AFTERLIFE by Marcus Sakey @MarcusSakey

4.5 out of 5 stars

On Amazon UK
On Amazon.com
On Goodreads

How I discovered this book:  I read a review of it on Between The Lines book blog 

What if death is just the beginning?

The basics:  A serial killer on the loose.  Investigation led by detective Claire McCoy, involved in a love affair with subordinate Will Brody.  A main character dies at the hand of the killer, after which we see them in the afterlife 'echo', a strange parallel earth with different players and rules. 

The book starts in the 16th century, when a boy is shipwrecked, dies, but then wakes up to his own 'echo'.  I loved this, and looked forward to reading on, and seeing how this fitted into the 21st century plot.  

I was a bit 'hmm, not sure' about the main story at first; I liked the author's writing style, but was less keen on the slightly hackneyed detective characterisation (the overworked, world-weary female boss with no food in the fridge, the maverick young FBI agent who doesn't play by the rules but gets results).  Within a few chapters this didn't matter a jot, but it was an early reaction, so I've recorded it.  I soon became much more interested in Claire and Brody, and found their relationship believable; the emotional connection between them was perfectly described, and I cared what happened to them, which is, of course, what it's all about.

On the cover, a comparison is made with The Matrix.  If, like me, you found that particular film confusing for the sake of confusing and a bit 'emperor's new clothes', generally, you might feel similarly about this book.  At first.  I wasn't always sure what was going on, and started to wonder if I cared.  I decided to give it to 40% ~ but it clicked into place well before then.  The 'echo' of afterlife became intermingled with real life ~ and I began to understand Sakey's take on what-happens-when-you-die. 

I jogged along, quite enjoying it, but then I got to chapter 26, at 42% ~ for me, the turning point, when I realised how brilliant this book is.  16th century Edmund's role became clear, and I understood that this isn't a novel about the catching of a serial killer, or a kooky idea of people in the afterlife charging around having battles with each other.  It's about the energy of the universe, the reason for the atrocities man commits against man, the manipulation of the living by powers far stronger.  The layers of life, of which the waking world that we surface dwellers experience, in blissful ignorance, is just one.  Awesome concept, I loved it.

Now and again I found it a little long-winded and was tempted to skip-read, but I'm so glad I stuck with it, as it's one of those books that explodes into something else half way through.  Yes, I'd definitely recommend it 😈