Book Synopsis:
There’s more than one way to capture a life.
When Elspeth arrives at her ex-husband’s LA mansion for his 50th birthday party, she’s expecting a crowd for the British film director. Instead, there are just seven other guests and Richard’s pet octopus, Persephone, watching over them from her tank.
Come morning, Richard is dead.
In the weeks that follow, each of the guests come under suspicion: the school friend, the studio producer, the actress, the actor, the new boyfriend, the manager, the cinematographer and the ex-wife, Elspeth herself. As stories of Richard’s past surface, colliding with Elspeth’s memories of their marriage, she begins to question not just who killed Richard, but why these eight guests were invited, and what sort of man would want to trap this mysterious, intelligent creature.
From the LA hills to the Norfolk marshes, The Octopus is a stylish exploration of power: the power of memory, the power of perception, the power of one person over another.
The Octopus is available in ebook and paperback now. You can purchase your copy using the link below.
My Review:
The Octopus is a clever and original read from a new author for me. I found it to be quite a powerful and thought provoking read which has kept me thinking about it long after I’ve finished reading.
The action all revolves around a party thrown for Richard’s 50th birthday which I think it’s fair to say is a bit of a weird affair. It was very interesting to slowly get to know the characters and their role in Richard’s life. Most of the characters there are quite unlikeable and all of them had a reason for wanting to hurt the horrible Richard. I found this quite interesting as I couldn’t warm to any of the characters and as such couldn’t pick sides, so was just able to enjoy the mystery side of things without putting my emotions or bias into it.
One of the key themes in the book is of power and control which all stem from the main character Richard. In particular the power Richard has over Persephone, the one thing in the book which I actually did have some sympathy for, and over his guest. The way he seemed to enjoy the power he held over his pet was quite chilling especially as the octopus had to ultimately rely on Richard to survive. I think this helped the reader understand what a cruel man Richard was.
Elspeth was an interesting narrator as she obviously had a lot of history with Richard. She often made me wonder how reliable she was and if her recollections of things that happened was correct. I enjoyed trying to follow her thoughts and to attempt to unpick what I thought was true or not.
Overall I thought this was a powerful, intriguing read which would make a great book club read as there would be lots to discuss. It is also quite a current read as it helps show how hard it can be to confront your abuser and the impact it can have if you don’t come forward.
Huge thanks to Steve from Hodder for inviting me onto the blog tour and for my copy of this book.
About The Author:
Tess Little is a writer, historian, and Fellow of All Souls College, University of Oxford. She was born in Norwich in 1992 and studied history at the universities of Oxford and Cambridge. She is currently working towards her doctorate, on transnational connections in 1970s feminist activism, having spent the last few years interviewing activists and visiting archives across the UK, France, and the US. Her short stories and non-fiction have appeared in Words And Women: Two, The Mays Anthology, The Belleville Park Pages, The White Review and on posters outside a London tube station. Her first novel, The Octopus, will be published by Hodder & Stoughton in August 2020.
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