A Song of Isolation by Michael J Malone

Today is my stop on the blog tour for A Song of Isolation by Michael J Malone and I 'm delighted to share my review of this wonderful book. Huge thanks to Anne Cater at Random Things Tours for inviting me and to the publisher for my review copy. 

The Blurb:

Film star Amelie Hart is the darling of the silver screen, appearing on the front pages of every newspaper. But at the peak of her fame she throws it all away for a regular guy with an ordinary job. The gossip columns are aghast: what happened to the woman who turned heads wherever she went?

Any hope the furore will die down are crushed when Amelie’s boyfriend Dave is arrested on charges of child sexual abuse. Dave strongly asserts his innocence, and when Amelie refuses to denounce him, the press furore quickly turns into physical violence, and she has to flee the country.

While Dave is locked up with the most depraved men in the country and Amelie is hiding on the continent, Damaris, the victim at the centre of the story, is also isolated – a child trying to make sense of an adult world…

Breathtakingly brutal, dark and immensely moving, A Song of Isolation looks beneath the magpie glimmer of celebrity to uncover a sinister world dominated by greed and lies, and the unfathomable destruction of innocent lives… in an instant.

A Song of Isolation was published by Orenda Books as an eBook on 17th July 2020 and in paperback on 17th September 2020. You can purchase it from the publisher, Hive, Waterstones, Amazon and all usual retailers. 

My Review: 

Oh gosh, what a book! Where to start?! 

Amelie's film career is just taking off when she gives it all up and moves into a cottage in Lanarkshire with accountant boyfriend Dave. They are happy for action few years although perhaps the relationship isn't going as Dave hoped it might. But their peace is shattered when Dave is areas on child abuse charges. His connection to Amelie means the press interest in the case is significant. Dave protests his innocence and Amelie refuses to distance herself from him. The backlash against them both is huge and, unsurprisingly, puts a strain on their relationship. And unusually named Damaris, the sweet, lonely little girl at the centre of the scandal, is bewildered and upset by it all. Dave's arrest is a springboard to events in the present and future but also to memories of the past.

Malone presents an intimate portrayal of people in the midst of a crisis. Dave continues to protest his innocence and struggles with life in prison when, even on remand, he is placed with really awful men. Amelie's refusal to denounce Dave costs her dearly. We see both of them at their worst - frightened, broken, defeated. They are beautifully drawn characters and my heart ached for them both. But I loved the relationship between Dave's parents and, in turn, their relationship with Amelie which deepened through the book - it was lovely to see.  In every interaction that happens Malone includes the tiny details - the gestures, the looks, etc that are so important in our communication with others. Another character that must be mentioned is Damaris. Just ten or eleven when Dave is arrested we see all her pain, confusion and anger, and we see how she deals with it. It was absolutely  impossible not to feel for her. 

The author has never been afraid to tackle difficult subjects in his books and this one is no different. He talks about the price of fame, the brutality of the prison system, child abuse (but not in any detail) and mental health issues. And he does so successfully, never preaching and always staying true to the story. 

I went through so many emotions reading this, up and down like a yoyo! There were moments I had tears in my eyes. This is a book about love, trust, betrayal, lies, hope, redemption,  oh there is everything in here! It's a book about people and relationships, and about how one event can shatter so many lives. I'm really not doing it justice here because I can't find the right words but it's beautiful, brutal and hugely affecting. Highly recommended.

The Author:

Michael Malone is a prize-winning poet and author who was born and brought up in the heart of Burns’ country. He has published over 200 poems in literary magazines throughout the UK, including New Writing Scotland, Poetry Scotland and Markings. Blood Tears, his bestselling debut novel won the Pitlochry Prize from the Scottish Association of Writers. His psychological thriller, A Suitable Lie, was a number-one bestseller, and the critically acclaimed House of Spines, After He Died and In the Absence of Miracles soon followed suit. A former Regional Sales Manager (Faber & Faber) he has also worked as an IFA and a bookseller. Michael lives in Ayr.