The Mayor's Tongue

Nathaniel Rich

The ultimate quest – a search for love. This playful but clever short novel reminds me somewhat of bubble and squeak - parallel plots, dialogue, imagery and characters all cooked together to make a tasty meal. Although technically an easy read, concentration is a must to get your head around the characters (think Dickens at his most descriptive) and how they fit together. The ending is a treat and completely unexpected for all concerned.

Extract

It didn't appear, however, that Lang had done much eating either. His throat was as tight as a newt's, and the shapes of his ivory-white teeth were imprinted on his lips when he closed his mouth, so thin was his skin. Still, in the warm knowingness of his jackal smiles-which ended in a mock-serious, self-deprecatory curl at the corners of his mouth-and in the fluttery movements of his slender, tapering hands, he reminded Eugene of somebody he had once met.
Lang's jaw started to ticktock.

Parallels