Another Sun, by Timothy Williams: Review by Beverley N N

This book requires the utmost attention. If you miss a beat, you may miss the subtle signs between characters, the cues, the inflections. In ‘Another Sun,’ Timothy Williams invites us into a crime story where the obvious is not so obvious and the clues lie in the inflections.

Set in Guadeloupe, a French colony in the Caribbean, this is a crime story whose understanding lies beneath layers of twisted unforgiveness, complicated colonial relationships and the need for survival. 

It starts like a thriller, where a dead body is discovered. It is not his body though, but it is this particular victim’s sordid past and the heinous acts he committed while still alive that evoke strong sentiments throughout the novel. Raymond Calais is the single most unforgivable person on the planet, it seems, and his hatred is woven into his privileges.

The protagonist, Madame le juge Anne Marie, has to navigate the delicate position of her authority while trying her best to investigate this crime with the community. They are full of suspicion and it takes emotional and startling events to finally solve the murder.

It is the least person anyone would suspect, and yet again, with a man so hated, almost everyone is a suspect.

What a treat for the reader to interact with Raymond Calais before his death, to make their own judgement about his character.

We are drawn to parallels in our own lives, witnessing the obsolete nature of the law, face to face with citizens' arrest, vigilante justice and communities that have borne the brunt of years of unbearable circumstances, that they create their own system that works.

There are honest aspects of misogyny, colourism and classism, which are at the heart of the characters and setting. The plot is paced to the rhythm of a deeply traditional group of people, still grappling with their colonial ties to France and the convolutedness of it.

Touching on history and politics in an engaging manner, ‘Another Sun’ is such a worthwhile read.

Published by Soho Press in 2011.Timothy Williams is a British bilingual author and winner of the Crime Writers Award. The book is available on Amazon. 

Reviewed by Beverley N Nsengiyunva