Genre: Mystery Publication.Date January 5th 2012 Pages: 416 Published By: Viking Canada | Website Stef Penney | The Invisible Ones - Goodreads My review copy: Received from the publisher in exchange for an honest review Where to get: Barnes and Noble | Amazon | Chapters
Small-time private investigator Ray Lovell veers between paralysis and delirium in a hospital bed. But before the accident that landed him there, he had promised to find Rose Janko. Rose was married to the charismatic son of a travelling gypsy family, Ivo Janko. When Ray starts to investigate her disappearance he's surprised that her family are so hostile towards him. The Jankos have not had an easy past. They are a clan touched by tragedy - either they are cursed, or they are hiding a terrible secret. Could it be that Rose's discovery of that secret led to her disappearance all those years ago? Soon Ray wishes that he'd never asked the question. In a novel that is totally different from Stef's extraordinary debut The Tenderness of Wolves, she shows herself once more to be a matchless storyteller.
(Goodreads)
It begins in May -- a month when everyone, even private investigators, should be happy and optimistic. The mistakes of the last year have been wiped clean and everything has started again. Leaves unfurl, eggs hatch, men hope. All is new, green, growing.
I do find it strange that adultery, which is by no definition a tragedy, is so much more painful than death.
Sometimes you can know too much. Of all people, I know this to be true. Ignorance is bliss. Knowledge is power. Which would you prefer?
Stef Penney author talk!
Set in 1980's England, The Invisible Ones by Stef Penney is a stylish and intelligent mystery - destined to become a bestseller! With its fascinating cultural background, supreme readability, memorable characters and thoroughly captivating plot line, it's a read that will stay with you long after you turn the last page.
Ray Lovell, a private investigator/detective, wakes up in a hospital partially paralyzed and with no recollection of the events that landed him there. Apparently, he's been in a car crash and drove his car off the road, through a fence and into a tree. Not long before his accident, Ray had been hired by Leon Wood to find his missing daughter, Rose Wood. Rose, a pureblood Romany (Gypsy), married a son from another Gypsy family (Janko) and then disappeared without a trace. No one has heard from her for seven years. To make matters worse, no one has ever looked for her, nor wondered what really happened. Her husband is convinced that she ran off with a gorjio (non-Romany). But is that really what happened? Being half-Romany himself, Ray is asked to investigate the case. As he goes deeper into his investigation, he realizes that there's so much more to Rose disappearance than what he initially suspected. There are some dark secrets in Janko family's past, ones that will not be given up easily.
The Invisible Ones was such a brilliant and profoundly meaningful story. I am still reeling from it. It's not just a mystery, it's so much more! Stef Penney did a fabulous job depicting the Romany, their way of life and their culture. It's an atmospheric, humane and harrowing read, one that really creeps up on you and sinks in long afterwards. It's not an easy read by any means. Not a quick one, either. It took me 5 days to finish it --and 5 days is a long time in the blogging world. But although I can't say I devoured it in one sitting, I can certainly promise you one thing: I cherished every second I spent reading this book. It's one extraordinary novel and I'm so glad I picked it up!
The atmosphere is marvelous. It's thick with suspense, weighty with murky secrets, grimly authentic and powerful. There are so many questions to which there are no answers. Ray really doesn't have many leads. Rose disappeared seven years ago and the whole thing is basically a cold, hopeless case. The Jankos don't want to cooperate, their answers are vague and often misleading. There's this overwhelming sense of wrongness. Right from the get-go you know that something is really off. Something weird and possibly dark is going on here, and yet you can't seem to be able to put your finger on it. The tension never lets up and finding out what really happened to Rose is starting to resemble a game of blind man's bluff rather than a typical investigation.
The characters and the unique cultural background is what really makes this story shine. I loved how the story was told from two different perspectives - Ray's and JJ's. JJ turned out to be my favorite character in the story and I really enjoyed looking at the world through his eyes. Ray, too, was a very interesting protagonist. Well-drawn, complex and convincing, he's one of those characters you instantly connect with. There's a real depth to his character, which I really appreciated. And the ending? The ending will simply BLOW. YOU. AWAY!
Stef Penney writes with sensitivity and tenderness, providing a great insight into the culture and life of the Romany people. The resulting narrative is evocative and gripping, full of flavor and vibrance. Deliciously taut. Enlightening. Moving. It's a book highly recommended for readers who enjoy a good mystery set against a vividly painted cultural backdrop. Elegantly constructed, intensive and mesmerizing, The Invisible Ones is a heartbreakingly gorgeous mystery novel, one you really can't afford to miss!
Ray Lovell, a private investigator/detective, wakes up in a hospital partially paralyzed and with no recollection of the events that landed him there. Apparently, he's been in a car crash and drove his car off the road, through a fence and into a tree. Not long before his accident, Ray had been hired by Leon Wood to find his missing daughter, Rose Wood. Rose, a pureblood Romany (Gypsy), married a son from another Gypsy family (Janko) and then disappeared without a trace. No one has heard from her for seven years. To make matters worse, no one has ever looked for her, nor wondered what really happened. Her husband is convinced that she ran off with a gorjio (non-Romany). But is that really what happened? Being half-Romany himself, Ray is asked to investigate the case. As he goes deeper into his investigation, he realizes that there's so much more to Rose disappearance than what he initially suspected. There are some dark secrets in Janko family's past, ones that will not be given up easily.
The Invisible Ones was such a brilliant and profoundly meaningful story. I am still reeling from it. It's not just a mystery, it's so much more! Stef Penney did a fabulous job depicting the Romany, their way of life and their culture. It's an atmospheric, humane and harrowing read, one that really creeps up on you and sinks in long afterwards. It's not an easy read by any means. Not a quick one, either. It took me 5 days to finish it --and 5 days is a long time in the blogging world. But although I can't say I devoured it in one sitting, I can certainly promise you one thing: I cherished every second I spent reading this book. It's one extraordinary novel and I'm so glad I picked it up!
The atmosphere is marvelous. It's thick with suspense, weighty with murky secrets, grimly authentic and powerful. There are so many questions to which there are no answers. Ray really doesn't have many leads. Rose disappeared seven years ago and the whole thing is basically a cold, hopeless case. The Jankos don't want to cooperate, their answers are vague and often misleading. There's this overwhelming sense of wrongness. Right from the get-go you know that something is really off. Something weird and possibly dark is going on here, and yet you can't seem to be able to put your finger on it. The tension never lets up and finding out what really happened to Rose is starting to resemble a game of blind man's bluff rather than a typical investigation.
The characters and the unique cultural background is what really makes this story shine. I loved how the story was told from two different perspectives - Ray's and JJ's. JJ turned out to be my favorite character in the story and I really enjoyed looking at the world through his eyes. Ray, too, was a very interesting protagonist. Well-drawn, complex and convincing, he's one of those characters you instantly connect with. There's a real depth to his character, which I really appreciated. And the ending? The ending will simply BLOW. YOU. AWAY!
Stef Penney writes with sensitivity and tenderness, providing a great insight into the culture and life of the Romany people. The resulting narrative is evocative and gripping, full of flavor and vibrance. Deliciously taut. Enlightening. Moving. It's a book highly recommended for readers who enjoy a good mystery set against a vividly painted cultural backdrop. Elegantly constructed, intensive and mesmerizing, The Invisible Ones is a heartbreakingly gorgeous mystery novel, one you really can't afford to miss!
Since I loved this book so much and I'm planning to buy a hardcover copy for my collection, I'm giving away my lightly read ARC of The Invisible Ones.
OPEN: INTERNATIONALLY!
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About the AuthorEvie is the Blogger behind Bookish. She enjoys reading many different genres, especially YA, Paranormal, Contemporary Fiction and Fantasy.She loves talking to authors and is always happy to welcome them for interviews, and guest posts. She also likes spreading the love for awesome books and chatting with fellow book-worms.
You can find Evie here: Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | Shelfari | The Library Thing
34 comments:
interesting book! for some reason, i love to read stories that are set in England. :) great review!
This sounds like a fascinating book. True Romany gypsies don't seem to be featured in many books.
This really sounds like a good book. I had never heard of it until now. Please enter me in the giveaway. Thanks!
GFC: Rachel Vessar
pefrw(at)yahoo(dot)com
Sensational review Evie, seriously!! I am always blown away with how brilliant your reviews are - and does this EVER sound like a great read! I think the Roma culture is facinating, but have yet to read a book about it so I think this would be a nice change of pace!
Thanks for bringing it to my attention! :)
Evie, I always love seeing your reviews on here, and I was so excited to see this book on here. I've seen descriptions for this one around a lot and was not really sure what it was about. I am so excited to get this book now! You describe it amazingly and definitely make me want to read it! Thank you for the amazing review (and the great giveaway!)
This looks great! Actually, I have this on my wishlist already so I'd love to win this.
I read The Tenderness of Wolves and that was an absolutely brilliant read.
Thanks for the giveaway!
I love mystery genre, so fingers crossed :) Thanks!
Great review!! I was totally blown away by it too! Nice selection of quotes you included.. :)
A mystery. Beautiful book! I'm curious ...
thanks
Thanks for this international GA ^^ This book seems really cool, I love mysteries and all the gypsy thing makes it unique :)
Wow - great review. I really want to read this now. Thanks for the giveaway.
Hi Evie,
I don't usually read mystery novels, but you sounded so enthralled in your review, I figure, I better pick this one up. I'm a little nervous about the tension I'll feel while reading the book, but you've promised that I'll be blown away by the ending! If anything, I'm most interested in what really happened to Rose and want to know more about the Romany people. Would love to win this. Thanks for the review.
Zara
zgarcia(dot)alvarez(at)gmail(dot)com
On Twitter: @ZaraAlexis
I like when stories are told from multiple perspectives and if I'm lucky I enjoy both of them. It adds more dimension to a story and I think an interesting culture will make it even more so. Thanks for the review.
GFC: Na
This is the first I have heard of THE INVISIBLE ONES. It does look like an interesting read though. "Destined to become a bestseller" works for me.
marypres(AT)gmail(DOT)com
Sounds so interesting. I wonder what's the secret of Janko! Your review made me real curious. :))
Sounds like a good mystery to me. Wonder what the secret is. Please enter me in contest. Tore923@aol.com
Wow, Evie! Your thoughts are so great! I probably wouldn't have known about this book had it not been for reading this...you make it sound so compelling and curious to me!
I'm not normally the biggest fan of mystery-type stories, but I think I would pick this one up based on your thoughts!
xoxox
I can not wait to read it because of your review. Sounds so interesting.
What a terrific review! It sounds like the book definitely blew you away, and that's good enough for me! I can't wait to read it now:)
There wasn't a spot for my GFC name: Julie Witt
I love books that alternate between points of view and this one sounds promising. I'm dying to learn what happened to Rose. I hadn't heard of this before, I'm really excited about finding a new read.
I've never heard of this book before now, but from reading your review it sounds like a great read!
i follow with gfc as cory and i would love to read this book. i am always looking for mystery books to read. thanks for the awesome review
mychancetowin at gmail dot com
You had me at Romany. I've done some of my own research into this rich, secretive culture and am completely fascinated with their way of life. Can't wait to read this book, and winning a copy would be even better. Thanks so much for the giveaway op!
Smiles!
Lori
Oh Oh! I would love to read this book, I like the mistery ones! It sounds really good, the main thing that caught my attention was that Mr. Ray wakes up in a hospital paralyzed and with no recollection about the events! Whaaat? I want to find out!
GFC: Gisele Alvarado
This sounds like a great book again, Evie! I'm really interested in reading this although I haven't heard of it! Awesome review!♥ Glad you enjoyed it! :)
Celine @ Forget-me-not
This is the first I'm hearing about this book but that review sure has me interested clearly you loved it.
i would love to read this book. love the quotes!
Sounds like a beautiful book! This interview is brilliant! And the quotes are cool too! :)
sounds like a different book, special. Also I couldn't leave my GFC NAME on the box: andreea martes.
thanks for the review and giveaway.best wishes
Now this is new. Great review and what an interesting book. Will add it to my list. Thanks!
Villeroy and Boch
Sounds really good! Awesome review! Thanks for sharing.
Anything Gypsy related intrigues me, so this is definitely on my radar now. I love the cover, and your review. This is a book that I am going to have to check out. Thanks for the review, Evie
I loved this book, too, and I'm surprised it hasn't gotten more press.
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