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Reviewed by Asher Syed for Readers' Favorite
In Angel in Tobago by Tim Bartholomew, Gabriel starts his day with household tasks and marital tension before being called to Ticehurst, Sussex by his uncle Neville. After meeting Neville and solicitor Max Gibson, Gabriel travels to Tobago. At Neville’s estate, Shurland, Gabriel learns from Lily Pitt that Neville plans to sell the property. Discussions of local folklore about slave rebellions and ghosts, later followed by hallucinations and disorientation, an education on "the Phantom" and the practice of Obeah from Lily, do little to help Gabriel find his footing. He admires the estate’s beauty and considers an eco-lodge project, but faces pressure to agree to a sale from a hotelier. After an encounter with a poisonous tree and confrontations involving a local gang and a drunken officer, Gabriel discovers a dead body during a meeting with Janice and Pablo, who suggest it is really a warning.
Tim Bartholomew delivers a multitude of visual and sensory experiences in Angel in Tobago, and every single one is absolute perfection. It's remarkable to witness Gabriel's transformation, particularly as he flounders with his own faith and the notion of spiritual experiences. There is a delicious scene where he is present for an exorcism in, of all places, a ruined slave quarters, and he questions, “Was there any real difference… between the belief system in which I had been educated and that of these Tobagonians?” The greatest mastery is in the dialogue and character interactions, which give deep insight into multiple personalities by their distinct voices, their individuality, and the dynamics between them. Bartholomew writes literary fiction that is packaged in a suspenseful plot with paranormal vibes; but make no mistake, this is human to its core, and a thrill to read. Very highly recommended.
