Impressive and courageous ... Rendell's psychological and social insights are so absorbing, it's easy to forget what a superb plotter she is. As a mystery, Simisola is exceptional ... pace, surprise, tension and a climax of stunning unexpectedness

Probably the greatest living crime writer in the world

The most brilliant mystery novelist of our time

A superb storyteller with a gift for provoking controversy

Greene had the sharpest eyes for trouble, the finest nose for human weaknesses, and was pitilessly honest in his observations... For experience of a whole century he was the man within

One of the joys of this novel is that it reminds us of his strengths as a story-teller... It is an exploration into the fragility of a conscience, a tale of how memory and imaginings can make madmen of us all

We're used to tough cops with non-PC attitudes, but Welsh trumps the lot with his evil-scheming, ball-scratching, foul-mouthed hero-with-haemorrhoids... Welsh's jet-black comedy at once entertains and appals... Gloriously grotesque

A superior, deeply satisfying thriller

A fast-paced and unsettling story ... A compelling and fluid read

The writing is lean and mean, and the climax will blow you away

Compelling

a taut, mystical thriller and a thoughtful meditation on humanity

Burnside's story uses suggestion and ambiguity rather than explicit statement, but has the power that comes from leaving plenty of space in which the reader's imagination can go to work

remarkable, genre-defying...Glister is a remarkable book...a fusion of styles and genres, and it succeeds magnificently on those terms...powerfully imagines and beautifully written...A haunting tale, not as depressing as you might expect, and highly recommended

Writing 'this dreamy melange of gritty urbanism with poetic crime puzzler, will appeal to the right reader very highly

A dark fable

Burnside's writing conveys an almost palpable thrill of discovery, a delight in the play of his imagination over this bleak terrain, an irrepressible joy in cultivating metaphor after metaphor and seeing them all, improbably, bloom...The emotion this brilliant and disturbing novel leaves you with is like the spooked feeling Leonard experiences...It takes your breath away, but you don't know if that comes from awe or terror. The Glister" is that kind of story. It's terrifying, and it feels like a gift.

I'm a year late (quite punctual, for me) in recommending John Burnside's austerely poetic novel