A ‘gambit’ is a plot device in a novel where a character makes a calculated move to achieve a goal. The Gatsby Gambit by Claire Anderson-Wheeler has many.
The year is 1922; the place: Long Island, New York State. Greta Gatsby is 21 years old and has been away at finishing school.
She arrives home to find her brother, Jay Gatsby, has guests. Some are staying for a few days; a couple are staying longer as their own house close by is being renovated.
A glittering dinner party is held to welcome Greta’s return. In the morning, one guest is dead. It is thought to be a suicide but the autopsy throws up what the police inspector calls anomalies. The suicide could be a murder.
Greta decides to investigate to determine if it is a crime and, if so, to find the perpetrator. A dangerous decision as the murderer is probably in Gatsby Mansion and will be watching Greta’s every move.
Readers familiar with F Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby will recognise the names of many of the characters. I don’t recall a sister, seven years younger, though.
I have two reservations with this debut novel: the pace needed a boost now and again, and the finale was too drawn out. This is a character study rather than plot driven with surprises squeezing through whenever glamour, betrayal and desire take a breather.
Reviewed by Clive Hodges
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
You’ll often find me writing in Brown University’s beautiful library or in the wonderful Providence Atheneum, or tapping away in my home office. When I’m not at work, you might find me exploring the histories of forgotten eras, getting lost in a vintage mystery novel, re-arranging my bookshelves, daydreaming over a cup of Early Grey, or exploring Rhode Island and its environs with my husband, an artist currently at the Rhode Island School of Design.
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