The Sound of Sirens by Ewan Gault
[Review]
Publisher: Garrison (Leamington Books)
A harrowing concoction of crime, violence and heartbreak. A story that will leave a permanent imprint on your heart!
I was absorbed by the plot almost instantly, unlike many other books, Ewan doesn't mess around and the plot begins with Malky's uncle Joe's dead body being fished out of the water. From the moment that Joe's body was discovered, it was clear that something fishy (no pun intended) had happened and here the story begins to unwind.
The main character is seventeen-year-old Malky Campbell who by all means, appears to have a better academic chance than his other family members and people believe that Malky stood a good chance of being something good but with the influence of his cousins that chance is greatly reduced. The fishing community is a tight-knit bunch who believe Malky is destined to be in charge of his family's trawler. Malky and his family live in Port Cawdor which was previously a successful fishing town but has now succumbed to the drug epidemic, where young people dream of leaving but always somehow end up mixed up within the drug scene. I adored Malky, you could see his kindness shining through and his internal struggles with doing right by his family whilst trying to save his pregnant and heavily addicted friend from the harsh conditions she is living in. As the story continues you can see that Malky is faced with going against his own moral compass to make a decision to help his friends which leaves Malky in a very precarious spot. The entire time I was reading this book I was on edge, wishing Malky to make the harsh but sensible choice but knowing heartbreakingly that he is just a teenage boy who is in love and love is a powerful drug in itself.
I would argue that in Malky's case, love was his drug of choice and was the core reason why he makes some of the decisions he does, he's desperate to not only love and save his pregnant friend but to also be loved and I think that's what broke my heart the most.
DI Stark is an experienced officer who is sickened by what Port Cawdor has turned into. He is a hardened police detective who has had to deal with the ongoing drug crisis his town is facing, He fears what this drug rampaged place will do to his daughter Zoe and after seeing the worst of the worst type of drug-related crimes, he really wants out, but first, he has to figure out what exactly is going on within the trawler community. DI Stark is an intelligent and driven character that needs to unearth whatever secrets Malky is holding and he won't stop until he has achieved it but he also had a lot of heart hidden under that grumpy exterior.
This story whilst absolutely heart-breaking is an incredible read, you see humanity at its lowest, you experience what crippling addiction and poverty looks like, but the saddest thing of all is you see insurmountable amounts of hope that burns within the youth that have all the odds stacked up against them. This is the finest crime novel I have read in a long while, I absolutely recommend to anyone who loves a good authentic crime story to give this book a read, you won't regret it!
Many thanks to the publisher for sending me a copy of this book, I hope to see more of Ewan Gault's fantastic work in the future!
Waterstones purchase link here
Foyles purchase link here
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