Alligators in the trees by Cynthia Hamilton
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The title of the book had me intrigued from the start and it is a line from one of the main characters songs that she has written. The story focuses on three main characters all of whom frequent Frank’s Coffee Shop on Manhattan’s Lower East Side. Priscilla Vanderpool works at the coffee shop as a waitress but her passion lies in music and song writing. She has written many insightful and haunting lyrics but she’s the only one who’s ever heard them. The Coffee shop is described as a ‘dingy hole-in-the-wall’ by paparazzi phobic Tobias Jordan who was a rock star in the 90’s, however it soon becomes a safe haven for him. The third main character is disgraced architect Philip Glessner who found Frank’s one day as he was trying to avoid reporters. Both Philip and Tobias keep returning to the shop as they both see something in Priscilla. To Tobias she becomes his unwitting muse and to Philip she is an improbable paragon of virtue, however neither see her for who she really is.
All three main characters are hugely likeable but each has their own demons that they are battling with which also makes them very realistic and relatable as characters. The novel is very character driven and the author has a way of making you become really immersed in their world and invested in their outcomes. It was the characters and the need to know their fates which had me hooked and turning the pages. It’s an original read and an interesting plot that all three are strangers but also connected via Frank’s and how this influences each one of their lives. It’s a rather lengthy book but it’s an easy read as the storyline has enough twists and unexpected moments to keep you guessing and the narrative flows along at a good pace.

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