The Lover

The Lover

by Laura Wilson (Author)

Synopsis

Autumn, 1940, and London is in the grip of the Blitz. An unidentified female corpse is discovered in an alleyway in Soho - the fourth to have been found in a matter of weeks. Rene is a Soho prostitute with a young son to support. She's learnt to cope with the air-raids, but each night on the streets is a terrifying ordeal as the killer begins to pick off her friends. Lucy is a young, middle-class office worker living with her family in Clapham, struggling to make sense of things as her peaceful suburban life degenerates into chaos. Jim is a fighter pilot, handsome and much admired for his heroism in battle. The killer instinct makes him perfectly suited to the daily challenge he faces in the skies of southern England, but the strain is beginning to tell. In ordinary circumstances, their paths might never have crossed, but in war-torn London, anything can happen. One night a bomb falls, with terrifying consequences for them all...

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More Information

Format: Paperback
Pages: 368
Publisher: Orion
Published: 21 Apr 2005

ISBN 10: 0752864173
ISBN 13: 9780752864174
Book Overview: A terrifying psychological thriller set during World War II from one of the most talented and distinctive voices working in the genre. Shortlisted for both the CWA Gold Dagger and the Ellis Peters Dagger Awards 'A gritty work of imagination that has the ache and authenticity of the real thing' Literary Review. 'Laura Wilson is one of those crime writers who breaks every boundary in the genre; she steps wholeheartedly into the ranks of genuine literary writing while never losing the ability to tell vital, lively, give-me-more stories' Manda Scott. 'Plausible and menacing ... Wilson remains a fine, fluent writer, following no one, marking out her own patch' Literary Review. 'This is a must-read for lovers of both historical and crime fiction' Mo Hayder 'The writing is graceful and intelligent, all the characters are well presented and distinct and one puts the book down eager for the next' Sunday Times. 'A breathtaking read, from a distinctive writer' Manchester Evening News. 'Wilson effortlessly moves into the exclusive Rendell, Walters and Fyfield club' Guardian. 'The writing is spare and without a wasted word. This book has real class' Sunday Telegraph.

Media Reviews
'The uneasy atmosphere of blackout London is finely conveyed, the dark alleys, the crowded air-raid shelters, the forced cheerfulness and the ever present threat provide the perfect setting. The many moral and socio-sexual issues embedded here never distract from the total effect of this gripping novel.' NEWBOOKSMAG
Author Bio
Laura Wilson was brought up in London and has degrees in English Literature from Somerville College, Oxford and UCL, London. She has worked briefly and ingloriously as a teacher, and more successfully as an editor of non-fiction books. She has written history books for children and is interested in history, particularly of the recent past, painting and sculpture, uninhabited buildings, underground structures, cemeteries and time capsules. She lives in Islington. Her first novel A LITTLE DEATH was shortlisted for both the CWA Ellis Peters and the Anthony Award for Best Paperback Original. A THOUSAND LIES was shortlisted for the 2006 Duncan Lawrie Dagger. THE LOVER won the 2004 Prix du Polar Europeen for Best Crime Novel of the Year In Translation and was also shortlisted for the 2004 Gold Dagger and the Ellis Peters Award. In 2008, she won the Ellis Peters Award with her novel STRATTON'S WAR.