The remarkable thing about this novel is its resemblance to real life. Russo creates a family that is utterly recognisable and unique... superb

Russo meditates on memory, ageing, inheritance, marriage, desire and the meaning of happiness... Written with humour and assurance

Russo brings a familiar story to life with wit, elegance, deftness and empathy

A novel for people who are terrified of becoming their parents... A dyspeptic romantic comedy... [And] an utterly charming novel. If you always cry at weddings, you'll cry at this - and laugh, too

Russo has a knack for capturing the most intimate details in the lives of ordinary people

Thoroughly satisfying

Nobody tops Russo for nailing the self-aggrandising sourness of a certain class of American intelligentsia. Hollywood agents should be on standby

Russo's well-scripted story of mid-life crisis breezily captures the moment when everything was predictable and yet somehow you failed to see it coming

Beautiful, clean prose...[an] absorbing story

A clever novel that's timeless in its tension-building storytelling

A chilling tale of a farming family

Taut novella

Misery memoirs may no longer be the flavour of the month, but according to Susan Hill's new novel, their consequences can be far reaching. In search of a quick buck, middle-aged journalist Frank Prime pens a bestseller detailing his childhood on a remote North Country farm.

Not a word is wasted in this chilling novella

A thought-provoking story

This novel is short, beautifully crafted and gripping

A work of great creepiness and subtle power. It will linger 'orribly in the mind.

Expertly structured, her beautifully written prose as haunting as the best ghost story

From ghost stories to crime thrillers to children's novels, Susan Hill is a writer of striking versatility. 'The Beacon' is a literary novel - done to spectacular effect

A marvellous book

A perfectly pitched novel that captures its characters and their dilemmas.