Five Stars
I enjoyed Alex Roddie's previous two works, the short story Crowley's Rival and a full length novel The Only Genuine Jones so much that when The Atholl Expedition came along I bought it without hesitation or reading the blurb. I had little idea what it was going to be about but expected high mountain drama, man (and possibly woman) against the elements.
The Atholl Expedition immediately felt quite different. The historical context remains strong, indeed is fundamental, but to me this felt much more of a novel about place, which may sound strange given the magnitude of the Alpine climax in The Only Genuine Jones. The Atholl Expedition is set on a hunting estate in the Scottish Highlands and cleverly ties a number of threads: scientific exploration, hunting and compassion, the conflicting hopes of a father and son, the power of a monarch's patronage and how that passes down through the classes, with potentially devastating consequences for those at the bottom.
The characters, both fictional and historical, speak with authentic voices, even those of Victoria and Albert are utterly convincing. The narrative is clear and uncompromising, but the star of the show for me is the landscape and how the people live, survive and a even play in this inhospitable but magnificent place.
This novel is the first in a series, Alpine Dawn, and bodes well for the next instalment.
More info on Alex Roddie here and where to buy his books.
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