Forensic psychiatrist Jane Halifax is back, but after suffering a terrible accident her memories have vanished – and to recover them, she must solve a thirty-year cold case that has haunted her career.
A near-fatal car accident has left Jane in a coma. When she wakes, she has no idea who she is. Initially comforted by unlikely spectres from past cases, Jane is unaware of everyone else’s concerns: the police who believe she was deliberately run off the road; a lawyer whose files were in her car at the time of the accident – files he should never have lent her; her neurosurgeon who fears a relapse; and her partner, Tim, who has to cope with the fact Jane remembers almost nothing of the last two years – including their relationship.
A young woman called Luna keeps luring Jane back to the present. Linked to a thirty-year cold case from Jane’s past, Luna has a quest of her own she can only solve with Jane’s help. But if Jane wants to help Luna, she first needs to heal herself, and there just might be reasons beyond the accident that are hampering Jane’s recovery…
Being a fan of the Halifax series and an admirer of acclaimed author Roger Simpson’s incredible and successful television writing, I came to Resurrection with high expectations… which were well and truly exceeded.
Simpson’s extensive experience as a screenwriter has provided him with an exceptional respect for an economy of language. He’s executed a novel that’s well-paced, riveting and exulting. He also knows his heroine inside out, upside down and back to front.
What a brilliant concept to have Jane Halifax, forensic psychiatrist extraordinaire, be without her memories – particularly those that heralded from the past two years. And then to add a cold case – which isn’t in fact so cold – to solve as Jane simultaneously endeavours to uncover the riddle of her own accident/non-accident and delayed recovery.
There is a seamless mastery to the storytelling of Resurrection. With its humdinger plot and formidable protagonist, this was an absolutely unputdownable read for me. The exploration of memory loss was also wonderfully crafted and executed. It’s intriguing to see someone whose career involves observing other people’s behaviours and working out what makes them tick now missing a huge part of her own identity. This complex exploration well and truly succeeds. I can’t recommend this series enough.
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