The Lover [Hardcover]

Laura Wilson (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 1, 2004

It is Autumn in 1940, and London is in the grip of the Blitz. An unidentified female corpse is discovered in an alleyway in Soho. It is the fourth to be found in the last few weeks. The women—all prostitutes—have been horribly mutilated. It’s clear that in the darkness and confusion of the war-ravaged city, a "Blackout Ripper" is at work. Inspired by a true story, this is a breathtaking new novel from one of the most talented and distinctive crime writers working today.

Editorial Reviews

Review

'What's most memorable, though, is Wilson's vivid picture of London itself - shabby and scorched, without the time or opportunity to lick its own wounds. Inspired... by the actual but little-known case of the 'blackout ripper', but shaped by Wilson into a gritty work of imagination that has the ache and authenticity of the real thing.' LITERARY REVIEW 'Laura Wilson is very good at creating an authentic period atmosphere. ... The portrait of life and death under the Blitz is vivid and moving, told in turn by three characters... When the three com together at the end of the book, the meeting is dramatic and inevitably tragic.' SUNDAY TELEGRAPH 'This is a noir novel in the vein of Graham Greene which looks at how the psychological pressure of war may lead people to lose their moral compass. But most importantly this is a gripping story of several lives - the victims and the killer. No one is better at getting inside characters and and creating bone-chilling atmosphere than Laura Wilson, and here she shows that her place is right at the pinnacle of crime fiction.' TANGLED WEB 'Laura Wilson's The Lover is quite simply superb: not only the best thing she has written to date, but certainly one of the best crime novels of the year.' -- Mike Ripley BIRMINGHAM POST '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 SUNDAY HERALD 'The Lover is a finely written period piece and a psycholoical suspence story that delves below the surface of a deeply disturbed human being. ... An atmospheric and, at times, grusome tale, The Lover delivers on its promise of being a chilling and intense read.' IRISH EXAMINER 'On the surface, this is a scary thriller, reeking with atmosphere. Underneath, interesting themes are explored. ... It all makes for gripping reading.' LEICESTER MERCURY '...this is a tense and intelligent psychological thriller that confirms Laura Wilson's seat at the high table of British crime writing. ... Seldom has the anatomy of fear, compulsion and deviancy been so closely detailed. Quite terrifying and sadly believable.' -- Maxim Jakubowski THE GUARDIAN 'Laura Wilson bases The Lover on meticulous original research into London prostitution during the Second World War. A chilling serial killer is murdering prostitutes in the blackout in this terrific read, which continues the Dickensian tradition of the London crime novel.' -- Jane Jakeman THE INDEPENDENT '...compelling evocation of the moods and textures of wartime London. It is so believable, from tiny details to big set pieces, that you can almost smell the smoke as the buildings burn.' {this is a review of the audio edition} SUNDAY TIMES

About the Author

Laura Wilson, a graduate of Somerville College, Oxford, is also the author of A Little Death, which Publishers Weekly called “A superb debut…a tour de force reminiscent of Barbara Vine,” and My Best Friend, which the Wall Street Journal hailed as “masterly.”

Product Details

• Hardcover: 282 pages
• Publisher: Orion Publishing; First Edition edition (June 1, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0752859803
• ISBN-13: 978-0752859804
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.1 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,861,407 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Murder in WWII London, October 8, 2005

By 

P. Ho "DC Reader" (Washington DC) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: The Lover (Paperback)

If Barbara Vine/Ruth Rendell is to have proper successor, well, here she is, Laura Wilson. The story itself is a relatively simple one. Set in London under siege of the WWII Blitz from the very start we find the body of a brutally murdered woman--the fourth found in a short period of time. We then watch events unfold from the past leading up to this inevitable but terrifying act through the eyes of three people: a young fighter pilot with a disturbing secret, a prostitute with a child to support, and a young female office worker learning the ways of the world in this devastating setting. The beauty of each nerrative is how authentic each sounds as the chapters alternate from one character's point of view to another. This technique allows the reader to view events from different perspectives and provides unusual character depth, but it also builds nervy suspense as the reader becomes attached to these characters and doesn't quite know the what will happen to them. We think one of them will be killed (as shown in the beginning), but who? The intertwining nerratives also reflect the upredictable intertwining of these three lives leading up to that one tragic, inevitable murder. Laura Wilson creates an authentic, atmospheric rendering of WWII London, and its denizens struggling to survive it through the brutal events. I can't imagine what it would have been like to survive it, but the author has done that for me brilliantly.