Heaton Wilson’s Latest Novel (The Whistle Bay Series, Book One)
Heaton Wilson is not a new face in these pages, but so far we’ve only known his ‘thriller side’ with his DCI Jane Birchfield Series (read our review here). This time, he turns to literary fiction for his latest story.
Sam, a stuttering local ex-footballer, has redeemed his father’s deckchairs business after his death, 18 months ago. His mother has been dead for 5 years now, and his older brother Mikey is a fisherman. They also had another brother, Sean, older than Sam by a bunch of years, who died in his teens due to a heart condition.
At the age of 25, Sam is alone. The relationship with Mikey has always been rocky, due to the age gap and the fact that Sam and Sean were closer as kids. But all this will change with Mikey’s illness, and Sam will find himself in a very unpleasant position. He won’t be alone, though, because along the way he will find the support of Lindsay, a painter who made her name in London but who used to come to Whistle Bay as a child with her parents. “I need to refresh my mind and reconnect with my art, that’s why I am here” she tells Sam when they meet for the second time, when she rents one of his chairs for the day, spending her time sketching on the beach, and Sally, a high school mate and his real first love, something he finally confesses to her so many years later.
‘The Waves of Change’ is a delicate book, narrated with a light pen and full of distinctive characters, like Mouthy Stan or ‘Appy Aaron, that bring a delightful touch of colour in a reality so sad and decrepit. Unfortunately, so many UK seaside villages that reached their peak during the ’60s and ’70s are now slowly but painfully degrading, with the younger generations keen to go abroad for a bunch of pounds more. It also touches delicate themes like a terminal disease, love relationships and family problems, but never with a judging or pitiful eye. The story is also full of unexpected twists and turns, keeping the read interesting and suspenseful.
At times, however, it misses the necessary ‘deeper plunge’ into the narrative, made of detailed sharp descriptions and quick dialogues, which we feel would definitely elevate the whole book to a totally new dimension.
Still, we are still quite impressed by the change of tone and register from the previous books and will definitely wait impatiently for book two.
All books by Heaton Wilson are available for purchase on Amazon.
