Rebecca Starford – The Imitator (Literature Review)

While attending boarding school in England, Evelyn Varley quickly realises that its best to fit in than stand out. So she becomes a chameleon, hiding herself in order to adopt the attitudes of her schoolmates. At any other time, this skill would be just a quirk of her personality, but when she graduates from Oxford in 1939, it’s an enviable skill that sees her embark on a career as a spy with MI5.

And her latest mission is a deadly one. At the height of the war, she must ally herself with a group of Nazi sympathisers to gain vital information about impending attacks. But lying for a living takes an emotional toll on Evelyn and when her past seems to catch up with her, she must question where her true loyalty lies: with her nation or with those she loves?

This is the crux of Australian author Rebecca Starford’s new novel, The Imitator. Part historical fiction, part thriller, it examines human relationships in a volatile time in history: when people were forced to question everything they thought they knew to be true.

Starford has made something of a name for herself in the Australian publishing industry. The long-time publisher of Kill Your Darlings has already found success with her 2016 memoir Bad Behaviour (which was long-listed for the Indie Book of the Year Award in the non-fiction category, and is currently being adapted into a TV series). So, it was really no surprise that early reviews of The Imitator have been nothing but positive.

As a fan of historical fiction, I fell in love with The Imitator almost immediately. Not only is the premise of this book intriguing, the characterisation of Evelyn as The Chameleon was superb, as we followed her through the emotional rollercoaster of her life as a spy for MI5, and the pressure that placed on her relationships not only during the war, but after it as well.

Through Evelyn’s eyes we come to realise that disaster affects everyone differently, and until you’re placed in a certain situation, you can’t always predict your reaction. It’s human nature.

But what I enjoyed most about this book was the flashbacks and various time periods that the story focuses on. The Imitator follows Evelyn from her schooldays all the way through to the late 1940s as she’s trying to find where she belongs in the aftermath of World War II.

Dual timelines are not something you see in your typical thriller, but when you add the historical fiction element to it, it just works. Rather than take away from the fast-paced thriller aspect of the novel, the changes in timeline add to it, and at times, enhances our character’s need for answers. Without them, I don’t believe The Imitator would be anywhere near as enthralling.   

And the fact that Starford was able to manage the historical fiction thriller crossover with these varying timelines, without showing a shred of her research in the process is a credit to her writing ability.

The Imitator is an engaging, fast-paced historical fiction thriller that will delight readers of many genres. If you haven’t read it yet, you should.

This book is out now through Allen & Unwin. To find out more about the books they publish, visit their website.

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This review is part of my Spotlight on Australian Authors series. If you’ve missed any of the featured articles, click the image below.

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