The Kindness of Strangers 9780349020181 Hardback

‘Superbly plotted . . . pure escapism and utterly joyful’JOANNA CANNON’Vivid and entertaining, and powered by such a wonderfully dry wit’THE TIMES’An excellent mystery . . . superbly rendered’GUARDIAN’A beautifully woven debut full of escalating secrets . . . hugely enjoyable’AJ PEARCE’An intriguingly tricksy story’DAILY MAILIN A HOUSE BUILT ON LIES, THE TRUTH WILL GET YOU KILLED.London, 1953.One foggy night, in the dead of February, a diffident young man arrives unannounced at 42 Tregunter Road in Chelsea. Self-styled BohemianMrs Honor Wilson, who runs a minor literary journal and lodgings from this timeworn Victorian house, introduces him to her ‘dear house guests’:Robbie, the writer;Mina, the aspiring socialite;George, the debutante; andSaul, the refugee poet.Jimmy Sullivanis a family friend, Honor says – yet clearly, something is very amiss. Despite everyone’s suspicions, she lets the stranger move into the attic.As they each try to disprove Jimmy’s dubious account of himself, secrets, jealousies, and disturbing schemes come to light, fracturing the household’s delicate allegiances and setting in motion, unstoppably, a tale of perilous self-invention, complicated love, and murderous revenge.’Intricate, compelling and intriguing . . . I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough. A triumph’KATE KEMP, author ofThe Grapevine’A skilfully constructed mystery full of sly twists, dark wit and rich period detail’THE ECONOMIST’An exquisite debut mystery’SAINSBURYSmagazine’Twisty, fast-paced, brilliantly plotted and deliciously entertaining . . . an absolute must-read!’KRISTIN HARMEL,New York Timesbestselling author’A rich labyrinth of a story filled with deeply real, flawed, fabulous characters. Good luck putting it down’STEPHEN SPOTSWOOD, author ofDEAD IN THE FRAME’A wholly delightful novel brimming with unpredictable characters and delivering every ingredient of a classic whodunnit with wit and flair’SARAH CROUCH, author ofMiddletide’An ingeniously plotted, diabolically clever story of human deception and connection’KAREN DUKESS, author ofWelcome to Murder Week