The Atom Heart Murders

This is well written, intense and dark novel which, for a first-time publication by this author, impressed me greatly. The "new" South Africa, and specifically Cape Town, is described brilliantly using the dichotomy of immense natural beauty relative to the high crime rate, commonplace violence and lack of respect given by some to human life. Character development flows at a slow and steady pace,...more

This is well written, intense and dark novel which, for a first-time publication by this author, impressed me greatly. The "new" South Africa, and specifically Cape Town, is described brilliantly using the dichotomy of immense natural beauty relative to the high crime rate, commonplace violence and lack of respect given by some to human life. Character development flows at a slow and steady pace, giving you time to get to know the people at the rate one does in real life, leaving room for both pleasant and unpleasant surprises. The story line is never boring, never predictable and always fascinating. This story could be true - for all I know perhaps it was, or maybe based on one anyway - but suffice to say that once the reader is drawn in (which doesn't take long) it is not an easy book to put down if you've not yet read all the way to the final page. This book is not for the sqeamish or those with rose-colored glasses, and the story makes no pretenses to be a "light" read. If you enjoy seeing the dark side of life through the eyes of someone who's been there for perhaps too long, you'll like John Murdoch, the lead character. You will not like many other characters in this story, but you will recognize them as being real. I, for one, hope that Mr Caulfield produces another gripping read sometime in the not too distant future - I'll be keeping an eye out... >I Riddle< ' style='width:100% !important; width:98%; min-height: 200px !important; height:200px; text-align:left;'>Masterfully Crafted, Multi-Layered Mystery “This atmospheric police procedural with a twist is an example of noir at its finest. A series of deaths draws Captain James Blake out of his hospital bed and back to the streets of Cape Town, South Africa. Four musicians seem to be the victims of a murderer’s spree, but each death is carried out differently; there is no pattern to point to a serial killer. While some of the deaths look like accidents, the grotesque shooting of Norman Filmer leaves no doubt that this was a murder. Captain Blake, recovering from a point-blank shooting, questions what is real and what is a product of prescribed medications. Methodically, he interviews spouses and girlfriends, learning about mail order brides, music, and accidents. A photo of the musicians and a successful album, In All My Sad Dreaming, hold clues to the deaths. Captain Blake fights a growing feeling of disassociation, visions flitting at the edge of his sight, and confusion as he draws ever closer to the killer. The first-person perspective creates an intimate bond between reader and narrator. For example, readers are not able to look dispassionately at death. They feel what Blake feels and see what he sees—up close and personal. “On the wall behind the settee, a fist sized mess of blood and gore still clings to the grey wall, and as I stare at the dark stain, a cold emptiness begins to sweep through my soul,” he says. One feels Blake’s fragility and unease; his confusion and frustration are enhanced by strange visions. One incident reoccurs throughout the book: “I scramble out of the chair and hurry towards the door. There is a tinkling sound, and I glance down to see a small silver object spinning on the tiles between my feet…I crouch down to investigate, the curious object vanishes into the ether.” With a talent for creating an aura of suspense and mystery, John Caulfield holds the reader in his hands, carefully doling out clues and bizarre facts, such as the musical notation of a gull’s cry: “She laughs. ‘The cry of the gull—it’s an augmented fifth, a special chord. It’s always the same interval, you see.” The book draws to a close much as it began: “The hospital is behind me now…” Between these bookend paragraphs, the author crafts an intriguing, multi-layered novel. Caulfield resists the need to explain and trusts the reader to understand. He maintains a cat-and-mouse game between author and reader, but fairly played. No withheld clues are foisted at the last minute, no dead ends, misdirection, or convoluted trail of bread crumbs. A few extraneous words do weaken the Caulfield’s authority. But this otherwise masterfully crafted, multi-layered mystery will bring pleasure to anyone who enjoys a dark, ethereal, cleanly plotted police procedural.”> 5-Star Dawn Goldsmith – Clarion Review< A Riveting Psychological Thriller “The race against oneself is not usually one to save your own sanity. "In All My Sad Dreaming" tells the story of James Blake, a man who finds himself in a haze after an attack leaves him hospitalized. Trying to find out why he is the way he is, his journey takes him deeper into the culture and underworld of South Africa, giving readers a glimpse of the African nation that few understand. "In All My Sad Dreaming" is a riveting psychological thriller, sure to please.”> 5-Star Mid-West Book Reviewer< A Noir Thriller “A noir thriller set against the stunning backdrop of South Africa's Cape Town. Captain James Blake, barely recovered from an attack which should have killed him, staggers from his hospital bed into the investigation of a bizarre murder of a Cape Town lawyer. Was it the law that got him killed or a musical feud? Blake is having trouble maintaining his grip on reality while he wrestles with air-tight alibis, black widows, superstitions, buxom Thai mail order brides and possible perversions to the course of justice. An intriguing thriller that doesn't go the way you'd expect.” >5-Star Cool Blogspot<   hide