Bitter Fruits is a moody and magnetic delight. It’s exactly the sort of book I require on a dark, stormy day to accompany a mug of strong tea. A fellow Goodreads reviewer, Liz Barnsley, described it as slightly reminiscent of beloved cult-favorite, The Secret History, and I couldn’t agree more. Within the first few pages I knew I had fallen completely, hook, line and sinker.
This is the story of the life and death of Emily Brabents, an attractive, charismatic freshman at Durham University. The shocking discovery of her body casts a pall of suspicion upon both faculty and students alike. It’s up to DI Erica Martin to untangle a vast web of lies, navigate the seedy social scene of the college and above all, use shrewd discernment to understand what made Emily tick.
“The disease is fame and the cure is the Internet.” At the crux of the novel lies this central theme of wanting to feel seen. While this is a normal and natural egoic desire at its core, Clark-Platts examines its extreme- the modern day addiction to fame that plagues many of today’s youth. In Bitter Fruits, the University culture is marked by deceit and manipulation. In a world where everything is documented, clawing your way up the social ladder requires a special kind of maneuvering. Much to her horror, DI Martin soon discovers that the exchange of compromising photos is the preferred form of currency among the student body. Female promiscuity is another intoxicating token of leverage, offering power, status and that ever-elusive 5 seconds of fame. But at what cost?
It’s easy to become smitten with Clark-Platt’s fictionalized Durham. The looming grandiosity of the gothic cathedral, the quaint cobblestone streets, the bubbling waters of the weir and the brooding gray skies all paint an inviting picture and lure you ever deeper into this sordid tale.
Bitter Fruits is a rich and rewarding character study with a brilliantly unfolding plot. It wasn’t long until I found myself transfixed and hungry for more. The only cure is to stay up late into the night and see the story through to the end! This stirring and atmospheric psychological mystery has put Alice Clark-Platts firmly on my radar.
Rating: 4.5/5 Stars
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