The Mirror Game by Guy Gardner
London 1925.
When Adrian Harcourt, a politician and captain in the army believed dead with his company on the battlefield of Flanders, is sighted looking like he’s been living rough, Harry Lark, a war veteran and journalist, is enlisted by his friend and benefactor Lady Carlise to investigate.
As he becomes drawn further into the case and the deaths mount up, he can see that things don’t add up. Where has Adrian been for so many years? Why can’t he remember parts of his past?
Looking further into Adrian’s previous life, even as his own dark past and addiction to laudanum threatens to overwhelm him, Harry begins to fall for Lady Carlise’s beautiful daughter Freddy, who was also Adrian’s fiancé.
Chasing the leads as they continue to unravel, can Harry solve the mystery behind what really happened to Adrian before it’s too late?
About the author
Guy Gardner is a professional jazz pianist, and has played both at home and around Europe in venues such as The National Theatre, Pizza Express Soho, the 02 and The Royal Albert Hall. Having earned his degree in Music at Dartington College of Arts, he went on to gain a PGCE in teaching, which he used to teach in a prison for a time. Currently, he combines his writing with teaching piano in Dorset, where he lives with his wife, two young sons and dog.
Review
‘The Mirror Game’ is an intriguing historical fiction mystery that also looks at the lastIng affects of war on humanity and individuals. This book falls in my favourite era of history as there is so much social and economic history to explore and unpack, that it always guarantees a good read and that certainly was the case here! I flew through this book and stayed up late into the night to finish it. The social commentary that the author manages to convey in the story has an empathic touch, especially when it comes to the theme of shell shock, or what we would now call it PTSD.
When Lady Carlisle is taking afternoon tea she spots her daughter’s fiance across the room. Nothing strange there but Adrian Harcourt was declared dead in WW1 and it looks as if he has been sleeping on the streets. When he runs out of the tea shop Lady Carlisle is determined to find him and asks her friend and ex-private detective, Harry Lark, to locate him! Whilst using all his contacts he has to ask Freddy, Lady Carlisle’s daughter for her input but he becomes enthralled with her. Surely, this is a recipe for disaster!
I fell slightly in love with Harry - he is just a bumbling idiot at times but there is a core of intelligence and sincerity under his addiction! All the way through the book I was rooting for him, both to overcome his addiction, solve the case and finally to get the girl! The narrative of the book explores many themes but the most prevalent I would say was the issue of shell shock. I felt the individual flashbacks to the trenches and then the nursing home sections were especially done well.
I hope that this is the start of a brand new series as I enjoyed this one immensely!
