I was given this book in exchange for an honest review. 

I was really excited to be given this book as I had seen it posted with great reviews on social media and the synopsis intrigued me. 

That’s where it starts and ends for me. The book is a VERY slow burner and I found I lost interest very quickly. I didn’t like that the book jumped from Claire’s point of view to a random snippet of someone on the island then back to Claire. Sometimes it took me a couple of reads to figure out who was speaking. 

I liked the character of Clive and his perspective but I was disappointed that when he realises it’s Claire he tells his story straight out and then disappears? Where is the turmoil and the struggle with a story he’s kept secret for so long? 
I also absolutely hated the ending I’m afraid. No conclusion. No answers. Not even a hint of an answer. 

I’ve given this a 3 star rating as whilst the writing in parts was good I did not enjoy the story.

Claire is seven years old when her 18 year old sister Alison  is found dead on the last day of their family holiday to the fictional Caribbean Island of Saint X. Two locals who worked at the resort they stayed were accused of her murder but are released as there wasn't enough evidence to proceed. Years later while living in New York City Claire (now using the name Emily) gets into a cab driven by Clive Robertson, one of the suspects in Alison's murder which sets her on an obsessive pursuit of the truth. 

I was really drawn in by the premise of this book thinking it would be a fast paced murder mystery/thriller. However I DNF'd it around a third of the way through. It just wasn't for me. I found the plot to be slow and I just didn't like any of the characters enough to keep on reading to the end. Sadly a disappointing read for me.

This is the story of Claire, who was seven when her idolised older sister Alison was found dead on a family holiday.  As an adult, she jumps in to a cab which just happens to be driven by one of the men suspected of Alison's murder, and an obsession to discover the truth takes over Claire's life.  

I'm just going to jump right in an say it - this book is brilliant.  It had me gripped right from the beginning and I thought it was intelligent, layered and incredibly well written.  This is not your average mystery novel, it is so much more.  How people cope with loss, how circumstances shape a person, how family dynamics play out and how our perceptions of people evolve as we ourselves develop are all explored in this book, so well that the whodunnit aspect almost becomes secondary.  I adored the stories of both Claire and suspected killer Clive, Schaitkin has a real talent for crafting complex characters and backstories.

This book is a slower pace of mystery, but that is what makes it such a great read.  As each layer unfurls you get more involved.  I love a book with depth, and this certainly has that.  One of my favourite reads of the year so far.

This book is unlike anything I have read before.

The story is about a luxury island that Alison and her sister who is besotted with her, Claire. 
Claire is 7 years old when Alison disappears and that memory stays with her forever. 

There are strong class privilege and racism issues in this book as two islanders are accused of being involved in the disappearance.

This novel switches seamlessly between narratives, including reports and autopsy findings and never misses a beat.

It is definitely more a of a slow burn but definitely worth sticking with.

I found this book absolutely incredible and will definitely be re reading!

The Thomas family from New York are very privileged and comfortably off. When daughter Alison is 18 and Claire(y) is 7 they go for a holiday to the beautiful Caribbean island of Saint X. Alison is attractive, clever, flirty and like so many of her age group, a boundary pusher. On the very last night of their holiday Alison goes missing and several days later is found dead. Although two local men - Edwin Hastie and Clive Richardson are arrested and they admit to being with her on her last night, they are released through lack of evidence. The family are understandably haunted by Alison’s loss and Claire, who changes her name to Emily, becomes obsessed with trying to find the truth about what’s happens to Alison. This takes over her life when she moves to New York to start her working life. The story is principally told from the perspectives of Claire/Emily and Clive who is also haunted by the past. 

The book is about the impact of loss on a family and others who are affected by it. We witness the different stages of the Thomas family’s grief, the changing relationships within the family and how it affects them. However, it goes deeper than that as it is also about race and racism, class differences between those who live on Saint X and those who vacation there and the stark comparison of their privilege. The racism may not be intentional but it is none the less present and this is thought provoking and uncomfortable. 

The parts of the book that I like the best are those on Saint X. The island and it’s people are beautifully described in language as languid as the visitors become. The sections which describe the family’s grief are very moving especially the impact on Claire as she feels like she lives in Alison’s shadow. As she grows older though I feel less connection because she stops living her life and lives vicariously though her obsession with finding her sisters truth. As we learn more about Alison I find I like her less and less. This is a real slow burner and at times I find the pace to be too slow and I’m unsure of the point of so much depth with Clive’s back story. That being said, it is an intriguing and worth while read. 

Overall, a powerful, well written and thought provoking read. 

Many thanks to NetGalley and Pan MacMillan for the ARC

Thanks to NetGalley and Pan Macmillan for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Saint X is not your typical thriller. It is far more than that. A literary mystery, maybe, but however we categorise this compelling novel, it is, without doubt, a tour-de-force of the imagination of its author, Alexis Schaitkin. The narrative begins with a murder of eighteen year old Alison on the idyllic island of Saint X. Intriguingly we are given a birds-eye view of events leading up to the death, and the location of the book's main protagonists, before and after the murder. It is at this point in the novel that Schaitkin really goes through the gears as the impersonal tone of the opening scenes takes a more personal turn. We are the privileged voyeurs in the first person narratives of a number of the main protagonists - most notably Alison's little sister, Claire. Years later Claire is in the back of taxi driven by none other than Clive, who was initially implicated in Alison's murder. The fortuitous meeting, urges Claire on to find out the devastating truth of her much adored big sister's murder. The narrative holds tight to the so-far enduring mystery of the identity of Alison's murderer, but it is the contextualisation of the murder and its aftermath that really elevates this novel about others of its type. Yes, we have an eminently satisfying mystery at the heart of story. This emphatically ticks the box for lovers of crime fiction, but Saint X has more to it than that. Schaitkin writes compellingly of the very really human consequences of violent crime on those left behind nursing their unending grief. The concentric circles of violence that social theorists and novelists have written so intimately of. Not exclusive to this panorama of loss and the consequences for individual identity, is the whole fetishization of murder that has spawned the genre of true crime. This morally ambiguous universe of serving up murder for entertainment is explored forcefully here, too. Yet again, one must think, if you are reading this book you are part of this cycle, too. Food for thought....

Sublime and brilliant. I have been waiting for a novel like this for a long time.

The resorts in the Caribbean often fall into a trap, by well-meaning but unobservant tourists, of being part of some indistinguishable mass, a ‘lovely nowhere,’ as Alexis Schaitkin terms in the opening of this literary mystery. Saint X, a fictionalised Caribbean island, is the generic paradise where the Thomases have escaped to for a week of rest and relaxation, with their two daughters – Allison, eighteen, and Claire, seven.

A privileged, white middle-class family, they revel in the hospitality of the island. They sip on endless cocktails and soak up guaranteed sunshine, revelling also in their rapport with the staff, the questions about the best places to get local cuisine that are painful in their self-consciousness. But in the lap of luxury, tragedy strikes. Schaitkin has atmospherically drawn out the paradisiacal setting to a point where it seems untenable. The beautiful, self-possessed older daughter goes missing, and her body is found a few days later.

Prime suspects in the case are Clive and Edwin, two local men who work at the resort and were seen with Allison the night she disappeared. But without solid evidence to convict, the men are released and the case turns cold.

Decades later, Claire – now going by the name Emily – is living in New York and working for a publisher. One day, she happens to get into the back of Clive’s cab. This chance encounter takes hold of her imagination, and leads her down a path of obsession with this man, her sister’s disappearance and a desperation to get answers.

‘We see so little of people. We forget how much submerged darkness there is around us at every moment. We forget until we are forced to remember.’

Through Allison’s death, Schaitkin explores the morally nebulous exploitation of murder for entertainment. When Claire begins to lift the lid on what happened to her sister, she discovers numerous documentaries, Reddit threads, conspiracy theories and even a guided tour on the island, exploring the last sites Allison was seen alive. Being witness to this shaping and reshaping of a narrative for titillation and curiosity’s sake, from the point of view of a loved one whose life has been forever altered by the tragedy, certainly gives food for thought about our current culture’s obsession with true crime as entertainment.

Claire hardly knew her sister, she realises, beyond the point of view as an adoring child in awe of her older sibling. It is through parts of the story told in Allison’s point of view – both real and imagined – that her layers are revealed to us.  Schaitkin explores the facets of our identity – race, class, family, tragedy – that makes us who we are. Because there is a part of Claire’s identity inextricably wound up in Allison’s life – and more precisely, Allison’s death.

‘At times, it could be very difficult to distinguish where my authentic pain over my sister’s death ended and where a performative emotionality, a giving over to the drama opened up by Alison, began.’

Pieced together between narratives from Saint X, New York, and across different characters and moments in time, Schaitkin stitches together the elements to form an immersive, visual and complex novel. This isn’t a fast-paced mystery, and the ending is not necessarily neat or satisfying. But it is a well-accomplished slow burn of a novel, interrogating important truths about how we see ourselves – and how the world sees us.

‘The longer he walked, the more the city receded, until the world around him rendered itself invisible and he began to hear water lapping against the edges of the metropolis, which became water lapping at the edges of another island, and then he was not walking through New York anymore, but through the landscape of that other world, that other life.’

Saint X starts off as the story of Claire, whose older sister dies on holiday on the Caribbean island of Saint X, but it ends up being so much more than that. As Claire grows older and adopts the identity of Emily, in an attempt to distance herself from her tragic past, she continues to question what really happened to Alison. When she happens to get a taxi driven by the man who served time in prison for her murder, she finally sees an opportunity to find out what happened.
Claire/Emily is a compelling character but it was Clive (the man accused of her sister’s murder) who really stood out to me. His story is just as tragic as that of Alison, and I felt Alexis Schaitkin did a beautiful job of weaving his story alongside Claire’s.
Schaitkin has a particular skill for creating an image that sticks with you- I was struck by her description of Claire entering her late sister’s bedroom and finding her mother sat alone in there, cradling a clump of hair pulled from a brush. These quiet moments of grief reflect painfully well the lifelong impact of such a tragic event.
I look forward to reading more by Alexis Schaitkin- this is an impressively accomplished debut.

Saint X by Alexis Scaitkin- ⭐️⭐️⭐️ I almost didn’t finish this one because the beginning was so weird. It started out being told  as a narrative of what everyone was doing up until the Alison’s Death. I finally got hooked when it switched to Claire/Emily’s point of view and was anxious to find out what really happened to Alison. I was horribly disappointed because sadly I never really did found out what happened to her. It was more about how the tragedy changed the life of everyone in the story. 

Claire is only seven when her older  sister, Alison  is found dead on the last day of their family vacation. Two locals who worked at the resort they stayed at were the prime suspects but after little conclusive evidence they are released and no one is formally charged. The island writes it off as a terrible accident. 
Claire never recovers from this. Along with her family she moves to California and begins going by her middle name, Emily. After college she moves to New York City where a chance encounter has her in the back of the cab driver by none other than one of the main suspects in her sister murder, Clive Robertson. She becomes obsessed with him and stalks him for many months until finally befriending him. She lets the rest of her life fall away, her job her friends and her family. But a once she has the chance to find out the truth will it bring her the closure she desperately seeks or will it change the way she sees everyone, including herself?

2.5 stars. The writing is a joy; lyrical and quotable, but the main character is a train wreck whose bad choices create most of her problems. Lots of uncomfortable situations that made me squirm .

This book makes you think.
It's a story that touches on the bond you have with siblings, even if circumstances beyond your control kept you apart.
Reading this makes you think about privilege and how we as individuals perceive it and how we judge others based on it.
If you are looking for a thought-provoking book with a solid and engaging plot then this one to add to your reading list.

DNF 30%

The missing/dead sister is a popular trope. There are countless of titles out there featuring this tired premise. Saint X promised to be something more...and in some ways it is. It seems more self-aware in that it questions why the dead girl is always white, pretty, and charming. But it also seems to be doing the same exact thing as all those other 'dead sister' books.

Sadly, I'm finding Alexis Schaitkin's writing style, her characters, and the forced satirical tone of her narrative to be incredibly aggravating.

Thanks to Netgalley and Pan McMillan for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

DNF @ 22%.

I thought this book would be great...a murder on a fictitious Caribbean Island. I love the Caribbean and an interesting location can add a star to a mediocre book. Nothing can help this one as far as I am concerned. I started this book 5 days ago, and have been sheltering in place that whole time. I have managed to make it to 22%. Even when I am busy, I can read a good book in a day or two. This book is extremely wordy, with pages and pages of description that are pointless and unnecessary. I hated the writing style and have come to the realization that even a good story and a conclusion, if there is one here, would be lost in all of the needless additional words. I hate to DNF, and rarely do it, but life it too short and too many other good books are waiting to be read. I'm done.

Character driven story line that was both thrilling and a bit creepy. Well deserved of all the hype. Looking forward to more from this author.

This was a gripping psychological thriller with a lot of mystery and suspense. I was really caught up with the mystery and enjoyed it but wasn’t very impressed with the ending and thought the book started to linger a little bit.  

It was interesting to see the different POV’s and the story is well written and touched really interesting subjects. It does go into a lot of details and it can be quite slow paced but still enjoyable. 

It is  thought provoking focusing on really interesting key points but the focus on the mystery of what happened  itself was a bit brought to second plan. 
The news parts were really interesting and gave it a kind of “true crime” sensation that I really enjoyed and they were probably my favourite parts. 

Overall, although it wasn’t my perfect read, this book is really interesting and well written with a story that will definitely make you think and I will still recommend it for fans of mystery and crime. 

I would like to thank Netgalley and Panmacmillan for the opportunity to read this book prior to its releasing date in exchange for an honest review

Saint X by Alexis Schaitkin is a complex and dark narrative about family, privilege and how the environment we grow up in shapes our thoughts and opinions.

The story of a girl searching obsessively for the truth about her murdered sister is beautifully told through the anguish and uncertainty of the main characters and it’s easy to empathise with them both. Their backstories were fascinating and the manner in which it was written created a deep, moving narrative of two very lost souls.

I did find some of the descriptions, especially in the second part of the book, very long. I thought these descriptive passages could have been shortened without affecting the mood or messages conveyed. 

Overall a beautiful story about tragic events and the detriment others’ actions have on our lives.

#netgalley #saintx #alexisschaitkin #panmacmillan

This was an excellent thriller by an exciting new author that really made me think. Impressive character development along with a fascinating storyline make this book a success.

Saint X is the best novel I have read in so long. When I wasn't reading it, I was just waiting for another window to dive back in. Alexis Schaitkin takes the tired trope of the beautiful dead girl, and twists it into a hugely compelling story, threaded through with difficult questions about the world we live in. You're drawn deeper into each character's inner world as they reflect on Alison's mysterious death. Each character is complex, believable and so well-crafted. The reader becomes hugely invested in Emily/Claire's quest to know and understand the man who might have killed her sister. Descriptions of both the Caribbean and New York landscapes are deeply evocative and richly drawn. This novel will hold onto your head long after you turn the last page, making you reflect on the ways we navigate privilege, on race in different contexts, and on the ways in which small choices and strong memories dictate so much of our lives.  I can't wait for this novel to reach more readers.

Some of this novel for me was pure brilliance, beautifully atmospheric with a melancholy feel that spoke well to the central theme of a loved one lost and an obsession with the truth.

Some of it was way too slow and there were a lot of times I found the main protagonist, Claire, inordinately irritating. So a bit of a mixed bag.

The opening that dealt with a missing girl on a paradise island was stunning. The voyeuristic viewpoint, the gentle, arching nuances that can mar perfection, the waiting and the hoping, then the horror of the worst discovery. At this point I fully expected to adore it. A different way of telling a classic story.

Then it was kind of like another writer took over in the middle part as it slowed down and meandered away for what felt like forever even though it's a short novel relatively speaking. Claire's obsession never really felt authentic and at one point I wondered if I'd finish it.

I'm glad I did though..as the novel entered its later stages the beauty and insightful prose returned- I'm not sure the resolution will completely satisfy that will be subjective, however the heart of it was very well done. A writer I would read again.

If the whole novel had held up the promise of the initial stage this would be a 5* rating from me- as it is a solid 3 tells the tale of my relationship with Saint X.

If you are looking for a fast paced crime or thriller read, then I would advise you to steer clear of Alexis Schaitkin's remarkable slow and considered character driven debut, a tantalising, acutely observed study of grief, loss, class, race, family, privilege, memory and obsession. 18 year old American Alison Thomas is holidaying with her family, her parents and 7 year old sister, Claire, on the fictional Caribbean island, Saint X, with its friendly locals, staying at The Indigo Bay Resort. The apparently confident, beautiful, athletic and flirtatious Alison goes missing, only for her body to turn up on a beach later. Two locals, Clive Richardson and Edwin Hastie, are arrested but with insufficient evidence, they are released and the mystery of Alison's death remains a mystery through the years.

The young Claire was close to Alison, her lovely sister was everything she wanted to be, she and her parents lives were left indelibly fractured and broken, with the tragedy of what happened to Alison receiving intense media attention in the US. The consequences led to the family moving from New York to Pasadena, California and in Claire's use of the name Emily. Many years later in New York, the 25 year old Claire coincidentally bumps into Clive. She has never been able to forget and let go of her beloved sister, haunted by her death, so she follows Clive, her desperate obsession driven by her need to know the truth and perhaps more pertinently her desire to get to know who exactly Alison was. As it soon becomes clear that there was far more to Alison than her limited childhood memories had led her to believe, Claire becomes disturbed by what she discovers.

Schaitkin writes a thought provoking novel, beautifully written, with heavy rich descriptions, although there are occasional jarring notes, essentially about the wide ranging repercussions on a surprisingly large number of people of Alison's death. The effects of grief and loss run so deep in her family, particularly the young Claire who grows up unable to ever get over losing her sister, which in turn leads to the unforeseen consequences later of her decision to enter Clive's life. This is a compulsive read, with themes that had me immersed in this impressive and memorable debut. Many thanks to Pan Macmillan for an ARC.