The Chair by G.B. Williams

I recently appeared on a literary panel at a crime festival with Gail Williams and, although I had not previously read any of her books, I thought it important to know about her book that we would be discussing and I am really pleased I did. The Chair is a gripping stand alone novel.

The Blurb

On a snowbound Cader Idris, death comes stalking.

Cobb retreated to Cader Idris for a solitary life of peace and quiet, and to escape his dangerous past. Though that illusion starts to crumble after he and Branwen Jones, the local vet, find a mysterious RTA victim and shelter him in Cobb’s home.

When elements of London’s criminal underbelly reach Wales, and their presence throws the close-knit community into stark relief, the chance to settle old scores could prove too tempting.

With no choice but to try and hide the RTA victim from people who want to kill him, Cobb’s not sure he’s ready to rejoin the world he’s running from, when that means putting another woman in the firing line. Meanwhile, Branwen’s not sure she can face the revelation of her darkest secret.

But as they face the final showdown, a race over the snowed-in mountain, will anyone survive unscathed?

The Review

This tense and gripping thriller is set in North Wales. I had just finished reading Torn by Karen Moore set in Wales and Sicily and prior to this, I do not think I had ever read a book set in Wales. I am delighted that I have rectified this. I thoroughly enjoyed this novel and it grabbed my interest right from the beginning. Both the plot and characters are credible and the story is exciting.

I became invested in the main characters early in the story because they were so well drawn and had interesting back stories. The backdrop of the Welsh mountain, Cader Idris, and the harshness of the way of life in the little village where the story was set added interest for me. There was an increasing feeling of jeopardy that developed as the story progressed. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and look forward to reading more novels by G.B. Williams.

The Author

I like to walk on the darker side, thankfully there are people and publishers willing to walk there with me.

Once upon a time I was going to walk around Europe. Then I met a guy. I kept the guy, kissed the travel goodbye.

Now I live and work and write in old South Wales, and frequently get mistaken for Clair from New Zealand – no idea why the Clair, but I grew up in Kent, and New Zealand is sort of halfway between Kent and South Wales – if you go the long way around.

Val Penny