Candlemoth: A Thriller

By R.J. Ellory

With the verve and gift for gripping storytelling that made his previous books international bestsellers, R.J. Ellory returns with a dramatic saga of murder and retribution, set in the tumultuous 1960s. Daniel Ford and Nathan Verney were six years old when they first met by a South Carolina lake and became best friends against all odds—Daniel was white, and Nathan was black. Thirty years later, Daniel is convicted of Nathan’s murder, and he now faces the long, lonely walk to the electric chair. With time running out until his execution, Daniel tells a sympathetic priest his story, sweeping through first loves, Vietnam, and, finally, the pair’s flight from the draft, which ended in Nathan's brutal murder. A powerful vision of the American South in an age of upheaval, Candlemoth is a stunning suspense novel—and an unforgettable tale of lost friendship.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Penguin Group
• Release date: Apr 4, 2013
• ISBN: 9781468306415

Reviews for Candlemoth

[miyurose_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

“Four times I’ve been betrayed – twice by women, once by a better friend than any man might wish for, and lastly by a nation. And perhaps, truth be known, I betrayed myself. So that makes five.”R.J. Ellory always grabs me from the instant his story begins. This is the third of his novels I’ve read (the first he published), and each time I’ve been captivated by the opening lines.Candlemoth is the story of Daniel Ford, a young white man who grew up in the South Carolina of the 50s. From the beginning of the book, you learn that Daniel is on death row, awaiting execution for the murder of his best friend, a young black man named Nathan. And you get the feeling that Daniel is actually not guilty, and not just because he says he isn’t.What follows is Daniel’s recollection of his and Nathan’s life together, from their school boy days to the tumultuous times surrounding the Vietnam War, all the way to Nathan’s death. (Note: Coincidentally, while reading this I was watching Ken Burn’s Vietnam documentary, which helped me connect to the story even more.)“If I try to collapse this thing into one statement, like trying to synthesize the extent and scope of my life into one paragraph, it is really about nothing more than a friendship. My friendship with Nathan Verney was really the beginning and end of everything. It was with Nathan Verney that I discovered the world, and I cannot think of any significant event that occurred prior to his death that we didn’t share.”Theirs is a close and unusual friendship, in the days when the Ku Klux Klan still infiltrated the highest levels of society and white boys were not encouraged to play with their black compatriots. We see everything through Daniel’s eyes, both the past that he is recollecting to Father John Rousseau during the final days of his captivity and the present, as he tries to come to terms with his impending execution.“Maybe the closer you get to your own death, the nearer you are to the dead.”The final 15% of this novel is a master class. Ellory creates a palpable tension as Daniel’s execution date closes in and his own sense of time becomes more and more disoriented, until he is no longer sure when exactly he is going to die. Can he be brave in the end? Will he beg for his life? Will he feel forgiven, or forever condemned? I couldn’t put it down.The way the story wraps up was not completely unexpected to me — I had somewhat caught on to what was going on — but there were still some surprises in store. All in all, I found the ending very satisfying.If you enjoy character-driven crime stories, Ellory is the guy for you. I’ll say it time and time again.

[sushicat-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Daniel Ford sits on death row, all appeals have failed, the date is about to be set. The crime he is convicted for: killing his best friend. These last months he is accompanied by a priest, who gets him to tell his story. And so we learn about Daniel and Nathan, one white, the other black, growing up in small town South Carolina in the 50s and 60s, how they become aware of racial tensions and the Vietnam war and what it would mean for both their lives. And finally how Daniel came to be where he is.

Superbly written, it brings alive a time that feels much further away than it actually is. The characters are flawed and feel so very real. Loved this book.

[ozzer_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

The novel is tightly plotted and has an engaging and suspenseful story. The main characters are complex enough and well-developed, but others seem to be stereotypes of evil or good. The ending is quite suspenseful and handled well. However, several of the plot elements are not well resolved and some of the more interesting characters are not well developed. Is Schembri involved somehow in the events of the decade or just a paranoid conspiracy theorist? Why did Caroline leave? What kind of role did Linny’s father play in the events of the decade? Why did Danny not take a more active role in his own defense? What are Rousseau’s background and motivations? Likewise, Eve Chantry’s story and relationship with Danny seems to have been handled only superficially. Who were the two mystery men who committed the crime that Danny is facing death for?

[runner56_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

R J Ellory's books are about human nature and human emotion exposed....You cannot help but be touched and greatly affected by his writing long after the book is finished. What I find so powerful in this and other books is is depiction of childhood and how our childhood experiences stay and affect us all our lives. Candlemoth is about being on death row and the realization and inevitably of our own mortality, this is a great starting point to evaluate and make sense of our lives. Candlemoth is a beautifully written, constructed and paced novel and I urge you to read it as it may come some way in helping us all make sense of our own meagre existence!

[aka_fun · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I really did enjoy this book. Although, it took forever to read. Not the writer's fault, mine. The references to events -- Vietnam, Kennedy, Cuba, Kent State, drugs, free love, etc. -- kept bringing back memories. I'd find myself thinking about the time while my eyeballs just kept going. I was a little disappointed by the ending, but I don't know if I'd be happier if it ended differently.