How Far We Fall by Jane Shemilt

• Paperback: 384 pages
• Publisher: Michael Joseph (20 Sept. 2018)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0718180909
• ISBN-13: 978-0718180904

 

 

 

 

 

 

Synopsis

The perfect couple

Meeting Albie gave Beth a fresh start – a chance to leave her past behind. Now she has her new husband; an ambitious, talented young neurosurgeon.

The perfect marriage

Their marriage gives Beth the safe haven she’s always wanted – with just one catch. Albie has no idea of the secrets she’s keeping. He doesn’t know that years ago, Beth had an affair with Ted, the boss helping Albie’s star ascend. Nor that the affair’s devastating ending will have consequences for their own future.

The perfect storm

So when Ted’s generous patronage begins to sour, Beth senses everything she’s built could crumble. And she sees an opportunity. To satisfy Albie’s ambitions, and her own obsessive desire for revenge . . .

She’ll keep her marriage and her secret safe.

But how far will the fall take them?

 

Review

How Far We Fall is a slow burning thriller about ambition, power, revenge and love.  The plot follows the main characters, Ted, Professor of Neurology at National Hospital. Albie is his young protogé waiting in the wings and Beth, the ex mistress of Ted and wife to Albie.  All are ambitious, Ted is at the top of his profession, Albie wants to be Ted’s heir, and make a name for himself, and Beth wants Albie to move up the ladder at any cost, and as things progress for the three of them, get revenge on Ted for the past.

The book is separated into Four Acts, and many of the chapters have a short paragraph at the beginning that set the scene like in a play.  At first I thought this was very much like a Greek Tragedy with the Chorus setting the scene, but as I progressed through the book I realised that in fact How Far We Fall is in the style of a Shakespeare play, and is a modern day version of Macbeth.  Ted in the image of King Duncan, Albie as the upstart Macbeth and Beth as influencing wife Lady Macbeth.  Throughout, Albie’s path crosses with three sisters Skuld, Verandi and Urth who all work at the hospital; the modern day three witches who tell Macbeth his prophecy. It is a conversation with Skuld, in which he hears about how is going to be promoted, that sets into motion his and Beth’s obsession with taking over from Ted.

All three character’s were flawed and power hungry.  Ted is still at the top of his game  respected by his contemporaries around the world, and will do almost anything to remain there.  Beth is still hurt after a seven year affair with Ted, he left her damaged and pregnant to return to his wife.  In Albie she sees the perfect future, she can have what Ted and his wife had, but her marriage will be perfect; behind every great man is a great woman and she is the driving force behind Albie. Albie himself comes to this the innocent party a the beginning, his only vice is wanting to progress his career and become Ted’s heir.  But in his relationship with Beth and Ted he is pushed into situations he didn’t see, and moulded into doing things he never thought he would; he is open to suggestion, especially from Beth.

The only problem I have with How Far We Fall is that the characters left me cold.  The relationships and personalities were all very clinical and devoid of any emotion; I didn’t engage with any of them on any level which is a problem for me. There needed to be more character development in my opinion, this left me feeling distanced from them and the plot at times.

Jane Shemilt writes in detail of the neurological and procedures and research, that may be a little uncomfortable for some people, especially on the topic of animal testing.  She has clearly done a lot of research, no doubt helped by her husband who is himself a professor of neurosurgery.  The plot line opens the debate of research and animal testing  in medicine and gives you pause for thought.

How Far We Fall is a slow burning dark, calculated thriller.  The plot line is fascinating in its subject matter and really draws you in, it would be a great book for a book club as it has the potential to raise many questions of morality and science.  it is a Macbeth for today’s audiences.

 

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