Novel set mainly in Tangier

27th December 2019

An Echo of Scandal by Laura Madeleine, novel set mainly in Tangier.

Tangier is exotic. It is hot, fetid, fragrant and populated by people and their secrets, it is a city “built on stories”

“In Tangiers, there is always a way in. Whether it’s a soft word or a wink, a jackboot or a silver dollar in the palm, there is always something that will open the door” A perfect setting for a mystery that goes back half a decade.

It is 1978. Sam Hackett is on his uppers, he has no money and his family and friends are no longer willing to subsidise him and his lifestyle. He is offered a ticket home to the USA by his parents, yet he is loathe too fail at making his way in this frantic and beguiling city.. His mission to become a writer is still tantalising but the inspiration is lacking. That is until he comes across a writing case with a hidden key. Just the old aroma of history, the pen and paper, and just the mystery fuel his sense of purpose.

1920s and a second story has been unfolding. Ale is a young girl in a brothel. She hones her cooking skills at a young age and knows that secrets can be unlocked through good food. She is growing and one day she is set up as the murderer of a vile character who visits the establishment. It is clear that she had nothing to do with the murder but was merely a scapegoat but she has to run for her life. Heading from Córodoba she finds her way – now in the guise of a boy – to the coast and towards Gibralter where she falls beneath a rather expensive car. The driver and passenger scoop her up and bring her back to health.

The driver of that car departs for Tangier and once Ale is recovered she is determined to seek him out. There is an attraction fo him as a person and to what he represents and soon she too is indeed heading for Tangier.

The two stories of course dovetail and overall it is an engrossing read. The setting is a character in its own right and embraces the often far-fetched story, that is dotted with, at times, irksome coincidences which drive the story along. For example, Sam is looking for Dar Portuna (or Dar Nglîz as it is also known) and just happens upon the name plate that shows him the way, as he is picking jasmine for his landlady. An uncanny serendipitous coincidence. Tangier, with its djinns and shifting sands withstands reality that is stretched.

I very much like the cover and it would certainly catch my eye. My only quibble is that it doesn’t really reflect the content. Is that Hilde on the front, as I perhaps imagine her? Yet she is not a prominent character. Ale is in male clothing for the main part of the book, so it’s probably not her. The arch offers a view through on to what looks like the Cinque Terre and Amalfi Coast. And in my quick 5 person straw poll, all mooted that the book would be set in Italy. But if it gets readers to pick up the book, I am sure they will find it very readable

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