Untouchable Things

April 18, 2016
The stage playâlike structure of Guha's debut thriller, set in Britain in the 1990s, doesn't add anything to this unengaging exploration of personal relationships in the context of some kind of inquiry. There's also no payoff to the delayed revelation of the reason behind the questioning of myriad characters about their connection with a repellent man named Seth Gardner. First, Seth tries to pick up actress Rebecca Laurence in a London pub after her performance as Ophelia in a production of Hamlet. Next, he targets the shy Catherine Jarret; after hearing her play on an expensive Steinway in a store, he buys the instrument. Eventually, Catherine and Rebecca end up getting involved with a group Seth leads, the Friday Folly. Most of the book consists of the Folly members, male and female, recounting their twisted interactions with Seth, but none of the characters are sympathetic or interesting. Making a mystery of what the mystery is doesn't compensate.