There are few things more heartbreaking for a family than the death of a child, but the loss is catastrophic when delivered in one violent, murderous blow. Drystan and Sophie had a decent marriage and a pleasant life, enhanced by their bubbly daughter, Alba. The couple hoped for a long life with Alba as the anchor to their family, imagining her graduating from school, marrying, and eventually having children of her own. But what should have been an unremarkable study session would become the last memory of their teenage daughter. Sophie mourns, but Drystan internalizes the loss, unable to face a world without Alba. The police response seems inadequate, and concern from friends, family, and neighbors does little to assuage Drystan’s growing rage. With no other way to reconcile what has happened, he launches a private investigation to find out who killed his daughter. His career suffers, his marriage crumbles, and his sanity slips. Determination hardens into obsession, changing Drystan into a man his daughter wouldn’t recognize. But he will have justice for Alba, even if his choices drive him down a dark hole with no way back to the light.
Even if you’ve never tiptoed near the fine line between life and death, you’ll feel the breathless pull of Tamel Wino’s vengeance thriller, Visage of Moros. Told from the perspective of an agonized father, the novel is split into alternating tenses that correlate with the traumatic events of a year ago and the heartrending present. Chapter titles are evocative and predictive, indicating Drystan’s deteriorating state of mind. Stylistically purple, the prose lulls readers in with its poetic language while dooming them to a journey of unmitigable anguish. Grief intertwines with stubborn anger as the tragedy seeps into every aspect of Drystan’s life, clouding his perspective and throwing readers off the scent as he follows every lead and hunts down the killer. As much as the novel features a suspenseful mystery, a deep emotional foundation grounds the story. One scene in particular, where Drystan is put in the horrible position of eulogizing his daughter but loses his composure, is poignant and unforgettable. Though his decisions are exaggerated and his behavior is destructive, any parent can relate to Drystan’s need to seek justice for his innocent daughter. The loss of a family member is a profoundly human experience with no happy ending, and Visage of Moros transforms pain into a deeply disturbing yet utterly compelling novel.
