A young man refurbishes suburban homes, lives with his mother and sister, becomes obsessed with a garden nymph statue and then dangerously infatuated with its living lookalike. This relationship is emotional, erotic and vampiric, with him as the victim

Every sentence is appallingly, shockingly convincing . . . a memorably harrowing journey through sick and weak minds, written with a skill that makes it relentlessly gripping

To read her at her best - and The Bridesmaid is perhaps her best book - is like stepping on to a trundling country bus and feeling it turn into a roller coaster

If Ruth Rendell were not slotted into the category of writer of mystery novels, she would have won the Booker long ago

Ruth Rendell, like all the great creators of crime fiction, keeps her pact with the reader. There’s a murder mystery, there are clues, there is a solution. It’s a very satisfying read

Child's writing is both propulsive and remarkably error-free, and he's expert at ratcheting up the tension... the folks he deals with consistently underestimate him....You want to scream at them, 'This is Jack Reacher for pity's sake, he'll eat you for breakfast!' He will, you know, and that's why we keep coming back for more

A real cracker that keeps the reader involved from start to finish

One of the most suspenseful sequences Child has written yet... the kind of patriotic vigilante fantasy a lefty can love. There's no doubt Reacher is kicking butt for democracy

Restless drifter Jack Reacher... invariably gets himself in to the kind of trouble that mkaes you wish Child's publisher printed his books on waterproof pages so you don't have to stop reading them after you've stayed up all night and have to take your morning shower. Child really is that good at heroic suspense writing

Reacher is [Raymond Chandler's] Marlowe's literary descendant, and a 21st-century knight - only tougher. This is the 13h book in Child's terrific series, and it's the most provocative and thrilling one yet... the summer's best thriller

Civilised, funny, life-affirming and hugely enjoyable

Brilliantly detailed and unexpectedly funny

Perceptive and engaging

Murder, mystery and Atkinson's skill make for an atmospheric and moving story

Funny, furious fourth novel rumbustiously drives a path through the genre of detective fiction, demolishing its careful, forensic summation of human behaviour and replacing them with bloody, believable, vigorous tales

Vivid, multifaceted... Case Histories manages to be such an ultimately joyful novel.. I found myself captivated throughout by the vivacity and big-hearted humour... skilled juxtaposition

Not just the best novel I have read this year...but the best mystery of the decade. There are actually four mysteries, nesting like Russian dolls, and when they begin to fit together, I defy any reader not to feel a combination of delight and amazement. Case Histories is the literary equivalent of a triple axel. I read it once for pleasure and then again just to see how it was done. This is the kind of book you shove in people's faces, saying 'You gotta read this!

So well-written...Everyone who picks it up will feel compelled to follow it through to the last page.

Her best book yet...a tragi-comedy for our times.'

'A greedy feast of a story by a masterful author ... Will stay with you for a long time after you have finished reading it. '

'Civilised, funny, life-affirming and hugely enjoyable. I can't recall reading crime fiction quite like this before- honest, ironic, and cheerfully unselfconscious. I urge you to share my surprise and delight.'

One of the most brilliantly playful, witty and original writers we have.

'At heart a comic novelist, who explores the relationship between comedy and crime... In Case Histories, these skills have found their literary home.'

'Sharp humour, together with a number of unexpected twists, make this a typically pacey and intelligent read.'

Not just the best novel I have read this year...but the best mystery of the decade. There are actually four mysteries, nesting like Russian dolls, and when they begin to fit together, I defy any reader not to feel a combination of delight and amazement. Case Histories is the literary equivalent of a triple axel. I read it once for pleasure and then again just to see how it was done. This is the mind of book you shove in people's faces, saying 'You gotta read this!'