An outstanding debut novel from author Sarah J Harris, The Colour of Bee Larkham’s Murder is an engaging murder mystery which throws you into the shoes of 13 year old Jasper Wishart; an autistic, parakeet enthusiast, who has both face blindness: the inability to recognise/remember faces and synaesthesia: the ability to bring every page within the book he inhabits to life, with rich visuals, for every distinct sound he hears (or, you know, he sees sounds as colours or something).

Don’t be fooled by the bright descriptions within The Colour of Bee Larkham’s Murder though, as behind there illusion, autistic Jasper stands at the centre of a noir-esque world, in which he is the leading witness to the murder of one Bee Larkham: the passionate femme fetale who lives across his road and whose actions and motivations are just as much of a mystery as her disappearance.

How is Autism Depicted in The Colour of Bee Larkham’s Murder?

As is to be expected by an author with a background in journalism, Harris has gone to considerable lengths when attempting to depict autism throughout her debut novel. This is something which she explained to me before I read the book:

‘I wanted to make my novel as authentic as possible. I was helped greatly by the National Autistic Society while writing the book and credited the charity in my acknowledgements. I also read up extensively on the subject, watched documentaries and went through research papers. I interviewed people with autism, including an autistic lady who also has synaesthesia and face blindness – I’m a freelance education journalist and have written about autism in the past – it’s a subject that interests me greatly’.

For anyone reading The Colour of Bee Larham’s Murder, it’s clear this research has paid off, as Harris brings a new perspective to overused clichés, resulting in standout moments where Jasper’s literal mind is not a joke at his expense, but something which he himself finds funny, laughing at the thought of having to ‘get something of his chest’ as he imagines the words ripping through his body like the iconic chest ripping scene from Alien.

Harris also makes some welcome new additions to the world of autism fiction, with a notable example coming early on when Jasper is vocal about his love of being ‘different’ – something which sets the tone for what quickly becomes an overwhelmingly positive portrayal of autism.

Jasper isn’t a flawless autistic representation however, as when reading The Colours of Bee Larkham’s Murder I became quite aware of how selfish he can be, rarely doing anything which doesn’t benefit himself in some way. For me, this is something which could easily be justified, given the fact that Jasper has few people in his story that he can trust but, as in the past I have seen many people take issue with autism being depicted this way, I thought it was a point worth raising.

Should You Read The Colour of Bee Larkham’s Murder?

Autism aside, The Colour of Bee Larkham’s Murder is a book which really comes out firing on all cylinders. The writing is fantastic, the plot never lulls and Harris does not shy away from pushing the stories darker themes when needed. This helps create real weight and real tension to some of the books more climactic moments, but it does mean I have to issue a warning for younger audiences or anyone who is easily upset.

Moving away from the plot though (for risk of spoilers) this book is no doubt one of the most well-balanced books I have ever read. It’s not uncommon to see a story featuring a split time narrative, however, I honestly can’t remember the last time I read a story in which both timelines were equally as captivating as they are in The Colour of Bee Larkham’s Murder.

The backwards and forwarding of the two plots gives Harris plenty of time to really develop each and every character within the book, and this method of storytelling is used to considerable effect when building up the mystery behind the mesmerising Bee Larkham herself.

This is a book which you are going to want to pick up for it’s incredible depiction of autism and one which will make you stay with it for its unique plot, complex characters and deep themes. The Colour of Bee Larkham’s Murder is currently out in hardback and audiobook.

Carry on the Conversation

That’s all I can say about this book today, but if you haven’t guessed already, I would definitely recommend you give it a read! Remember to come back and let me know what you think of it after checking out and for those who have already given it a read, let me know your spoiler free thoughts in the comments below.

As always, I can also be found on Twitter @AutismRevised and via my email: AutisticandUnapologetic@gmail.com.

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Thank you for reading and I will see you next Saturday for more thoughts from across the spectrum.