Review 1
Wow! For the Love of Alison had me hooked from the very first chapter on and it just kept giving.
The main character, David, a journalist, gets an unexpected phone call one day to meet his university friend Alison after not having seen her for about 30 years. He jumps at the chance as he used to be obsessed with her in the past to the extent that he had to be hospitalized in a mental institution for a while. The meeting will change his life forever and get him accused of a crime for there is apparently only one possible perpetrator - himself. Has he gone insane or is there another explanation for the events that occurred? I absolutely loved the depiction of David's character: he clearly struggles with mental issues, but that doesn't stop him - he never gives up, taking anything in his stride that life throws at him. There are twists and turns wherever you look in this book and as I reader I was really rooting for David. The feel of it reminded me a bit of The Hundred-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared. It felt life-affirming, sweet and made me feel good.
A wonderful read! You know you are onto something fantastic when you feel sad upon reaching the last page!
Review 2
An incredibly imaginative, psychological murder mystery.
A journalist, David Buckley, is forced to go on the run after being accused of the murder of Jack Johnson. David, the main character, alleges the victim’s wife, Alison, who he was obsessed with thirty years ago, had invited him to their home. However, she disappears into thin air after the murder. The situation is made more difficult due to the victim having been David’s political nemesis. Moreover, both the reader, and others characters, question David’s sanity, in particular after learning about his previous mental health issues.
I found this short murder mystery to be highly unusual. It is very different from the countless other crime/thriller books that I have read. There are plenty of twists and turns in the plot to keep the reader on his or her toes. The plot does feel contrived at times and unrealistic. Moreover, certain characters’ reactions to events are incredibly unlikely. However, it is fast paced and enjoyable. I wanted to constantly keep turning the pages to find out what would happens next. I really didn’t anticipate the ending.
Review 3
I really enjoyed reading this novel, the setting on the canals of the UK was new and refreshing, The story was gritty and kept moving well, with chapters being differing lengths adding to the suspense. The main character David Buckley is very believable and real. The way he is trapped in his situation seems very realistic, the mind games played on him, the twist at the end and the other characters involved are all done in a realistic fashion. I loved the way the tale captures the reader and weaves the story making you wonder if it was David going mad or was he normal and everyone else was mad! All in all I really enjoyed this novel and will look out for more titles from Sahlan Diver.
For The Love Of Alison is a murder mystery/psychological thriller novel written by Sahlan Diver. Thirty years ago, life was both simpler and, at times, more magical for David Buckley. He was a student and an aspiring playwright in Birmingham, and he met Alison Tindell when she auditioned for the university drama society. David was instantly taken with her gift for mimicry, her comedic timing and her generally flawless and funny portrayal of the royal family. They soon became best friends, attending left wing marches and protests. David had actually fallen in love with his “friend,” but Alison’s eyes were always elsewhere. Her casual and easy flings, even with the English professor he had introduced her to, were something he endured while silently suffering.
Now, out of the blue, an older and possibly wiser David was astonished to hear from his old friend. She had called the newspaper office where he worked and asked him to come see her. She didn’t seem like the old Alison, even accounting for the thirty long years difference, but she knew all the old stories, and her laugh was as sexy as ever. That strangeness was accentuated by the abhorrent politics of her husband and the idea that she would marry someone with such different political views. Then Alison announced that the amateur dramatics society was putting on one of his old plays, a play he barely remembered. She asked if he’d help her run some lines in it. And, with that innocent return to his collegiate past, David’s life was forever changed.
Sahlan Diver’s psychological thriller novel, For The Love Of Alison, has the twists, turns and insights into the darker side of nature that would make it eminently suitable for a Hitchcock movie if that venerable filmmaker were still alive and at his craft. David is the consummate good guy who by chance becomes a pawn in a murderous plot, and his nemesis, the suavely sinister and polished psychologist Brian Peters, is alternately repellent and appealing. Diver’s plot is intricate and twisty, complete with red herrings and false clues, keeping the tension and uncertainty alive throughout the story. Diver deftly weaves past and present in this work, making this psychological tour de force more akin to a deeply felt experience than merely reading a novel. For The Love Of Alison is most highly recommended.
In For The Love Of Alison by Sahlan Diver, failed author-turned-journalist David Buckley was rejected by his childhood sweetheart, Alison, 30 years ago. The heartbreak resulted in a drug dependency, which caused a mental breakdown and hallucinations that made it hard for him to distinguish between reality and fantasy. When Alison makes contact again, David believes there could be hope of rekindling the relationship, even though Alison is now married to a successful lawyer. David arranges to meet Alison but when he arrives at her home, he finds Alison's husband has been murdered. David is now a suspect and discovers that Alison does not exist as she died 20 years ago. Did he imagine meeting Alison, is he losing his sanity once more, or is Alison really alive? David has no choice but to run from the police so he can prove his innocence and solve the mystery. But with determined detective Jane Magee on his case and not knowing whom he can trust, David must prepare for the biggest challenge of his life.
I loved the engaging style of writing in this novel, and the opening few sentences really caught my interest. Sahlan has an excellent storytelling ability. The author builds the story line gradually and introduces interesting characters that add to the plot in a way that makes the story easy to follow. The plot is constantly moving forward with many surprising actions and revelations from the characters, which provided great twists and excitement to the story. I really liked David as a character; he seemed to have many layers to his personality and was quite tortured. I was rooting for him to clear his name and find peace in his life. Millie had a great feisty spirit which I thought complemented David really well. The cat and mouse game between Magee and David also brought great tension to the story. The ending was brilliant and one I definitely did not see coming.