Reaction to Dove That Grew Talons

I received this reaction to my latest novel The Dove That Grew Talons, from a dear friend in Australia. A most humbling experience while at the same time being greatly rewarding. I feel that I have, for one reader at least, achieved what I set out to do. She has kindly consented to my sharing this here.

Thank You Carole.

McLaren Vale, Feb 2024

Hi Stu,

If only I lived closer, I’d definitely love to meet up & chat about your Dove. But I can’t do that, so I’m putting finger to keyboard in the hopes that I express my thoughts effectively. Difficult to do as a ‘monologue’, when a dialogue would be preferable.

I don’t want to come across as ‘gushy’, so to preface my thoughts, full disclosure:

1. I rarely read fiction these days; I prefer non-fiction. My most recent reads were:

Colditz by Ben Macintyre, which led to MI9 by Helen Fry; then The Nine, by Gwen Strauss. As you can see, coincidentally these were a very good factual introduction to your novel.

2. I have never been a writer, but in a recent past life I worked as a proof reader and 

editor of professional journal articles, and of several publications in the Translating and Interpreting field in which I was working. 

So: I had enjoyed your writing in the Skelter series – you are a masterful storyteller, Stu. And I looked forward to reading Dove. I was initially surprised by the length of the book. The following is not a professional analysis, but some of my thoughts, the sort of thoughts I’d share in my bookclub.

I was initially surprised by the length of the book, but from Page 1 I was hooked, for reasons I’ll outline below. This was not simply a work of fiction that I picked up to fill in a break between more serious reading. This story and its characters are fully engaging and authentic. Never a dull moment! I just cannot fathom how you put it all together with such attention to sometimes very esoteric detail. 

The PLOT progresses so well – balancing the intertwining life stories of Bryn and Maddie, and their love for each other. You sustained enough mystery to keep one guessing, and tied up the threads at the end. How did you juggle all those balls?

The CHARACTERS are well-developed, believable, and of their time. Your dialogue captures their voices beautifully: I can hear them speak.  (Who would you cast to play them in the film version?) The minor characters too are well drawn and believable.

The SETTINGS – of course I recognise the Welsh valley settings, love the refs to local landmarks, Castell Coch etc. But you also capture the atmosphere of the other settings. I won’t go into detail, but even your description of Nantes checks out (I lived there for a year in 1966!), as does eg the bike-ride distance to the Canal ferry! Pinpoint research!

The NARRATIVE flows exceptionally well – I like a linear progression! – I can hear you telling the story, as if the words were flowing seamlessly – although I’m sure that was not always the case. The story reads very easily, but you have packed so much specific, interesting information into it that parts of it read like non-fiction. And as I reader I like to learn, and I certainly did learn from this story; was never bored.

Additionally, the PACE of the narrative fitted perfectly the activity: your action scenes are fast-paced, heart-stoppingly so in some parts; this pace contrasts so well with the quieter scenes, and particularly with Bryn’s and Maddie’s letters. I thought this an excellent device for moving the narrative forward, the reader being in on the ‘secrets’ kept by the protagonists.

Your DESCRIPTIONS are great – you ‘show don’t tell’: the actions of the characters set a scene (eg the cigarettes; clouds of smoke; the yellow stained fingers etc etc). You don’t ever overdo the descriptions, but I could absolutely visualise each setting. You obviously had a clear image yourself of each scene, which you successfully conveyed to your audience. As for your knowledge of the appearance and function of the boats, planes of the era: encyclopaedic? Plus the accurate little details eg the grey Percheron; the Calvados – how did you know that?? And the Army & local slang of the time adding colour to the dialogue. 

I know that many details came from your own experience – but you must have done exhaustive RESEARCH into the period: the historical events and organisations (SOE, Resistance exfiltrations, etc etc) in order to sustain the narrative in a believable way. I would have loved to see even a short list of your references, or acknowledgements.

As you can see, I have thought a very great deal about this, and the thoughts above simply summarise my impressions. I assume that part or all of the creative process was shared with other authors in your writing group? You said you loved writing it, and it shows. How long did it actually take?

I feel that your book deserves a greater audience, that can only be achieved by having it published and promoted. I think Welsh readers in particular would relish reading this; the appetite for WW2 novels never seems to diminish. This story is greatly superior to much of the plodding rubbish that is available, and it deserves a wider readership. And pride of place at the front of Waterstone’s window! And I do think it would translate perfectly to a film, or tv series. On the other hand, you may be happy to write, to self-publish, and then move on to the next project. 

So now, and I write this as your friend, I add a few suggestions, made while acknowledging that not all readers are as eagle eyed and critical as I am; and understanding that expenses are involved:

There are some inconsistencies in punctuation and spelling, which tend to slip through however careful we are. A Proof Reader will identify these.

A couple of times (eg in chapters 25, 26) letters between Bryn and Maddie have been repeated in full; I wondered at first if this was deliberate, but I think not. An Editor will pick up slips like this.

Finally, the local French teacher would cast an eye over the French phrases and correct the spelling where necessary.

Your friend (and avid reader),

Carole