Book Review: Aiding and Abetting

I like to use an image of the book cover to accompany my book reviews. However, in this case, I couldn't bring myself to use the only book cover image I could find. It shows the body of a proper Englishman, with only the mouth portion of his head visible. This cover would have never sparked my interest.

I came upon this book on CD when I was searching for something to listen to in the car when I run errands. The cover which drew me in revealed two near-identical men seated on a park bench reading a copy of The London Daily, with a banner spread asking "Is Lord Lucan Alive?" A much better cover, by far!

Muriel Spark has chosen to jump off in her story from a real event which took place in London back in 1974. Lord Lucan, who had marital woes and quite a gambling problem, supposedly planned to kill his wife but botched the job and accidentally murdered the children's nanny instead. His wife then escaped from the house and ran to the nearest pub crying "Murder" and naming her husband as her assailant. Lord Lucan escaped and has been sighted many times over the years. It is assumed that he is living off the generosity of other titled friends. Of course, I had to look for hard evidence in the case, and I discovered this site dedicated to the on-going interest in Lord Lucan.

The author begins the story by focusing on a psychiatrist in Paris, Dr. Hildegard Wolf, who is astonished when she encounters two different clients who are both claiming to be Lord Lucan. As she attempts to ferret out the real Lord, she becomes aware that both individuals know a secret about her own past. In the midst of this, the narrative about Lord Lucan's unfortunate life and disappearance is set out.

I will admit that the thought that this man is somewhere, right at this moment, still hidden away and reading Dame Spark's conjectures ... that thought is delicious and intriguing. During the beginning of the novel, it was really compelling to try to discern which man was the genuine article. However, the longer the novel went, the less I bought into the story and the less invested I felt.

More individuals are brought into the search for Lord Lucan. The psychiatrist, who has appeared to be calm and objective, begins to behave in skittish way. The psychiatrist's own past is revealed and plumbed. The end is tied up with a less than satisfying knot and resolution feels shallow.

I did enjoy listening to the book. There were amusing moments. It was interesting to hear the facts about the historical case. I did wonder whether Lord Lucan was going to be caught. However, in the end, the supposition is more entertaining than this fabricated story.