Or "The Distinguished Thing" by Anthony Quinn is one of the most pleasantly surprising books I've read. A well known West End actress witnesses the attempted murder of a prostitute in a hotel. The only problem is, she was there having an affair with a married man, so she can't come forward as a witness. And while she doesn't, more women die. This, like the triumph that is "Station Eleven" by Emily St John Mandel has no main character, however, and focuses on the lives of the characters caught up in these events. It's brimming with atmosphere, and the 1936 setting becomes a major part as it is used to show how humanity is heading towards a dark time, one from which it has arguably not emerged in a particularly moral-centric way. These very well developed characters simultaneously display the decay of their own lives as well as society for a tense and gripping read that is totally absorbing.
The identity of the killer, while the premise may suggest otherwise, is not actually the main storyline here, however when it is revealed to the characters (you'll probably have guessed a long time before), the dramatic impact is incredible. What makes this novel work so well is its unpredictability, and I'll bet you certainly won't expect THAT event towards the end to happen.
There's no wonder the critics love this book, it's extremely satisfying and thought provoking and entirely unconventional, and it's certainly one of those books where, when you finish reading it, you will mourn the characters, as after the length of the novel they will seem entirely real. I'm pretty sure this book is part of the 3 for 2 deal at Waterstones at the moment, so you have no excuse not to read it.
10/10
