Bright Objects by Ruby Todd

 I don't temember where I got the recommendation for this book. But, I must have since I had it put on Hold at my library and now that it is overdue, I am getting reminders from the library that I cannot renew it since it is on hold for someone else. Why is it overdue and still have not returned it? I will get to it.

The author Ruby Toddd has a PhD in writing and literature, and it shows! The writing is certainly Piled Higher and Deep.  The boook is 1% story and 99% atmosphere-building and emotion-describing. the background just goes on and on for pages. You feel like saying, "Please stop, already!". Often, I skipped paragraphs without missing the story-line. But, some people liked it. So, what can I say! Praise for the book on the back of the jacket include words like, - mesmerizing, profound tale of obsession, immence grace and beauty, gripping, thrilling ....

The story is tied to the arrival of a bright comet in the southern Australian sky. (The author is from Melbourne, Australia.) Sylvia's husband of two years, Christopher, is killed in a hit-and-run car accident at a time that coincides with the initial detection of the comet. Sylvia is convinced that the driver of the car that hit them was a local policeman who happened to also run his car into a tree not too far from the accident location about 15-20 minutes later. Sylvia is concinced that he did this on purpose to hide the damage to his car caused when he hit Sylvia's car.  Also, other potential witness claims not to recall anything and Sylvia is convinced that the witness was paid off by the cop. Sylvia is obsessed with trying to run her own investigation to bring justice, hence the suspense, and also deciding to end her own life when the comet reaches its maximum brightness, hence the "literary mystery that describes a profound tale of obsession".

Sylvia meets Theo St John, after whom the comet is named because he was the first astronomer to discover the comet. A parallel storuy that is woven with Sylvia's is that of Joseph, a local cult-leader, who is obsessed with the comet. Joseph sees the arrival of the comet as a devine sign that anyone who dies at the time of the maximum brightness of the comet will reach a higher dimension of the universe.

One does get sucked into the stories and wants to know how all this is going to end. I did and slogged through all the pages and pages of prose to reach the end of the novel. I guess, that is what an author wants. Would I recommend it? Meh. If you think you can get through the "literary prose", knock yourself out.