Book review: Windwalker by Natasha Mostert

Synopsis:

From the award-winning author of Season of the Witch, comes a highly original story of murder, redemption, eternal love and destiny. WINDWALKER will keep you on the edge of your seat. And break your heart.

When photographer, Justine Callaway, walks into the deserted English mansion, Paradine Park, she doesn’t suspect that she is opening the door to the greatest mystery–and magic–of her life.

Justine becomes obsessed by the family who used to live in the house, especially the oldest son, Adam Buchanan. But why is she so drawn to a man who had killed his brother nine years before? And why, as she photographs the house, does she discover ghostly images she knows she did not record?

Even more unsettling, she senses someone is stalking her, watching her...

NOTE: I received this title via Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

I started reading Windwalker after finishing with Midnight Tide. I was already aware of Mostert’s writing style, and knew (mostly) what to expect of her in plot complicity. I knew that there won’t be much of a murder mystery, because even though the killer isn’t revealed until way later, it’s quite obvious who it was – and I was right. I think this can be classified as a stalker mystery, where the creepy factor is upped by the killer-stalker’s twisted mind.

Writing style:
Enticing, makes the reader turn the pages until the very end. At times however, things are so still and so slow to develop it becomes a bit annoying to just wait for something to happen.

Story line:
A murder, quite like the very first one – a fratricide of Cain and Abel proportions. A photographer with an empty heart. A murderer with a hope for redemption and love. When the two worlds collide, the keeper of past and future lives strides along and guides them through.

Themes:
-Reincarnation, redemption, forgiveness
-True love never dies
-Guilt, self-knowledge
-Fratricide and what leads to it
-Revenge
-The weird mind of a psychologically unstable man

Characters:
Justine was a woman with an unclean past. Not that she feels any guilt about it. She is a strong, willful character. At first she had no faith in love or happiness. Sometimes she thought she didn’t deserve either.
Justine loved a good mystery, especially when she could be right in the middle of the action. A photograph by profession, she thrived on the thrill of taking a shot in the right moment, so important events are properly documented. Yet, when her life was threatened, being right smack in the action didn’t do her much good.

Adam, a man with sin equal to Cain’s, carried remorse and guilt for years. He regretted his blind rage towards his careless brother, and had to spend his life far away from the world that condemned him. What he did in his spare time? He searched for the woman he believed would make him feel whole. Now that felt a bit cheesy to me, to be honest. I mean, living with guilt, toiling away in a country far from your own, and what occupies your mind and dreams? A woman you have never met? In fiction, perhaps, but not in real life. Not unless the person is susceptible to melodrama.
So of course Adam found the love of his life, not that I doubted he would. But how events unfurled afterwards surprised me. The ending was surely unexpected for Adam, and all I can say is that he grew in my eyes in that very last moment.

The Watcher, in my opinion, was a total phycho. I’ve no idea how he could go about his daily duties when he had a murder and numerous stalking experiences on his hands. It was incredibly awkward to read the thoughts and justifications he came up with time and again.

In conclusion
Windwalker is a well crafted novel that holds the reader’s attention.

My rating: