I first read this as a college student (Form 5 /6 -1974 Taihape College) as it was part of our literature studies which focused on NZ authors. As students, we read a lot of Maurice Gee and I remember that I struggled to build up mental images from the text to assist comprehension of storyline. I could not determine if the father or brother was the perpetrator of the affair with the young girl, who our teacher described as somewhat promiscuous. All I remember from that time (1974) was that it started with a lie, ended with a lie and learnt the sayings “Truth will out” “Sins of the father are those of the son”. I also learnt words such as pious, sanctimonious, promiscuous, puritanical, immoral so in a sense our literature studies served the purpose of learning language although at that time I really had no idea what this meant apart from ‘To thy self be true”.
So when this story was recently televised (2024) it evoked memories of my English Studies and a favourite teacher, Mr Ivan Lawson who instilled in his students a love of reading (I got the bug). I thought I would watch it on stream feed to make sense of it as I cannot find a copy of the book.
Surprisingly, as an adult, it was much easier to digest I found that I had a better understanding of the storyline and characters. I felt the film filled in my lost understanding of the storyline, although different in some aspects of who and where events took, place I understood the dysfunctional life that the main protagonist, Paul Prior lived. It became clear that the father was not all he seemed (sanctimonious) and was somewhat depraved and that the den was a hideaway for his depravity.
The story is about Paul Prior who returns home to help his brother Andrew sort out his late father’s affairs. Paul, a well-known war photographer, has no intention of hanging around too long as he is haunted by his past and the knowledge of what happened in his father’s den.
As a young boy discovers his father’s den (a gardener’s equipment shed at the back of the large home with rambling gardens and orchard) and views it as a wondrous world of books and the universe. His father, Jeff shares this wonderful hideaway, with his son Paul on the condition he does not tell anyone else.
The father, Jeff, constantly seeks solace in his den, away from his puritanical wife, Iris; here he can fuel his love of literature and freethinking.
As teenagers, Paul and local girl Jackie (somewhat more adventurous than Paul) are schoolyard sweethearts. Going to the house to see Paul, Jackie is invited into the den by Jeff, it is here that intimate touching and eventually a sexual affair takes place. Ultimately, this illicit affair is witnessed by Paul and exposed. Grief-stricken and betrayed, Iris (wife & mother) commits suicide, while Paul, ignoring the pleas of Andrew, leaves the family home at the age of 17.
The story is an entanglement of lies and deceit, which become known as Paul reluctantly, prolongs his stay to sort out the sale of the family property and orchard.
Persuaded by his ex-teacher, Paul accepts a temporary teaching position at his old high school. He forges an unlikely friendship a student, Celia, they intrinsically connect; Celia is a troubled teen who loves writing and dreams of travelling. Celia is the daughter of Paul's former girlfriend Jackie. Paul begins to believe that Celia maybe his daughter, and becomes a father figure with Celia seeking solace at Paul’s, where she is also introduced to the wondrous literary den.
This relationship, between teacher & student, eventually comes under scrutiny, Jackie forbids Paul from having contact with her daughter, while Andrew voices judgmental concerns to his brother. Despite this, Celia continues to visit and Paul encourages her in her ambitions as a writer.
Celia goes missing and due to their close friendship, Paul becomes the prime suspect and endures the hostility and suspicions of the town including family. However, all comes to light through parallel storylines.
After viewing illicit photos of Celia on Andrew’s office desk and knowledge of Jeff’s will, Andrew’s jealous wife, an enraged Penny accidentally killed Celia. She believes that her husband Andrew was having an affair with Celia and when Celia visits the house looking for Jonathon an incensed Penny fights with Celia who falls and smashes her head. Andrew returns home to discover the tragedy and covers up to protect his distraught wife by dumping Celia’s body.
Paul confronts his brother Andrew for confiscating the camera that he gave to his nephew, Jonathon (Andrew’s son). Paul learns from the confrontation that Celia infatuated Jonathon as Andrew produces illicit photos of Celia taken by Jonathon. It is revealed that Andrew invited Celia, to the house to preview his late fathers will in which Jeff had left a third of the estate to Celia this reveals that Celia is the biological daughter of Jeff through the illicit affair with Jackie. The brothers angrily discuss the past transgressions of their father. ‘The sins of the father are those of the son’ and Paul believes that Andrew may have been responsible for the missing Celia. Jonathon, behind closed doors, witnesses this confrontation, irate and wanting justice for his missing love, he rings the police to also believing that his father killed Celia.
To protect his family Andrew takes eh blame and is arrested while his brother Paul tries to erase the past. He razes the den and reconciles his friendship with Jackie where they seek solace in each over the loss of Celia. ( )

After living away for many years, Paul Prior has returned to the small New Zealand town he grew up in to teach at the local school. He takes particular interest in Celia, one of his students, and lends her books and helps her with her studies outside of class time. Not surprisingly, when Celia is murdered, Paul becomes the prime suspect. Despite this bare bones plot summary, this is not really a crime novel. Gee writes beautifully, and moves back and forth over time--as the novel considers Paul's difficult childhood, how he deals with the accusation and suspicions of the town, his current relationship with his more successful brother.

Recommended.

3 1/2 stars ( )

When Celia Inverarity is murdered, her mentor and English teacher Paul Prior becomes the initial suspect. Set in suburban Auckland, the novel follows Paul as he deals with both the accusation and the devastating loss of his protégé (and perhaps inappropriate love interest.)

Woven into the narrative are flashbacks to Paul's tumultuous childhood, where he and his father are in constant conflict with his mother and brother, for reasons mostly related to religion. The den referred to in the title is a secret poison shed where his father keeps shelves of books and art works not allowed in the house by the pious matriarch (stuff like Walt Whitman.) Paul's early introduction to the den changes the course of his life and shapes the man he is to become.

I'm not sure what to compare this to (I guess "literary mystery" is the best description), but it's poignant, lovely, and quietly suspenseful and creepy. It's a moving portrait of the father/son bond and an in-depth exploration of the forces that quietly tear a family apart and scar it forever. On top of that, it's a compelling mystery that will keep you turning the pages. Loved it! ( )