PULLING STRINGS FROM BEYOND THE GRAVE
When acclaimed musician Ashten Geddard is killed in a mountaineering accident, his death will have a lasting impact on the people he left behind. To generations of fans Ash will always be the real deal: broody, enigmatic, complex, a genius song writer with a haunting voice, and an extraordinary gift for interpreting lyrics. His talent and premature death will ensure his rock immortality as a rock, but for those who knew and worked with him feelings are mixed.
Ash was a ruthless manipulator who deceived to get his own way and lied to enhance his reputation as a maverick. Hugo Bird, co-founder of their band Ashbirds, was aware of this from when they were teenagers. Although he admired Ash’s determination to be recognised as a person of exceptional ability, Hugo saw through the elaborate fib spinning that fooled everyone else. Yet it was that same “opposites attract” quality which threw them together and spurred their creative brilliance – even if the talent was largely one sided. Ash may have had the voice and good looks but it was Hugo who wrote the music and songs, although the credits were shared! Would the band have succeeded if the public had known the truth, or would the journey to fame have been more strung out because of it? The question never crosses Hugo’s mind, even twenty years after Ash’s death on Mount Everest, which he not only witnessed but for which he was blamed by both the fans and Ash’s girlfriend Elza.
Time may have moved on but Elza’s life hasn’t caught up. Although she reinvents herself as an artist, to the fans and media she will always be Ashten Geddard’s lover, the woman he would have married if fate hadn’t intervened. What Elza will never know is that Ash didn’t love her. She happened to be in the right place at the right time when she was scouted by his bodyguard who was ordered to find him a girl! Elza’s tragedy is that decades after his death, she is struggling to move on. In the social media whirlpool where fame is predicated on nothing while gossip is peddled as fact, Elza does her best to avoid the spotlight. When the TV and radio news report that Ash’s body may have been found, she retreats into a shadow existence of hiding behind closed doors or disguising herself to avoid the paparazzis lenses. Elliot, the IT contractor she meets in a client’s office, offers her a genuine alternative to media intrusion, music industry duplicity, and the burden of an unwanted “celebrity” status. Will Elza seize the moment, or are the bonds that tie her to Ash too strong to break?
Session musician Robert is the third player in the Ashbird’s drama, with a link that is both a curse and a blessing. When Ash asked him to work with him on a new album Robert jumped at the chance, reeled in by dreams of success and further collaboration – only for Ash to renege on the deal! The injustice of that moment is burned into Robert’s memory. Although he performed on the album, his songs were never recorded and his one consolation is the interest his career receives whenever Ash’s name hits the headlines.
Ever Rest, Roz Morris’s latest work, is a beautifully crafted book with an intricately told story that never flags. The characters are authentic while the atmosphere crackles with a strained uneasy calm, qualities skilfully used to explore the layers of a haunting, compelling narrative. Ashten Geddard may have had the Messianic appeal of Jim Morrison but unlike The Doors front-man, there were limits to his talent and without Hugo’s brilliance he might never have made the cut. They both knew it yet for Ash, who had fallen into the trap of believing his pop star persona, Hugo’s talent could feel like a weight around his neck. Ash needed him creatively but couldn’t bring himself to admit it, although his callous abandonment of Robert was the closest thing possible to an admission.
The Ash/Hugo relationship is the story backbone. Why did Hugo stay with Ash when he could have found success on his own terms? Why did he tolerate his selfishness, or take the rap for his casual cruelty? Hugo was more than just Ash’s musical partner he was also his protector, the reliable backstop who could be trusted to take control when necessary. It’s a role he never relinquishes and one to which he rises as rumours about the discovery of Ash’s body gather momentum. Hugo’s life could have fallen apart after the Everest tragedy, but it didn’t. His practical nature and all-round decency are his moral strength and his decision to live in Nepal, where he climbs mountains and donates his album royalties to charity, should be judged within that context. He has found a balance between using the music business for his own needs while keeping a distance from the greed, opportunism, and shallowness that underpin it.
Manipulation is the powerful thread that runs deep throughout the narrative. Ash’s ability to exploit his nearest and dearest continues beyond the grave, while the novel’s minor characters are ruthlessly chewed up and spat out by the business that made him. The shocking plot that’s hatched around the discovery of his body is further evidence of the industry’s mendacity. Robert is the instigator in chief who draws a reluctant Elliot into the conspiracy, although Elliot isn’t the only one being played. Elza, framed by the media as the tragic girlfriend who will never find peace while the love of her life is missing, is caught in a toe-curling schlock narrative that puts a premium on website clicks and album sales. The lesson isn’t lost on super fan and millionaire businessman Oliver Jared, who buys his way into the Ashbird’s story by funding their “comeback” concert. Backing a dead rock star will reap dividends for him, the record company and Robert’s career, which is poised to ride a wave of success.
Ever Rest is a novel that intrigues, outrages and even amuses with its wry shades of humour, subtle character observations, and the bitter sweet tone of its narrative. However it is more than just a scathing takedown of a ruthless, predatory industry exploiting the legacy of a dead pop star. This is also a novel about surviving trauma, the commoditization of grief, leaving the past behind, and learning to prioritize what matters. Ashten Geddard’s immortality is assured, as referenced by the pun in the book’s title, while those who knew him will be left in peace to reset their lives and embrace a future that nearly eluded them.
Reviewed by Juliette Foster
