A woman arrives in the village of Winsford on Exmoor. She has travelled a long way and chosen her secluded cottage carefully. Maria's sole intention is to outlive her beloved dog Castor. And to survive the torrent of memories that threaten to overwhelm her.
Weeks before, Maria and her husband Martin fled Stockholm for Morocco, where Martin planned to write an explosive novel; one that would reveal the truth behind dark events within his commune of writers decades before. But the couple never made it to their destination.
As Maria settles into her lonely new life, walking the wild, desolate moors, it becomes clear that Winsford isn't quite the sanctuary she thought it would be. While the long, dark evenings close in and the weather worsens, strange things begin to happen around her. But what terrible secrets is Maria guarding? And who is trying to find her?
Untitled
Throughout The Living and the Dead in Winsford, I was reminded of Camus's protagonist Meursault or perhaps, more recently, Agnes in Kent's Burial Rites. In Nesser's haunting tale, Maria Holinek finds herself in a dire situation and it's not the actions she takes that resonate so strongly (which are extreme in themselves) but the way in which she reacts to her circumstances. Her emotional detachment and calm acceptance of her situation drew me to her more closely rather than pushed me away. I listened to the audio book and the brilliant narration by Jennifer Vuletic was perfect. Her ability to switch effortlessly between sexes and accents was a marvel. This has been my most satisfying audio book experience so far and the fate of Maria Holinek will stay with me for some time. - Nola (QBD)
Guest, 17/07/2017
