Trespass

Two wildly dysfunctional pairs of adult siblings find the paths of their lives colliding with volatile results in this quiet psychological thriller. Anthony Verey, a once-successful and sought-after London antiques dealer whose life is now on the decline, takes refuge in the company of his sister, Veronica. Veronica now lives a happy, quiet life in the Cévennes region of southern France with her lover, Kitty, an amateur watercolorist. Anthony’s trespassing on their lives causes friction between Veronica and Kitty, who cannot understand Veronica’s unswerving loyalty to the unpleasant and arrogant Anthony. When Anthony, seduced by the landscape, determines to sell off the remains of his life in London and buy a house in the area, Kitty is dismayed. Anthony’s rigid perfectionism means that only one house fits his standards…the Mas Lunel, owned now by aging Aramon. Aramon’s sister, Audrun, lives in a ramshackle house on the same property. The two have a long and brutally abusive history and Audrun is simply waiting for Aramon to die so that she can claim the Mas. But Anthony’s interest in purchasing the building and land threatens that goal, and only disaster can result.


Deeply flawed characters and a vivid, though untamed and arid setting perfectly complement Tremain’s tale of dark secrets and years-long grudges come to a head. ( )

At first this book was very slow and wasn't sure what the plot or indeed the point was. However as it progressed I began to really enjoy it. Story of two brothers and sisters and their relationships with each other. Their lives become entwined through the proposed sale of one of their family homes. There is also a disappearance and murder to contend with. Loved the twists and turns and the sheer dispair of the characters. ( )

Not her best.

I am a great fan of Rose Tremain, having read five of her books, but this was the most disappointing and my lowest rating so far. I enjoyed The Road Home so much that it joined just a handful of books that I've re-read, but Trespass felt like it had been written by a completely different author.
I was never grabbed by the narrative and didn't particularly like any of the characters, though they were well described. It also struck me as overkill that both Veronica and her brother, were attracted to their own sex.

The link between the five main protagonists was the grand old French house known as the Mas Lunel. Owned by the Lunel family for generations, it had been allowed to fall into disrepair by Aramon Lunel, who had inherited it and the land around. His sister Audrun had a new, rather small cottage in the neighbouring wood. Audrun and Aramon had a strained relationship and she stayed away from him where possible.
Anthony Verey was an art dealer from London but his business had suffered from the recession and he had decided to call it a day and retire to France to live near his sister, Veronica, and her partner.
When Aramon decides that the Mas Lunel is too much for him and puts it on the market, Anthony Verey takes a look at it with a view to buying. Thus the two sets of characters are finally linked, bringing us to a thoroughly unsatisfactory ending.

I would enthusiastically recommend The Road Home, The Way I Found her or The Colour. If this is your first taste of Rose Tremain it is going to give you an entirely false impression of an excellent author.
Not recommended. ( )

Although the characters were for the most part disagreeable, it was an excellent pageturner. ( )

A good read, but I was disappointed at the way it ended. I like the way the author twists and turns the story keeping the reader guessing what happens next. ( )