The Turnglass

The Turnglass by Gareth Rubin. This unique Tête-bêche novel was a first for me; I absolutely adored it. Two books printed back to back. Two novellas that actually intertwine, blowing your mind and turning everything that you thought you knew on its head.

Book 1: 1880s England. I love historical fiction and books that feature an old mysterious house, especially those that have a gothic feel about them. This book ticked all of the boxes for me. An isolated house cut off from the mainland during high tide with a host of unusual characters. One believing he is being poisoned as his health deteriorates.

Book 2: 1930s California. This book had a Gatsby feel about it. An ultra modern glass house set on the beach where a man is found dead. Brushed off by the police as a suicide, Ken Kourian is determined to discover the truth as he knows his friend wouldn't take his own life.

Both books are equally enjoyable on their own as standalone novels, but together, you realise the genius of Rubin to intertwine these two stories. On face value, I loved the premise of the book. To actually have to flip the book over to read the next was a cool concept. I read the 1880 England one first and then turned the book round to read the next book. It was only once I started reading the second that my brain kicked into action. I noticed similarities: glass elements of the house, a prominent library, and murder. And then character's names which started to appear that were in the previous book!! As I tried to make connections, I realised how clever this book is! I started to flip the book back over and skim through the text, hoping to find clues that I had missed. Just genius. I was even tempted to read the first book again after I finished the second.

The Turnglass is an engaging, mesmerising, and 100% memorable unique read. I can't recommend it enough, a must-read.