This cowl picture launched by HarperVia reveals “The Enigma of Room 622” a novel by Joel Dicker. (HarperVia through AP)
This cowl picture launched by HarperVia reveals “The Enigma of Room 622” a novel by Joel Dicker. (HarperVia through AP)
“The Enigma of Room 622” by Joel Dicker (HarperVia)
In Joel Dicker’s fats new thriller, a well-known novelist named Joel, vacationing in room No. 623 of the Lodge de Verbier within the Swiss Alps, is intrigued that the luxurious resort has no room No. 622. When he inquires, he’s initially stonewalled by the employees.
Earlier than lengthy, nevertheless, he learns that the quantity was eradicated years in the past after somebody was murdered there. On the urging of one other visitor, a younger lady who takes a shine to him and thinks the unsolved killing might be the topic of his subsequent novel, Joel reluctantly begins to research.
The result’s, amongst different issues, an bold however flawed novel about writing a novel.
As Joel pursues his investigation, the writer progressively unfolds a byzantine plot that features, amongst different issues, a high-stakes squabble over succession at a secretive Swiss financial institution, a mysterious and shady financier, cash laundering, a decades-long love triangle, love-hate relationships between fathers and sons, a number of characters pretending to be royalty, associates betraying associates, and two characters who excel at impersonating others.
It’s tough to say extra concerning the plot of “The Enigma of Room 622” with out injecting spoilers. Suffice it to say that the story has sufficient startling twists to make readers’ heads spin. This blizzard of surprises might delight some readers however is more likely to strive the endurance of others, who may discover a couple of of the quirky characters too implausible to swallow.
Dicker tells his story in a collection of flashbacks and flash forwards. This fixed shifting of the timeline is dazzling however dangers complicated readers until they pay very shut consideration.
As he investigates, Joel is in mourning for his just lately deceased writer, the sensible Bernard de Fallois, which additionally occurs to be the title of Dicker’s former writer who died in 2018. Dicker wrote “The Enigma of Room 622” as a tribute to his late good friend and mentor. The novel was translated from the unique French by Robert Bononno.
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Bruce DeSilva, winner of the Thriller Writers of America’s Edgar Award, is the writer of the Mulligan crime novels together with “The Dread Line.”
