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(also reviewed)
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''Nana used to have this saying, 'What a man will do with you, he'll do to you','' Dominique set her glass down. ''That's what comes to mind.''
In 2007, NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN and THERE WILL BE BLOOD both came out. It's the last year two truly great, smart big productions came out. I had this friend who obstinately refused to watch THERE WILL BE BLOOD because he said it couldn't possibly beat the Coen brothers/Cormac McCarthy duo and that therefore it would be a waste of time. I told him he was an idiot, that both movies were great in their own rights, but I don't think he ever saw it. If you have read my previous Hilary Davidson novel reviews (you know, here, here, here and here) and haven't read her yet, you're kind of like that friend to me. You don't know what's good for you. But rejoice, her first standalone novel BLOOD ALWAYS TELLS is coming out soon and it's quite the display of her immense talent.
Dominique Monaghan is a good girl on a slippery slope. She is an ex-model turned slylist who is involved with an ex-boxer with a terrible life situation. Gary Cowans has lost all the money he's ever made on terrible investments and married the spoiled child of a control freak billionnaire for the generous allowance money in the prenuptial agreement. He would be ruined if he ever divorced. Gary's not a great guy, but he sees Dominique as his way out of this terrible situation. As usualy, he has a plan to make his great escape with his new princess. But it's not a great plan and when it turns sour, Dominique turns to her brother Desmond, the rock of the family. What Desmond Edgars stumbles upon is a lot wilder than what his sister told him. It's a lot wilder than what she first thought.
Hilary Davidson is such a great, classical storyteller. Her characters are powerful, vivid and yet not obvious or cliché. For example, Dominique considers herself to be a bad girl, the messed up element of the family, yet her actions are not reflecting her opinion of herself. However self-flagellating she can be, her actions transmit strength of character and good moral values, like it's a part of her. It's refreshing to have 1) a female character so strong and 2) a character so complex and detailed and conflicted. One of Hilary Davidson's main qualities as a storyteller is her patience. She goes into great lengths to draw her protagonists in the liveliest possible way. She does things other storyteller don't. It kind of calls for patient readers (such as me), some will lose their cool with BLOOD ALWAYS TELL, especially if it's their first Hilary Davidson experience, but if you can ''get'' the dying virtue that is patience in storytelling, you will INDULGE in this novel.
If you don't know who Hilary Davidson is, here's what you need to understand : her novels are filled with beautiful people, artificial lifestyles, fundamentally flawed families and visceral grudges. In the world her characters inhabit, appearances are more important than anything: flash, bling, couture and money. What makes BLOOD ALWAYS TELLS come to life so vividly is Hilary Davidson's uncanny ability to paint a palimpsest, a portrait that betrays a whole other situation in tiny details. It's an essential skill to have for classic mystery writers. Dennis Lehane is a master at building palimpsests and Hilary Davidson plays in the same league. I cannot name you 5 authors who master the art of the revealing plot twists as well as she does.
BLOOD ALWAYS TELLS is the first post-Lily Moore novel for Hilary Davidson and it is a striking success. It's a book that takes chances and covers a spectacular emotional range that the nature of the Lily Moore novels (who are great for what they are) simply couldn't cover. It feels like the training wheels are off, for this incredible talent that is Hilary Davidson. She stepped up her game in every possible way. I'm not the type of reader to get deliriously happy at the release of a new novel, but Hilary Davidson is one of the few authors for who I turn into a raving fanboy. BLOOD ALWAYS TELLS is Davidson at her boldest, craftiest, most mature and most twisted. It's a sophisticated and smart novel that will make the most jaded crime fiction readers smile with satisfaction.
BADASS