‘Notes on an Execution’ seems to have been a book that I have seen around for a while and I always thought that it was a book I should try. So, when I was looking for something to start on my Kindle, I picked this, especially as a bookish buddy had been shouting about it on her socials for quite some time.
I am not sure I really know how to categorise this. It is a well-written piece of contemporary fiction, with a study of human nature, and nurture versus nature. But there are also some elements of a crime and thriller story along the way too. Essentially, this is a cross-genre book which is really quite thought-provoking and will stay with you even after you have long finished the final page.
We meet Ansel Packer as he is awaiting his execution. And, as the hours count down to the time of his execution, we find out what has led to that moment and who Ansel Packer really is, from the moment of his birth to the present. However, only the day of the execution is told from the point of view of Ansel, his actions that day and the emotions he has as the clock ticks by. The past is told by the women he had known, including his mother and the sister of his ex-wife. As this story unfolds, there are quite some twists along the way, and you wonder if the truth had been revealed sooner, in more than one sense, then the present may be very different.
I really enjoyed this slow burn of a novel; I enjoyed its study of character and how we found more and more about Ansel Packer, and what may have got him into the situation he is now in. I really enjoy a book that makes you think, as well as being a real page-turner. But I think what is best about this book is that you really find yourself considering human nature, and what really leads someone to become a serial killer.
I will certainly be recommending this book, especially to people who are fans of the books of Chris Whitaker, because there is a similar style to this book as there is to ‘We Begin at the End’ and ‘All the Colours of the Dark’. (Although I am not sure there are quite so many characters who you will feel some affection for – there is a slightly darker tone to this story.)
So, if you have let this book pass you by, or it is lurking on a shelf somewhere, then please pick it up and see what you think, because I certainly think it will start some conversations.