Lead Review

• Book: Fall
• Location: Deptford
• Author: West Camel

Review Author: Tina Hartas

This is the third book in recent weeks that I have read, where a tower block is pretty central to the narrative (referencing True Crime Story by Joseph Knox and The Unheard by Nicci French). In this novel Marlowe Tower is at the heart, part of a 1970’s Deptford development and the brainchild of Zoe Goldsworthy, a woman in the distinctly male dominated world of architects. She was so convinced of the merits of the concept that she took her twin sons Aaron and Clive to live there, convinced that communal living was the future. They left behind her architect designed house, which had been the family’s home until that point.

However, now, Aaron and Clive haven’t spoken in 40 odd years. Clive is a property developer and speculator, and is closing in on the estate. A huge thorn in his side is Aaron, who, it seems is the sole inhabitant of the tower, a significant stumbling block to the redevelopment whilst he remains in situ.

The appearance of Annette and Christine, ghosts from the past, is a surprise, and seemingly they are also residing in the tower. For them, the tower signifies a blighted period in their lives. They are black and in 1976 racism was even more rife. The reality of this social experiment evolved in a very different way than anticipated, as the characters all find out to their cost.

This is a dual timeline story which is beautifully brought to life by the author. He has a refined and sensitive writing style that enables the reader to pore over the lives of his characters, set against a bleak, crumbling and unforgiving architectural backdrop. The story in 1976 is filtered through an aged lens of grainy film which is a stark relief to the contemporary story. Pivotal events pull the reader out of the reading reverie the author creates, leaving the reader to reflect on what has occured in the novel, once the final page is turned.

Back to book