A supernatural story set in the aftermath of World War One, Hand of Glory is the sort of book that makes you realize the quiet horrors of life.
In Susan Boulton’s second book, we are transported to the front lines of the ‘war to end all wars’ in Flanders where our hero, caught on the barbed wire in thick mud, witnesses a murder. Half mad with pain, Giles Hardy can’t really process the murderous deed because he thinks he’s already dead, that it is just a matter of time before he joins the murdered fellow-officer and the rest of Hardy’s men at the bottom of a sinkhole.
But life is too cruel to just let him die.
He has more quiet horrors to endure before he is finally sent back home, and then his story really begins. For though he doesn’t know it, he’s got a mystery to solve. The murderer, Archie Hawkins, is still out there, and he’s coming for Hardy. Several years after the war, Giles Hardy is back at home, but the war has yet to leave him. During a memorial service, his past and future meet up and set in motion the bulk of the events of that make the Hand of Glory a fast-paced read.
Hand of Glory is primarily told from two perspectives, that of the murderer and the hero. Though we do get to see small town life through a few other characters, it is Hawkins and Hardy that are pitted against each other. The first is a ruthless thief and the other is a former officer. Their paths first crossed in the war and then again at home when it is time to put to rest souls who fought for a better world.
If it seems I’m being vague, that’s because I am trying to be vague. I don’t want to give too much away because though this is sort of a mystery, the reader is clued in on all the events in the book. The real story is how the war affects everyone it touched, from the men on the front lines to nurses who cared for them to those who were left at home. The Great War had a huge impact on British society and Ms. Boulton weaves her mythological tale with that fact forefront in mind. It changed everyone’s world, whether they wanted it or not. And indeed, some were even better off for it.
What I really like about Susan’s writing are all the details she’s included. Incredibly well researched, Hand of Glory imparts an accurate sense of place and time. She doesn’t romanticize the war at all and we get an excellent portrayal of not only what it was like to be on the front lines, but also what it would have been like to be there with your brother or your neighbor or the local hoodlum fighting alongside them graciously or not.
Another aspect of this story I enjoyed was the inclusion of Agnes, a nurse and a supporting character, who ends up playing a large role in the story. While I thought she cursed way too much, she made me think of all the people (women and men) who worked tirelessly to support men, both now and then, dying at the front lines of our wars and what it cost them to do so.
However, though the author does not shy away from specific details, I was, at times, disappointed that we weren’t immersed in the history of the time all the more. I felt the author held back in places for the sake of pacing.
Regardless, if you’re a World War One aficionado, this is a book you don’t want to miss. It mixes war and post-war trauma with a mythological tale that is both imaginative, and disturbingly real. There’s always going to be thieves among us. Let’s just hope none of ‘em get any ideas from Susan!
Recommended.
Kindle Edition
N.E. White, September, 2016.
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