P. J. Garland

This is an intriguing ‘what if?’ novella, set in the near-future of ‘next year’, about a moment of shared consciousness and what it might mean for mankind. The story is told from several perspectives; mainly two of the people who experienced the event and those who report on the phenomenon, as they try to unravel the sensations they shared and what lies behind them.

The theme here is an interesting one – familiar to anyone who remembers the concept of ‘coadunation’ from Julian’s May’s magnificent Many Coloured Land series – although the story in Lavender Hill is a little clunky in the telling by comparison. The brash TV news producer and the heavy-handed MI5 guys are all straight out of central casting… but the main character and his desire to live a more natural life, in tune with the elements, is an interesting one. There’s a real sense of being on the cusp on something positive and uplifting, if only the protagonists can overcome the worst aspects of human nature to embrace it.

(There's more thoughts on the story and characters here:
http://murdermayhemandmore.wordpress.com/2014/07/19/lavender-hill-an-english-x-f... )

Lavender Hill is an easy read, an enjoyable afternoon’s entertainment. The writing is straightforward – it’s obviously not a polished manuscript from an experienced professional but it made for a thought-provoking interlude between full-size novels; one which sets up an interesting avenue for future stories in a world of new possibilities.

Like an episode of the X-Files (with which it shares quite a few similarities, now I come to think of it; and isn’t that cover art just so Mulder and Scully?), Lavender Hill draws to a close without tying up every loose end. It asks as many questions as it answers: you probably shouldn’t start reading it if you’re the sort of person who needs everything tidily resolved in the final chapter.

7/10
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