This book had such a great premise, and I was excited to dive into another gripping thriller. Unfortunately, it didn’t deliver what I was hoping for at all! The characters were thoroughly unlikeable without any redeeming quality - especially Matthew, whose point of view we were in the entire time. The plot was excruciatingly slow, partly due to the fact that the writing was so overworked and pretentious. The novel read like it was written by an English professor trying too hard to be literary. There were entire sections that rehashed what had happened, or leisurely explored Matthew’s thoughts and obsessions, which quickly grew tedious. Then the author threw in in some unnecessary and tiresome talk about banking and the Occupy movement, which made me wonder whether his editors forced him to pad his word count. I was completely unsatisfied with this book. ( )

This book took me waaaaay to long to read. It was good but I kept finding other books to take it's place--not a good sign. I think this would be a good book for a trip because you can get back into it very easily. Outcome is predictable, in my opinion. ( )

If Alfred Hitchcock were alive this is a book he would make into a movie, and that is a high compliment coming from me. The story revolves around three characters who think they really know each other but truly how well can anyone know another? It is a fast and enjoyable read and it reveals itself in nearly perfect pace. There are many small bits and pieces in the narrative that end up being important and I always enjoy books that reward careful reading. I really enjoyed this book. ( )

Nice little unreliable narrator set piece. ( )

Fantastic writing, but I wasn't impressed by this book. The main character, Matthew, is obsessed with his cousin's wife, Chloe. He begins to suspect that she's having an affair, and follows her around town. As his mental instability is further revealed, he delves deeper into rationalizing his actions. I expected this book to be a lot more exciting than it was, given its description and the buildup from the person who recommended it. The first half of the book, though, meanders along with the day to day lives of Chloe, Charlie (her husband), and Matthew. I kept reading thinking that something crazy would happen soon. And it did, but then there was nothing. And finally, once there was more action, the book was over. I read this book fairly quickly, but only because I was expecting to find excitement around the corner. The writer is gifted, but I didn't care about any of the characters and at some points found myself hoping that Matthew would just stop telling us what he was thinking. I will read another book by James Lasdun, but not another one with these characters. ( )