Review of FACELESS by Vanda Symon (New Release)

 4.5 Stars

Bradley Fordyce, a middle-aged man unhappy with his life, impulsively picks up Billy, a homeless teenager who occasionally works as a prostitute.  Misinterpreting her “reassuring smile” as a derisive smirk, he lashes out and keeps her captive in an abandoned warehouse he owns.  While Bradley wrestles with what to do, Max, a homeless man who befriended Billy, becomes concerned when she doesn’t return to her usual sleeping spot.  He sets out to find her even though doing so forces him to confront his past and the events which lead to his living on the streets of Auckland. 

Faceless is identified as a thriller, and it certainly is one.  At times, I found the suspense almost overwhelming.  The last 20 percent of the book had me so anxious I read late into the night because I just had to find out what happens.  The ticking clock in the book made me ignore the clock ticking on my bedside table. 

The book has multiple points of view.  Bradley, Billy and Max have the majority of brief chapters, but there are also ten giving the perspective of Meredith, one of Max’s former colleagues, in the latter part of the novel.  The chapters presenting Billy’s viewpoint are in present tense, creating an even greater sense of urgency and immediacy.  Alternating among characters creates suspense, especially when a chapter has a cliffhanger ending, but also increases the impression of a fast pace.

A great advantage of the multiple points of view is that readers come to know each of the characters intimately.  As a consequence, we understand their motivations so that they emerge as believable characters.  Max, for instance, at the beginning describes his relationship with Billy in almost dismissive terms:  “she was nothing to him – well, other than company, and someone to talk to, share a fag with.”  His obsession with finding her, however, makes total sense when Max’s past is revealed.  Another character realizes there is more to his search:  “’This isn’t just about Billy is it?’” 

Creating a believable villain can be tricky, but Symon succeeds here too.  Bradley feels unappreciated and “less and less in command of his life” so his satisfaction when he feels he has control over something is understandable, as is his conclusion that “He couldn’t give that up now.”  He discovers dark depths within him.  His justifications such as “It was all the girl’s fault” and “his conscience had finally allowed him to explore a different morality” clearly show him spiraling out of control.  The author makes this downward spiral convincing. 

Though a suspense novel, the book also touches on other topics.  The situation of the homeless is emphasized.  Max describes how he is largely ignored:  “Most of the time he felt invisible, just one of the faceless, nameless lost minions of this city that the everyday people automatically filtered out of their consciousness.”  Max has difficulty being taken seriously when he asks for help in finding Billy.  Other themes are obvious:  friendship, betrayal, loss, grief, and redemption. 

Anyone wanting a real page-turner need look no further.  Just be forewarned:  you’ll be biting your nails and losing sleep!