Author:Nicholas Mosley
'On a dark night a person searches on the brightly-lit ground under a lamp-post. A passer-by asks - For what are you searching? The person says - For the keys to my house. The passer-by says - Is this where you lost them? The person says - No I lost them in the dark, but this is where the light is.'
A retired academic and writer lies in a New York hospital bed. He has come there from his home in London to appear as a pundit on television, only to be knocked down by a car. Formerly an anthropologist, he is now tired of looking for order and reason where he can see none. His views on human nature and war are provocative and he has begun to find himself in demand. The forced inactivity allows him to reflect on the course of his life - the work he has done, the women he has known - and the characters from it begin to gather him: his first wife Valerie, his new wife Veronica, his son Adam.
He considers his first marriage and the curious version of fidelity they evolved, his days of teaching at Oxford, and the trip to Iran that saw him return with Nadia, a young girl whom he assists in escaping to a different life in England.
Witty, philosophical, and wise, Nicholas Mosley's latest novel is a timely portrait of one man's attempt to bring order to his disordered existence.
"Nicholas Mosley's impressive 17th novel, the wry and enigmatic acccount of an old man's reckoning with the confusion of his own life."
—— John Spurling , Sunday Times"Mosley's elaborately construced novel is a meditation on chance, communication and the nature of truth."
—— Anthony Gardner , Mail On Sunday'rather beautiful'
—— James Flint , The Guardiana virtuoso of suspense, fast action and intricate plot
—— Washington PostAn emotionally riveting novel that explores the depths of one mother's love for her daughter. Powerful, provocative, and page-turning!
—— Emily Giffingut-wrenching stand-alone . . . a satisfying nail-biting thriller sure to please her growing audience.
—— Publishers WeeklyA white-hot crossover novel about the perils of mother love. Scottoline, shifts gears at every curve with the cool efficiency of a NASCAR driver
—— KirkusAt the quick pace of a thriller, Scottoline masterfully fits every detail into a tight plot chock-full of real characters, real issues, and real thrills. A story anchored by the impenetrable power of a mother's love, it begs the question, just how far would you go to save your child
—— BooklistJudt calls these charming vignettes "feuillotons" which, without being sentimental, gives them the elegiac quality of falling autumn leaves
—— James Urquhart , Financial TimesWhat razor-sharp brilliance! What sublime satirical wit!... The lives of Wolfe's seemingly unconnected cast of characters, bouncing off the pages as vividly as any of Dickens', become gradually interwoven. Wolfe takes ironic swipes at greed, class, racism from both sides of the fence and financial and political corruption... A what a wonderful way Wolfe has with dialogue and with the barbaric euphemisms of street slang and rap. Sheer genius
—— Val Hennessy , Daily MailNovels of this size... always have flaws and the occasional lull, but Wolfe's fizzy prose and amusingly mean-spirited social observations make up for any other deficiencies. Highly entertaining
—— Irish TimesThere are far too many delicious examples of Wolfe's razor sharp wit and stylish writing. So I'll simply say that if you enjoy a slice of American fiction, then this book will not disappoint. Otherwise, I'll eat my hat. A big, bold, brash, brilliant book, beautifully-written. Highly recommended
—— TheBookBag.co.ukA gripping yet tender storyline that unfolds as the insurmountable obstacles are faced with bravery and loyalty. You're sure to be reaching for the tissues
—— CandisA moving and disturbing tale of love and loyalty. And you might cry
—— Sun Buzz Magazine