tribute to Bristol, fondly described with name-checks for key sights throughout, anchoring the universal story firmly in the city. In fact, Bristol features so strongly that it's almost a character in its own right, a dependable constant in the fractured lives of the three friends.

Overall, it is a well-written story with very good perceptive insights into the various characters and their development and relationships with each other. The timeline really appealed, the mention of items from the era was fabulously nostalgic.

For readers who like contemporary, psychological fiction, strong characters, and a twist of mystery and intrigue, they won’t want to put this book down.

Reviewer - Anne Pritchard