The Favour by Laura Vaughan

Synopsis
When she was thirteen years old, Ada Howell lost not just her father, but the life she felt she was destined to lead. Now, at eighteen, Ada is given a second chance when her wealthy godmother gifts her with an extravagant art history trip to Italy.

In the palazzos of Venice, the cathedrals of Florence and the villas of Rome, she finally finds herself among the kind of people she aspires to be: sophisticated, cultured, privileged. Ada does everything in her power to prove she is one of them. And when a member of the group dies in suspicious circumstances, she seizes the opportunity to permanently bind herself to this gilded set.

But everything hidden must eventually surface, and when it does, Ada discovers she’s been keeping a far darker secret than she could ever have imagined…

Review

I have to say that reading The Favour felt like a bit of a self-indulgence, visiting three of my favourite cites, Venice, Rome and Florence, and detailing the beautiful architecture and works of art that I love to go and see when visiting Italy. However, The Favour isn’t all beautiful and shiny, with the rosy glow of the sunset on the lagoons, it’s a much darker read, about how far someone will go to ingretiate themselves into the world of the privileged.

It is very rare in a book where none of the characters can be described as nice, all in this book are pretty much narcissists, believing the world owes them their status of wealth. The main character Ada was brought up in a beautiful statley home in Wales, that had been in her father’s family for centuries, and enjoyed the status that this brought her. After her father’s death when she was thirteen, her mother can’t afford to keep the house so sells it and they move to a small house in London. Ada finds herself without the status she had before and living in a London suburb with little money is a shock to the system. When her Godmother offers to send her to Italy on an Art History course, she sees a chance to mix with those she feels should be her peers. Ada is a complex character in some ways, unable to accept the changes in her life, for which she blames her mother. She doesn’t make friends easily, feeling superior to those she meets at school and thus is a bit of a loner. In Italy she sees the chance to reinvent herself, be the person she thought she should be if she had stayed in Wales and her father hadn’t died. Her shalowness is mirrored in the other students on the course, all from priviledged backgrounds, all rich and all with an air of entitlement, and none particularly likeable. The mix of personalities sees tension rise, and Ada will go to any lengths to fit in and be part of their world, even if it means blackmail after murder.

Normally in books based in Italy show a more perfect side to Venice, Rome and Florence, capturing the beauty and atmosphere of these stunning cities. It was almost like a modern day Grand Tour that the rich went on in the eighteenth century, taking in the art and culture of some of the most beautiful cities in the world. However, Laura Vaughan shows a more realistic side, the faded and neglected Palazzo’s the cold and wet weather,the litter on the ground, the exhaust fumes and also the dog mess; not very appealing. In this book this less than favourable setting mirrors the characters and the plot line; all the characters look shiney and perfect but underneath all are hiding something, tarnishing this shiny exterior. Laura Vaughan really captured the dynamics of the group, the love interests, the clashes of personality, the resentment and Ada on the periphery, just watching and working everyone out. The plot flows seamlessly with plenty of twists and turns that reveal family secrets, and the ever changing loyalties and friendships in the group.

The Favour is like an artistic Tromp L”oeil, where nothing or no one is what they first seem. This is an atmospheric read, not only in terms of capturing the atmosphere of Italy but also around the group of students and their interactions. As I said its not often you read a book with characters that have a few redeemable qualities, and I found it quite refreshing not trusting or liking anyone. Laura Vaughan’s writing draws you in with her descriptive prose, character development and the sense of danger that under pins the plot. Stunning settings, murder and secrets make for a gripping and fascinating read.

I’d like to thank Atlantic Books for my copy of The Favour in return for my honest review.