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In Review

09 January 2009 12:01 BST

The Pool of Unease by Catherine Sampson

Published by Macmillan, out August 3rd, hardback, 319 pages, £12.99.

In a nutshell…

Depressing, China, Weak-Thriller, Flawed

What's it all about?

In The Pool of Unease journalist Robin Ballantyne is sent to Beijing to cover the story of a murdered British man. This is no ordinary murder however; the victim has been decapitated near a frozen lake in a desperately poor section of the city, where mysterious disappearances of local women have also been reported.

At the same time local private detective, Song Ren, rescues a homeless boy from a burning building and becomes caught up in the investigation as the boy's link to the murders soon becomes clear.

Who's it by?

Catherine Sampson has written two previous books, Falling Off Air and Out of Mind, both of which also feature the character Robin Ballantyne. Before becoming a full-time author, she was a journalist based in Beijing, writing for the Times and other publications.

Sampson has lived in China for 14 years and is married to James Miles, the Economist's China correspondent.

As an example…

"He stepped out of the car, the smooth soles of his boots slipping on the ice. Then, as he took another step, a scream scythed through the air and shocked him to a halt."

"The scream – female, high-pitched, terrified, breathless, as wordless, formless plea for mercy – arrived from the silence and was cut off, abruptly strangled, leaving a gurgling echo in its airy wake."

Likelihood of becoming a Hollywood blockbuster

It will do little to excite critics; at best it's a trashy holiday read, more likely to be found on the beach than the bestsellers lists.

In film terms, it would be a straight-to-DVD crime thriller with an implausible script and an infuriating female lead.

What the others say

"Another smart, effective mystery story." - Daily Mail

So is it any good?

The China portrayed in the book is a desperate, hostile and dangerous place. The Communist state oppresses all and the Eastern world has apparently descended into a dark and intimidating place where foreigners are treated with distrust and contempt.

This would be all good and well if the book was in anyway based outside of reality; however Sampson goes to great lengths to advertise the fact that she has lived in China for over a decade and even on her website invites people to discover the country she now calls home. Therefore the ridiculously depressing view of the nation seems unnecessary and becomes hard to accept.

The real sticking point though is the main character, Robin Ballantyne. The actions the character takes, considering she is supposed to be a middle-aged journalist, are just not believable. This may well be a piece of fiction but the story-line steps way beyond what reader's could possibly be expected to follow.

The dialogue is poorly written and the majority of Ballantyne's script is clunky and cringe worthy. The Song character is the only one you have any form of feeling towards, but disappointingly, he is left out in the cold with an ending that truly falls flat.

Sampson has written a poor narrative of modern day China, doing the country an unnecessary injustice. The Pool of Unease is disappointing and will do little to enthuse readers, especially if they harbour any fondness for China.

4/10

Richard James