A synopsis
Young Finn moves into a new shared flat in London – and finally seems seems to have fallen on his feet. Going to a party with his new flatmates he meets Anne, who (to his surprise) seems just as in to him as he is her. In fact, everything would be grand if it wasn’t for the funny turns and creepy dreams that seem to plague him. And who are these oddball squatters hanging around who seem obsessed with raising Brixton’s lost river Effra?
As Finn’s relationship with Anne deepens so do his obsessions. Full of ambitious new plans, and with the pressure piling on, an awful ancient presence from beneath London threatens to tear Finn’s new world apart.
And a deeper look…
Effra is a story about people like you and me. People who live and love, for a time, in the grand old city of London. People who are just passing through…
But it’s also about London itself. The place as a person. Who would London be if it were alive and thinking? A good person, or a grim?
And beneath it all, Effra is also about the lost rivers. Because this part is true (if nothing else): London was once home to dozens of fine rivers, all flowing in to the wide old Thames. Over time London was built around them – and then over top of them. But they’re still there. They truly are.
Fleet Street? The Fleet river. Wandsworth? The Wandle. Holburn viaduct? A viaduct over the Oldburn river. And of course the Effra, flowing still beneath Brixton’s Effra Road.
The names are still there, and the waters are too – worming beneath the city, emptying into the Thames and passing slowly out to sea. Yet something was lost to London, a long long time ago, when its sparkling country streams were bricked over, buried.
And loss changes you…
As Peter Ackroyd put it, in London: The Biography: “It has always been said that enchantment is bought in the burying alive of great waters, yet the purchase may be a perilous one.”
What readers say about Effra
“Effra’s a unique book. It starts off as fairly light reading, a sort of quirky romance, but then it develops this unexpected menace – a sort of ambiguous anxiety under the surface which builds and builds until the finale when everything goes bonkers. Also loved how obscure facts about London’s history are seamlessly woven into the story. Really well written.”
– Ben Tutty
“Good grief! Thank heavens I’ve finished it and can breathe again! As some other reviewers have said, this is kind of a slow burner. But in a good, engaging way. I felt I was quite a way through the book thinking ‘where is this going to go, or maybe we’re just on a really curious meander and something a bit different,’ but the excellent writing and character development kept me keen to find out either way. Then things started getting weird in the story and it really started ramping up, at which point I just wanted to keep reading and find out what was going to happen, heart-in-mouth at times. I can’t think that there was anything I didn’t like about this book.”
– Naomi M
“A somewhat peculiar and quirky love story filled with anxiety, menace and a very atmospheric tone. Greg masterfully guides us through the streets and underground of London with seamless, flowing and skillful wordcraft. A very engaging read that will put you in a seat as you ride “The Underground” or “Tube” around London; and you will hear the clickety-clack of the rail; or the muffled noises and discussions taking place in the local pub. Greg has the ability to let the reader take a part in the experience and makes you take participation in many of the activities. I haven’t done drugs or had a drink in many years, but whilst reading this book I revisited those experiences from my past and was quite drunk in my imagination.”
– William B