Overview

The cool, self-absorbed and instantly intriguing narrator of Laura Spinney's debut novel is a woman doctor living and working in the East End at the time of the outbreak of World War Two. Caught up by chance in the aftermath of a bloody riot between Fascist and Communist agitators, she finds herself strangely drawn to the woman whose injuries she treats: the mysterious Anna, whose restaurant serves the best caviar in London. But this event begins a dangerous course of action which will threaten the doctor's reserved, individualist habits, her relationship with her lover Morris, and finally her trust in human nature itself. This chilling story has all the grip and tension of a thriller, underscored with delicate observations on the moral consequences of our actions and made unforgettable by the narrator's compelling and fascinating voice.

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'Spinney has established a potent and distinctive volce' - Simon Garfield, Financial Times; 'Spinney's debut is lucid, intelligent writing, alllied to a lyricism that renders the most fleeting images poignant. A name to look out for.' Kieron Pim, Time Out; 'Spinney's brief novel is as valuable as any historical text to foster in those of us too young to remember a clearer understanding of 1940s Britian.' - Steve Murphy, Newbury Weekly News

This is a story of deeds that have chilling consequences, set amid the politically volatile atmosphere of London's East End before the Second World War. The narrator, a female doctor who has earned respect among the local people, gets caught up in dark goings on with Anna, a Russian woman with whom she has sparked an intriguing friendship. When Anna commits a violent crime, the doctor is detained without charge for her connections with the political underground. She is forced to confront a swift and alarming loss of liberty. Life in detention is hard and the uncertainty surrounding her release is crushing. Spinney's debut novel is an unnerving examination of how individuals' motives can be scrutinized and distorted when society is under the threat of war. Decisions taken lightly assume huge importance. Officials are invested with the power to affect people's lives in cruel and extreme ways. But among the unsettling train of events that Spinney has created, her subtly crafted relationships shine out as a positive force. The doctor's lover is a constant source of comfort and new friendships continue to excite and stimulate her, even inside prison. Two elderly brothers, her patients, are thoughtfully characterized. The narrative swirls dizzyingly around the streets of the East End, amid bomb-struck piles of rubble and crowds of scared and angry rioters. At night-time, the streets become a place for subversive action. During the doctor's infrequent trips outside her prison walls, they also come to stand for freedom, offering a chance for some clean air and a connection to the outside world. Spinney maintains a climate of uncertainty and tension throughout the book, with one particularly cruel twist, until it folds into a general sense of paranoia that leads to a truly disturbing conclusion. (Kirkus UK)

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