CRASH LAND
BY DOUG JOHNSTONE • (Faber & Faber) 3 November 2016
An iconic character through much Western fiction, but especially crime noir, is the “femme fatale”—the beautiful, mysterious, seductive woman who turns the hero’s life upside down. It’s not an archetype Doug Johnstone, exploring the edges of domestic noir, has used before, but his approach here is effective and intelligent.
The “femme” in question is Maddie—full name, Mrs Madeline Pierce—who steps into the life of jewellery student Finn in the departure lounge of Orkney airport. “Sometimes life is dramatic,” she tells him, although neither anticipate the horrendous plane crash that leaves seven dead, three—including Finn—injured and Maddie unaccounted for.
Johnstone is never an author who
wastes time or energy with literary throat-clearing; it’s clear from the start (to the reader, if not to a gin-drunk Finn) that Maddie is fleeing more than just the lecherous interest of a fellow passenger. Finn—inside whose head we experience events—is a young, somewhat self-centred character (as shown in a lack of enthusiasm for his supposed girl-friend) whom we might not initially like but come to sympathise with “in extremis”.
Another assured, sharply written novel that’s a gripping read which never underestimates the reader’s intelligence.
DID YOU KNOW?
In 2011 Doug Johnstone co-founded the Scotland Writers Football Club, which has since played numerous games around Europe, usually alongside more traditional literary events.
Review first published in Crime Scene #6.
