The Colour of Bee Larkham's Murder - Sarah J. Harris

Whatever happens, don’t tell anyone what you did to Bee Larkham…

Jasper is not ordinary. In fact, he would say he is extraordinary…

Synaesthesia paints the sounds of his world in a kaleidoscope of colours that no one else can see. But on Friday, he discovered a new colour – the colour of murder.

He’s sure something has happened to his neighbour, Bee Larkham, but no-one else seems to be taking it as seriously as they should be. The knife and the screams are all mixed up in his head and he’s scared that he can’t quite remember anything clearly.

But where is Bee? Why hasn’t she come home yet? Jasper must uncover the truth about that night – including his own role in what happened…

Blurb taken from Goodreads.

*

I had never actually heard of this novel when my boyfriend gave it to me randomly one day. He had spotted the secondhand book and thought it sounded like something I would like! And I have to say, the idea really did intrigue me. 

As soon as I started reading, I was reminded of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, but this book was obviously intended for a more mature audience. It is a lot darker, and takes far longer to get your head around. It took me longer than I would have liked to get into the book, but when I did, I really appreciated the depth of the story, and especially the different perspective through which to follow it. I'd recommend The Colour of Bee Larkham's Murder to anyone looking for a unique murder mystery, or who wants to read about the world of someone who lives with autism.

Rating: ✫✫✫✫

 The Story

The Colour of Bee Larkham's Murder jumps straight into the middle of the story, and it is incredibly difficult to get your head around. I spent quite a long time trudging through, and hoping it was going to get a little more straightforward, or a little more enticing. I think the main problem is that we switch back and forth between the past and present intermittently, and with no warning. It was a little bit disconcerting to be constantly working out what part of the story I was actually reading. This wasn't helped by the plot moving so incredibly slowly for the first 100 pages or so! I can appreciate that this was, in some ways, necessary, because as a reader we needed to understand the way Jasper sees the world in order to appreciate the journey. However, it did feel a little excessive.

Nonetheless, the book steadily improved, and I thoroughly enjoyed what was to come. Despite my initial misgivings, I thought the way the murder was pulled together from all angles was actually very clever, and also very indicative of Jasper's perspective. He evidently does not see the world in one single line of events, and this was actually a very clear portrayal of Jasper's state of mind as he tries to process what he knows.

Ultimately, the beauty of the story does lie with Jasper. I've never read a story told through colour, or one that dealt with the subject of autism so honestly and sensitively. I appreciated learning about the way Jasper reacted to the trauma he experienced. The actual murder mystery, absolutely fine though it is, isn't what is so remarkable and enjoyable about this book. Instead, it provided a central story round which we could really get to the heart of Jasper's story.

The Verdict

I'll be honest, this isn't necessarily a quick or easy read, and I found it a bit of a chore to get into. However, if you are able to stick with it, you should.

The beauty of The Colour of Bee Larkham's Murder is in the narrator: Jasper. We see the world through his, truly unique, perspective, and that really carries the different details of the story in a powerful way.