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The Turnglass

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The Turnglass

By: Gareth Rubin
Narrated by: Joe Eyre, George Greenland
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About this listen

 THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER

'The Turnglass is a bold, breathtaking piece of writing that absolutely nails its two books in one conceit. I doubt I’ll ever read anything like it again, which is the highest compliment I can offer' Stuart Turton

'Not just a book, but an experience - one in which twists and turns are both on the page and in the very act of reading itself. Two haunting narratives conspire to create a dark, menacing tale that spans half a century of secrets as they echo back and forth - all while the sand slowly drains away . . . This is a story about stories and their perspectives, the passage of time and the slow march of the inevitable. Vivid, resonant, melancholy and beautiful' Janice Hallett

‘A stunning, ingenious, truly immersive mystery. The Turnglass is a thrilling delight' Chris Whitaker

Stuart Turton meets The Magpie Murders in this immersive and unique story for fans of clever crime fiction.

1880s England. On the bleak island of Ray, off the Essex coast, an idealistic young doctor, Simeon Lee, is called from London to treat his cousin, Parson Oliver Hawes, who is dying. Parson Hawes, who lives in the only house on the island – Turnglass House – believes he is being poisoned. And he points the finger at his sister-in-law, Florence. Florence was declared insane after killing Oliver’s brother in a jealous rage and is now kept in a glass-walled apartment in Oliver’s library. And the secret to how she came to be there is found in Oliver’s tête-bêche journal, where one side tells a very different story from the other.

1930s California. Celebrated author Oliver Tooke, the son of the state governor, is found dead in his writing hut off the coast of the family residence, Turnglass House. His friend Ken Kourian doesn’t believe that Oliver would take his own life. His investigations lead him to the mysterious kidnapping of Oliver’s brother when they were children, and the subsequent secret incarceration of his mother, Florence, in an asylum. But to discover the truth, Ken must decipher clues hidden in Oliver’s final book, a tête-bêche novel – which is about a young doctor called Simeon Lee . . .

PRAISE FOR THE TURNGLASS:

'Rubin has pulled off the difficult trick of writing an ambitious novel that is also an easy, enjoyable read' The Times, Crime Book of the Month

'An intricate and thoroughly mesmerising tale of family plots and schemes across several generations' Guardian

'Your initial amazement at his ingenuity comes to sit alongside an appreciation of the heart and depth he brings to his stories. A risky idea, beautifully executed' The Telegraph©2023 Gareth Rubin. All rights reserved. (P)2023 Simon & Schuster, UK. All Rights Reserved. Crime Crime Fiction Historical Mystery Traditional Detectives Fiction England Detective

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Critic reviews

'Not just a book, but an experience - one in which twists and turns are both on the page and in the very act of reading itself. Two haunting narratives conspire to create a dark, menacing tale that spans half a century of secrets as they echo back and forth - all while the sand slowly drains away . . . This is a story about stories and their perspectives, the passage of time and the slow march of the inevitable. Vivid, resonant, melancholy and beautiful' Janice Hallett

‘A stunning, ingenious, truly immersive mystery. The Turnglass is a thrilling delight' Chris Whitaker
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really good story well thought out, clever plot well narrated, definitely worth listening to, thanks

the turn glass

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3.5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️

This book was something I had never read before and I can see why people would like it. I’m not saying I didn’t, but I didn’t quite get the gist of the story. However the actors who read for the characters, did a really great job at bringing them to life (love the music addition).

A different book (not sure if I completely understood)

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Have you ever read a Tête-bêche novel before? I have not and so was intrigued not only by this format but the intertwined stories held within.

Both stories draw you in right from the first page and it becomes very hard to put down - so much so that I bought the audio so that when I was forced to do other things such as cook, I could continue to read the stories.

You can start from either side of the book - it has no back cover but 2 front covers! So once you are done with one story, you flip the book and read the other. You can start from either side.

The blue side has almost a gothic feel to it. Set in 1880’s England. I started here because I wanted to go in chronological order.

I really enjoyed the the character development and the mysteries contained within each.

My favourite? I think I liked the 1880’s England one the best - probably because the main protagonist Simeon was a doctor and was very methodical in his thinking and action. Though I did really come to like Ken too.

#TêteBêche #TheTurnglass #ReadAndReview #Bookish #Bookstagram #Mystery

A Tête-Bêche Pair of Mysteries

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I was surprised to be so thoroughly immersed in both sides of the book. I appreciated the different styles of writing to match the era. I faced through at first and then slowed down as I didn't want to finish.

A real page turner

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I chose to return this after listening for an hour. The narration was annoying and not polished. The story was badly written.

Poor narration and clichéd writing

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...I rather wish I hadn't as the sum of the two books isn't more than their parts.

I think I'd have been more charmed by the physical book and it's flip to read either story. as it is on audio - it's a straight two part story + it's not that impressive.

the first story is pompous and bombastic presumably the authors attempt at victorian fiction. It's filled with ridiculous conclusion jumping that always seemed to be correct. Tedious. the second story is very bad pulp fiction that seems unsure if it's the 1920s or 1930s. So first we have sub-Bulldog Drummond then bad Jim Thompson.

the actual denouement of the second novel... frankly I didn't really care. overall a colossal waste of reading time. Quite disappointing. Pretty cover though.

I dont know why I botthered finishing this...

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I normally love a good mystery and this one promised to deliver from the start. But I can't quite pinpoint where it went wrong for me. Other people may love it, and that's fine, the world would be a dull place if we were all the same. But I struggled to finish this to the point I couldn't even tell you how it ended. Also, the narrators mouth clicking was exceptionally distracting.

Solid start but that's all

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