WHAT happens when the sins of our youth come back to haunt us? That is the question at the heart of this accomplished first novel.
The Sixth Lamentation, a biblical reference to the Holocaust, looks back at a time of unimaginable inhumanity through the eyes of key characters in a modern-day war crimes investigation.
Agnes Aubret believes her own son died in a concentration camp.
Victor Brionne, a French collaborator who loved Agnes from afar but became bitter when she rejected him, has become so caught up in deceit he no longer recognises the truth.
And Eduard Schwermann, a former SS officer on trial as a suspected Nazi war criminal, claims to be more saint than sinner.
The only man who can get to the truth is Father Anselm, a monk who is drawn into the complicated court procedure when an old man turns up at his priory seeking sanctuary.
A hugely satisfying page-turner that also asks uncomfortable but necessary questions about the past, The Sixth Lamentation is like The Da Vinci Code with soul.
Updated: 10:41 Saturday, April 23, 2005
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereComments are closed on this article