The plot of The Constant Gardener is, on paper, like that of a typical thriller. Justin Quayle, a diplomat based in Nairobi, has a young and beautiful wife, Tessa. When she’s found murdered along with a younger man, Justin realises he knew very little about her life. As he tries to untangle the web she’s left for him, he discovers she was investigating a big chemical company, who will stop at nothing to cover up Tessa’s research.
As Justin’s chase takes him all over Africa, America, and Europe, you’d be forgiven for thinking this sounds like any thriller. What makes it different is the remarkable use of voice and viewpoint, the density of detail, and the recreation of grief and memory on the page. Read it to see how dense, beautiful prose can still be gripping, and how the thriller-plot structure can be elevated to something unique and special.
Leave a Reply