Fiction Book Reviews

Book Review: A Pretty Face

By Sandy Amazeen Oct 29, 2008, 18:43 GMT

After a forgettable one-night stand that left Maria Eguibar in possession of some papers, she was met at her door by the two men who murdered her. Instead of moving on to wherever the dead go, Maria finds herself hanging around in Benito’s company. Benito is a grubby, one-eyed, nose picking adolescent boy, a character of Maria’s books which makes him a figment of her imagination.

As Maria watches the investigation into her murder unfold, she revisits memorable moments from her childhood especially those that included her father, a brilliant doctor who helped develop K666. Compound K666 has enormous potential, it could conceivably conquer death making it an incredibly powerful and lucrative item. With something that revolutionary, there are bound to be groups adamantly opposed to its development. Maria searches for reasons why the gunman shot her that morning while attempting to come to some understanding of herself.

Reig’s latest offering is in keeping with his quirky combination of murder mystery, sci-fi and the outright strange as a murder victim struggles to come to terms with a botched investigation. She takes the opportunity to examine the overall state of her life, not the least is coming to terms with the vivid realization that she was a fatty, which is why Maria was so often told she had a pretty face. Ultimately, this is an unusual telling of a person coming to terms with themselves and offering redemption.