This is the story of Clare, an acclaimed author, and Sam, the man she chooses to write her biography. It is an interesting story about life in South Africa and how the past can haunt. I found it difficult to get into initially, but once I did, enjoyed it very much. The details about life and struggles in contemporary South Africa were interesting and moving to read. A good first novel and I shall be looking out for more by the same author.

This compelling story is told through the lives of various characters, which can make for some confusion. But if you don't get hung up on 'headlings' and just relax into the story, you'll find it a memorable tale. Set in South Africa, it gives a wonderful insight into how past behaviours continue to dominate present day lives. The book weaves it way between Clare (an ageing author) being interviewed by Sam - alongside the 'story' of what actually might have happened to Clare's daughter. Although there is no clear start and finish in the traditional sense, it's well worth sticking with this novel as a refreshing and intriguing read.

Absolution is not an easy book to read as it can be confusing jumping between the different perspectives but it is definitely an enjoyable read. It is set in South Africa and focuses on Clare Wald, an ageing writer who has agreed to have her biography written by Sam Leroux. It soon becomes clear that they have a shared history although neither has the courage to bring it up. The narrative is told from several perspectives - the present, the past as seen by Sam, the past as seen by Clare and Clare's latest novel which is semi autobiographical. I found the ending a bit of a disappointment as it seemed a bit rushed and didn't really resolve the questions raised. Overall the story makes you as the reader examine how different people perceive things differently and how truth differs from person to person.

I was happy to receive and review this for Waterstones as it seemed an unusual story and not my usual choice of book. I do agree with some of the other reviewers that it is somewhat confusing as there are different strands running through this, with characters talking at different stages and it wasn't always easy to keep up with this. But I found it really mysterious and wanted to read on to find out more. Though I mostly agree that the character, Clare Wald is great and interesting, I found that I was just as intrigued by Sam, who is trying to do her biography and who he really was and Laura, the mysterious daughter of Clare, who has disappeared without trace. It certainly looks at the issue of apartheid from another perspective and I found that more interesting than being lectured on the subject. It will be interesting to see what this author comes up with as his next subject matter.

Clare Wald is a South African author coming to the end of her life who has agreed to be involved in the writing of her biography. It is to be written by Sam Leroux, a fellow South African now returning to the country of his birth after some years' absence. Revisiting the past brings up old secrets for both of them and they must be truthful with themselves about the part they played in disturbing events. This novel has four different narrative strands, which makes things complicated at times, especially when the strands contradict each other. There are several mysteries in the book, but one main mystery is examined from different points of view and the events connected to it are re-told in a number of different ways. However, the events seem to be less important than what the characters think about them, and it is a novel in which the characters think much more than they say. I found this more than a little frustrating as it meant getting to the truth about what happened was impossible. I felt that the complex structure was a hindrance rather than a help to the book, but that the detail with which the characters were described almost made up for this. But although the reader is let into what the characters think, I was left with a niggling sense that they might not be being truthful, even to themselves, so perhaps what they tell us isn't wholly reliable. In short, they're human and we have to make up our minds about them from the available evidence. I didn't feel a sense of resolution when I got to the end of the book and felt that the end was quite weak compared to the build up of the bulk of the novel. However, I found it an interesting character portrait of how people react in unimaginable circumstances and a detailed study of post-apartheid South Africa.