Author:Tim Parks
Bored and broke, Morris Duckworth, an English teacher in Verona, stumbles on a plan for financial salvation – to marry Massimina, one of his lovelier students.
And if his intentions are frustrated by a suspicious, conservative family, is it any fault of his that the girl chooses to elope?
Obsessed by self-advancement and excitement, Morris’s dreams of blackmail, theft and murder plunge him deep into a chilling nightmare of deception and violence.
A triumph
—— Daily TelegraphSharp and witty, expertly paced, frequently horrific and often very funny
—— Times Literary SupplementAn unusually classy thriller, true to life and not to be missed
—— IndependentEntertaining black humour
—— Independent on SundayTim Parks presents the real, virginal, boastful, cracked Morris lurking behind his own justifications as matters turn lethal and ugly. Clever, blandly humorous and utterly immoral
—— Sunday TimesChillingly discomforting ... Pierre has one of the sharpest minds in contemporary literature and there isn't a sentence wasted
—— Hot PressPierre’s insights into human nature elevate this way above most psychological thrillers. It’s well-paced, with a cast of large-as-life characters and a structure that makes more than the odd nod towards Agatha Christie. As the tension builds to the final chaotic spiral of revelations, it becomes apparent this is a novel crying out for a full-blooded stage adaptation. It’s the least it deserves.
—— Event Magazine, Mail on SundayHis distinctive style fits the atmosphere of Gothic horror… appropriately nightmarish
—— Evening StandardA weird and spooky tale… Pierre writes with his usual style ... a great deal of tension and an even greater deal of imagination … a smart modern take on scary stuff
—— Sunday SportSmoking-fast . . . the debut of a gifted crime writer who will only get better
—— New York TimesA pulse-pumping heist thriller
—— Rolling StoneEssential Scandi-fiction
—— Sunday ExpressThe novel is gripping. Erlendur is arguably Nordic fiction’s unhappiest and loneliest but most intriguing detective… It’s a sad disturbing book, chilling both in its setting and in the depths of human angst is explores
—— Marcel Berlins , The TimesBe warned: if you’ve ever spent time with this marvelous Scandi crime character, you’ll be hard pressed to hold back a tear
—— Siobhan Murphy , MetroThis final chapter in the Erlendur series stalks the human heart unremittingly
—— Kerry Fowler , Sainsbury's MagazineAnother riveting thriller. Tackling difficult subjects with intelligence and humanity
—— Hello MagazineA compelling summer read not to be missed
—— OK MagazineThis addictive new thriller from bestselling author Liane Moriarty weaves three stories together to a shocking and unpredictable climax
—— Take A Break MagazineIt's a hell of a good book. Funny and scary. She nails the feuding moms.
—— Stephen KingNot only an enthralling murder investigation... but a plot that is strengthened and illuminated by two of the best characters I have read for some time- reporter Sully Carter and his cohort, the streetwise gangster Sly Hastings... their exchanges are pure gold.
—— Raven Crime ReadsThis is a terrific first novel by a man with a long career in journalism. The tale builds to a dramatic conclusion, with a final unexpected and terrible twist in the tail.
—— Crime Review