The Optical Effects of Lightning

THE OPTICAL EFFECTS OF LIGHTNING is a high-concept psychological thriller combining gothic traditions with modern science. In the unusual case of a missing person, a classic tale of vengeance and obsession unfolds.

It has the feel of truth, but the resonance of a mad and desperate endeavour. In thrall to the transformative power of lightning, this quest, which comes to us in the form of a meticulously ordered case file, questions the divide between magic and reason, monstrosity and humanity.

When Matt discovers the disappearance of his lover Suhail, he realises Suhail has gone in search of his brother Saeed.

Suhail blames himself for a horrific childhood accident in which Saeed's face was disfigured during a lightning storm. He comes to believe that just as lightning separated them when they were young, so it can join them again, bringing them back together as one being – fused, reprogrammed and restarted.

While Matt urges the police to find him, Suhail seeks a reunion with his brother that could redeem – or condemn him.