The Source

By Sarah Sultoon

Narrated by Mofetoluwa Akande

Published by Orenda Books https://orendabooks.co.uk/

263 pages ISBN 9781913193591

Publication date 15 February 2021

I listened to the audiobook version produced by Audible Studios and released on 16 September 2021. This version is currently (i.e., October 2021) free to stream by Audible subscribers.

From the blurb

One last chance to reveal the truth…

1996. Essex. Thirteen-year-old schoolgirl Carly lives in a disenfranchised town dominated by a military base, struggling to care for her baby sister while her mum sleeps off another binge. When her squaddie brother brings food and treats, and offers an exclusive invitation to army parties, things start to look a little less bleak…

2006. London. Junior TV newsroom journalist Marie has spent six months exposing a gang of sex traffickers, but everything is derailed when New Scotland Yard announces the re-opening of Operation Andromeda, the notorious investigation into allegations of sex abuse at an army base a decade earlier…

As the lives of these two characters intertwine around a single, defining event, a series of utterly chilling experiences is revealed, sparking a nail-biting race to find the truth … and justice.

Synopsis

The blurb itself is a perfect synopsis to which I will not add to avoid spoilers.

My thoughts

When I first started to listen, I initially struggled with the narration which seemed a bit choppy to me, but after a couple of minutes I became attuned to the cadence and became absorbed in the story. The narration overall is very good and perfect as the younger voices which are the key ones in the story.

As a debut novel this is an impressive work and the author’s experience in major newsrooms is clear as she tells a compelling story with intensity which keeps the reader’s interest to the final page. Her first-hand knowledge gives the novel an authentic feel throughout, from the early undercover people trafficking sting to the national security protections. The story itself is nicely paced, the writing itself is taught and without excess or over embellishment.

The book has a dual timeline, Carly’s strand starting in 1996 which eventually catches up with Marie’s which is set in 2006. The historical setting becomes apparent as it coincides with major newsworthy events which are essential to the plot, but the story is essentially one of today, with its themes of abuse of power, exploitation, grooming, and people trafficking. The subject matter means that some scenes make for uncomfortable reading, but these dark themes are tackled with great sympathy and sensitivity.

The principal character Carly is portrayed as a strong and determined child/young woman who has been let down by her circumstances. Her mother has given up on life and can be found slumped in a stupor so Carly, even though only a schoolgirl herself, must be a stand in mother as well as big sister to baby Kayleigh. It is Carly who makes sure Kayleigh is fed and changes her soiled nappies, forming an unbreakable bond with her and finding a measure of comfort and solace in this relationship. She will do everything she can to make Kayleigh’s life better and protect her from the sordid world of exploitation that she has been dragged into to just to allow them to survive. Eventually her position is such that she is forced into making the only move she can make to protect Kayleigh, even if this is life changing for herself and at the expense of her best friend Rachael. The fact that Rachael, who is also a victim, becomes collateral damage down to the fact she is two years older doesn’t occur to her and is one of those real-life situations that are hard to acknowledge.

Marie is determined but is also damaged. Her problems with anxiety are laid bare as are the coping mechanisms she has adopted just to make it through each day. From burying herself in night-time shop work to progressing through the local newspaper to a busy newsroom is her strategy to keep her mind so busy she can blot out her past and her anxiety at bay. However, the resurfacing of Operation Andromeda causes her managed state of mind to start to unravel as parts of her past resurface and what she believed to be fact is not what it seemed. The passages where her mental health suffers, which anyone’s would who had gone through what Marie had done, are difficult but handled with care and empathy.

This is a novel that doesn’t pull its punches and is all the better for it. The ideas are bold but tackled with confidence and panache. The subject matter means there’s a necessary toughness to it but nothing is included for its shock value, so it is never insensitive.

If you are an Audible member then there is nothing to stop you listening to The Source, if you are not or just prefer reading then I would recommend getting a copy. This is an outstanding novel and I will definitely be looking out for Sarah’s next one, it has much to live up to.