Author:Georges Simenon
'Read him at your peril, avoid him at your loss' Sunday Times
Captain Lannec has finally managed to buy his own ship with the financial help of his in-laws, the Pitards - and they've never let him forget it. When his temperamental wife Mathilde insists on coming along on the ship's first voyage, Lannec becomes increasingly unnerved by her presence, especially when he receives an anonymous note saying he won't make it back to port. As they hit a storm in the Atlantic, jealousy, spite, snobbery and suspicion are churned up in the boat's stiflingly close quarters...
First published in 1935, The Pitards was one of the first novels Simenon wrote when he shelved his famous Maigret series in order to strike out in a new direction and make a name for himself as a literary writer. This gripping evocation of life at sea revolves around class and the tense unravelling of relationships, powerful themes that Simenon would return to throughout his writing career.
One of the greatest writers of the twentieth century...Simenon was unequalled at making us look inside, though the ability was masked by the brilliance at absorbing us obsessively in his stories.
—— GuardianFierce, bleak and compellingly written . . . with pitiless landscapes of hopeless longing, random cruelty and galloping fate warmed only by the twilit lyricism of doomed desire. These are novels of eye-opening, spine-tingling control and intensity.
—— Boyd Tonkin , The IndependentThe romans durs are extraordinary: tough, bleak, offhandedly violent, suffused with guilt and bitterness, redolent of place . . . utterly unsentimental, frightening in the pitilessness of their gaze, yet wonderfully entertaining.
—— John BanvilleA supreme writer . . . unforgettable vividness.
—— IndependentOne of the greatest writers of the twentieth century . . . Simenon was unequaled at making us look inside, though the ability was masked by his brilliance at absorbing us obsessively in his stories
—— GuardianThe romans durs are extraordinary: tough, bleak, offhandedly violent, suffused with guilt and bitterness, redolent of place . . . utterly unsentimental, frightening in the pitilessness of their gaze, yet wonderfully entertaining
—— John BanvilleA supreme writer . . . unforgettable vividness
—— IndependentMasterful, terrifying, dangerous, with an ending that is as uncompromising as the build-up is truthful. The Snakes is as beautifully written as it is dark and honest.
—— Rachel JoyceA menacing, beautifully written novel
—— Guardian, *Summer Reads of 2019*I was absolutely gripped by this original and beautifully-told story of a couple enmeshed in a nest of vipers -- a rich family of criminals. Its evocation of a sinister French house, the corruption of love and the powerlessness of good is both haunting and chilling. Nobody contemporary writes about unhappy families as well as Sadie Jones.
—— Amanda CraigThis gripping read drips with a menace that builds of the shocking final pages
—— Joanne Finney , Good Housekeeping, *Book of the Month*[A] menacing new contemporary thriller… a tantalising set-up, after which the plot zigzags unpredictably to a brutally stark finale that steals the breath
—— Anthony Cummins , MetroThe Snakes has all of Jones’s trademark depth and layered storytelling
—— Sarra Manning , RedSadie Jones… knows how to construct a narrative of great emotional power. Her prose is crisp and precise, studded with spiky observations
—— Andrew Taylor , SpectatorAn all-encompassing read from the first page to the devastating final paragraph
—— Alice O’Keeffe , The BooksellerThe ending is devastating
—— Jeffrey Burke , Mail on SundayUnsettling, thought-provoking and beautifully written, you won’t be able to get this out of your head
—— Caroline Robb , HeatJones’s style is immediate and lively and she is particularly good at dialogue, which she uses a great deal, often to advance the fast-paced plot
—— Elisa Seagrave , Literary ReviewThe Snakes unfolds in clean, functional prose and Jones has a lot to say about the way we live now
—— Johanna Thomas-Corr , Evening StandardDetermined to escape the nine-to-five monotony, Bea and Dan head to France to visit Bea’s wayward brother Alex, who runs a hotel where the only guests are snakes in the attic. The peace is shattered when Bea’s parents arrive, bringingconflict and misery. From a sedate start, Jones deftly builds the tension to a horrific and powerful conclusion.
—— The TelegraphJones’s fifth novel is a fantastic read as a thriller, but where Jones excels, is in her microscopic yet compassionate scrutiny of relationships: the unconditional doting of a flawed sibling; the sickening toxicity of a vicious but powerful parent; the watchful care and explosions of irritation between spouses
—— Maria Crawford , Financial Times, *Summer Reads of 2019*Deliciously wicked... the perfect antidote to a relaxing summer's day... hypnotic -- like staring into the serpent's eyes just before it strikes
—— Ron Charles , Washington PostBoth a cautionary tale and a pitch-black race-to-the-end thriller
—— Justine Jordon , Guardian, *Books of the Year*Sadie Jones is a talented writer. She is able to burrow down into the heart of feelings and yet does so in a matter of fact way. The ending shocked me… [The Snakes is] the sort of read I could spend ages thinking about what lies beneath the story of greed, wealth, jealousy and flawed family relationships
—— Nicola Smith , NBIt's no mean feat to find something fresh in the crowded thriller field, but Downing pulls off an indisputable triumph with My Lovely Wife. Exemplary writing and outstanding pacing confirm Downing's talent, but it's her deliciously depraved characters that kept me flying through the pages. Couldn't get enough of this subversive love-gone-sideways tale!
—— Sophie LittlefieldDeliciously dark and twisted... It's a remarkable achievement, full stop.
—— Shelf AwarenessBest new books to read this March
—— CosmopolitanA highly original and dark look at the shifting power structure in a modern marriage. . . A funny, smart book
—— Daily MailDarkly witty and strangely plausible, it's a read-in-one-sitting firecracker of a thriller, laced with explosive twists
—— The PeopleA marital, psychological thriller with darkly comedic undertones
—— The WrapBold and brilliant
—— Big IssueThis is a ringer of a yarn, shot through with enough tooth-clenching moments to make you have your dentist on speed dial
—— Connaught TelegraphWith a twisty plot that will leave you gasping, this deliciously dark thriller is on a par with Gone Girl
—— That's Life MonthlyOne of the best thrillers I've ever read
—— Judy FinniganI loved The Chalk Man, but The Taking of Annie Thorne is even better, creepier and more addictive! I was so creeped out I had to stop reading until my husband came home one night! Brilliant stuff - well done, C. J. Tudor!
—— Elle Croft, author of The Other SisterThe Hot List
—— Inside SoapFollowing on from C J Tudor's successful debut, comes a novel about bullying, cruelty and deceit. . . Tudor keeps the novel moving at a fast pace
—— Literary ReviewA Stephen King style thriller that will have you transfixed and submerged in the entanglement of the twisting plot. This book kept me intrigued all the way to the very end
—— Places & FacesCrime meets psychological suspense meets out-and-out horror. From the stomach-churning first chapter to the grand guignol ending that is as shocking as it is surprising, Tudor racks up the nastiness . . . Another hit.
—— Buzz MagazineMatches Stephen King for creepiness. A must-read for horror fans
—— Leamington CourierCreepy beyond words. Just like Stephen King, the fact that Tudor's characters are so believable makes the events even creepier
—— People's Friend