Review: The Loney

The Loney by Andrew Michael Hurley
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Two brothers. One mute, the other his life long protector.

Year after year, their family visits the same sacred shrine on a desolate strip of coastline known as the Loney, in desparate hope of a cure.

In the long hours of waiting, the boys are left alone. They cannot resist the causeway revealed with every turn of the treacherous tide, the old house they glimpse at its end...

Many years on, Hanny is a grown man no longer in need of his brother's care.

But then the child's body is found.
And the Loney always gives up its secrets, in the end. 

This was a challenge read for me - something I wouldn't normally choose but read anyway. Often passed on from my husband as was the case with this book.

It was hard work. I can see why it's a prize winner. It's well written, characters are developed, things seem well researched and it's very atmospheric. There is a lot of emphasis on Catholicism so it won't be to everyone's taste and....it's slow!

Too slow for me. I nearly gave up half way through but I hate doing that. I persevered but I didn't find the conclusion that satisfactory.

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