Stonemouth

And we're back.

Banks's recent contemporary novels have been rather disappointing. All too often his characters became mouthpieces for his polemic and vitriol about the current state of the world. So it is with great pleasure that I can say that Stonemouth is a resounding return to form.

Banks is on familiar ground here. A Scottish town, dark secrets, family feud and things left unfinished. But while The Steep Approach to Garbadale felt forced at times, Stonemouth is more fluid and is a much better story. The protagonist, Stewart Gilmour, returns home after five years away in London, having been run out of Stonemouth on the eve of his wedding to the love of his life, Ellie Murston, by her brothers. He's back for the funeral of Ellie's grandfather, Joe, but is soon warned off from even looking at Ellie in the wrong way by the Murston clan.

Stewart links up with old friends and there are a series of flashbacks that fill in the back story of the various characters. His first meeting with Ellie; teenage adventures involving the Murston brothers; the fateful events at a wedding reception, the week before his own, that led to him fleeing Stonemouth. All this is told in Banks's easy to read writing style and he moves the story along nicely over the weekend of the funeral, to the point where the shocking conclusion ties up the loose ends.

The characters are well drawn and you believe in them, which is always the sign of a good novel.

All in all I'd say this is his best contemporary novel since The Crow Road and I would recommend it to anyone who loves a good story, well told. Welcome back Mr Banks.