Reviewing Gavin Collinson's 'An Accident in Paris'

The first in Gavin Collinson's Marc Novak series, An Accident in Paris is a conspiracy thriller that follows one man's journey to discover the truth about the death of a beloved princess, 25 years after her passing.

‘The internet is awash with details about Diana and, given time, anyone can get to know her better than they could a close friend or family member. The problem is, the ‘facts’ about her are often contradictory.’

This August marks the twenty fifth anniversary of Diana, Princess of Wales' passing. Collinson's novel uses the events surrounding her death in 1997 as the foundation for his fictional tale that follows private investigator Mark Novak, who, after being hired by two strangers, becomes devoted to uncovering the truth about what happened in Paris on the night Diana died. As we travel with Novak and 'his ragtag bunch of allies' to a multitude of places and meet the people who Novak believes might hold the answers to the mystery, Collinson explores 'the contradictions, inaccuracies, cover-ups, mysterious deaths and unanswered questions that were triggered by that tragedy in Paris'.

I was delighted to receive a copy of Collinson's novel from Wellbeck Publishing and EDPR, and I am excited to be taking the fourth spot on the blogger's tour, hosted by EDPR.

An Accident in Paris stands out amongst the thrillers I have read for being truly fast-paced and gripping. With short, concise chapters, many of which close on cliff hangers, you reach the end of each one as keen as ever to read on to find out what is to come. This fosters a sense of momentum and pace that matches the way the novel takes unexpected twists and turns as Novak comes up against unanticipated barriers whilst on his mission.

One aspect of the novel that really stands out as I reflect on the reading experience is the relationships Collinson builds between his characters. There is something to be said about how the characters work together towards a shared goal, even if those relationships have been tainted with tension or animosity in the past. I particularly enjoyed meeting Gerry and Frank, as well as the dynamic between Novak, Precious and Cy, the parts of the novel when we see them interacting made for light-hearted and, at times, comedic relief within a plot that is fractured by violence, death, and mystery.

The character building in this novel is also particularly commendable. Collinson portrays certain characters so touchingly that when they depart from the story you feel a sense of regret and sadness. More than anything, however, we see how necessary and poignant these relationships are for Novak in his journey to encouraging the truth, and how important putting faith in those who are willing to support you is.

Equally, however, Collinson's novel is interested in who we cannot trust. We learn to remain wary of characters we are introduced to as we progress through the novel, after we are repeatedly caught unawares by characters whom Novak thought trustworthy but who subsequently show a sinister side to their motives; you will have to read the novel to find out which characters I'm referring to.

“It’s 2022. No one’s interested in the truth anymore. Broadly speaking, the truth is irrelevant. At best, truth has become a niche commodity.”

Perhaps the most thought-provoking conversation around trust in this novel, however, is the one that considers the trust we place in truth, or what is sold to us as truth. The novel opens a broader conversation about what we are told, what we believe, and what people want us to believe.

Within his fiction, Collinson highlights the inconsistencies within Operation Paget, the Metropolitan Police's investigation into Diana's death. As we see Novak delve deeper into the materials, anecdotes and evidence surrounding the events, he illuminates how 'so many authorised statements surrounding the deaths of Diana, Dodi Fayed and Henri Paul are contradictory - not just in that slightly 'off' manner that differing recollections will often engender, but on a dizzying, staggering scale'. The novel raises our interest in why there are so many disparities across the attempts to explain the events of Diana’s passing, which reminds us that, though fictitious, the plot is grounded in an urgency to eliminate the conspiracy theories and discreditable lines of enquiry surrounding her death and instead encourage us to re-evaluate our understanding of events.

In seeing how our understanding might be based upon blurry and confusing narratives, we close the book feeling somewhat unsatisfied that the mainstream narrative surrounding the Princess’ death seems to have obscured the truth, yet simultaneously satisfied in our (perhaps newfound) understanding of the problems that lay at the root of the initial investigation. This balance ultimately provokes us to recognise that what we think we knew about the fatal car accident of August 1997 might not be the whole story. Is Mark Novak successful in achieving clarity? Grab a copy of the book to find out.

“It was twenty-five years ago.’

‘You think justice has a sell-by date?”

The idea of a ‘sell-by date’ is where I wish to leave this review. By casting a fictional lens onto true events, the emotions surrounding which continuing to reverberate as notably today as they did twenty-five years ago, Collinson’s novel symbolises the profound influence Diana had on the world. His characters’ recognition of how remarkable and unique a person Diana was shines through in their determination to seek justice where they believe it has not been served, and the novel is testament to the fact that people across the world continue to think about and reflect upon who Diana was and the legacy she has left.

If you would like to hear more about An Accident in Paris, you can enjoy the reviews of my fellow bloggers and bookstagrammers over the coming days.

An Accident in Paris by Gavin Collinson is out now, published by Welbeck in paperback, priced £8.99.

Image provided by EDPR.