From the first pages of NORTHMAN, it becomes clear that you're in for a humdinger of a story. In the first few chapters, J.D. Hughes takes us from a Viking raid on an English village, to the crash of a World War II bomber, to a present-day archaeological dig. This is a novel that hits the ground running - and then speeds up.
The story follows Kate, an archaeologist, who finds that a seemingly routine dig is in fact the beginning of a nightmare, and Michael, a film producer who is unwittingly caught up in the action. And that action spirals outwards, touching almost everyone who crosses their paths, as it becomes clear that the archaeological dig has turned up a good deal more than a few artefacts. You're caught up in the story, and you can't stop reading. Hughes excels at setting the mood, whether it's sexual tension, a sense of creeping evil, or outright violence. There are also a good many laugh-out-loud moments.
What really sets NORTHMAN apart, though, is the quality of the writing. The characters are vividly-drawn and convincing. You can believe in Kate, grieving a past loss, and Michael, floundering amidst the debris of a broken marriage. The supporting characters are engaging too, from the kindly, avuncular Weatherall to Peterson, a no-nonsense ex-pilot who has to abandon his preconceived notions when he finds himself caught up in events. Hughes also uses language to magnificent effect throughout. Take this, for instance:
`She stood and turned to the solitary window in the room to disperse the disturbing feeling of being on the edge of something unreasonable, something that could not be dissected and laid out on cold white tiles of logic.'
The twist at the end is brilliant, taking up the theme of Time that runs through the novel, and then turning it in an entirely new, and unexpected, direction.
NORTHMAN is a page-turner with both brains and a heart, and I recommend it wholeheartedly.
OR
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