Overview

""This brilliant novel works wonders."" Malcolm Forbes, Minneapolis Star Tribune A blisteringly funny political critique wrapped up in a murder mystery, The Proof of My Innocence is a wry portrayal of our political moment by one of Britain's most beloved novelists. Post-university life doesn't suit Phyl. She's living at home with her parents, working a zero-hour job serving Japanese food to tourists at Heathrow airport, and her ambitions seem to be going nowhere fast. That is, until family friend Chris comes to stay. He's been on the path to uncover a sinister think-tank that's been scheming to push the government in a more extreme direction. As Britain finds itself under the leadership of a new prime minister whose tenure will only last for seven weeks, Chris pursues his story to a conference being held deep in the Cotswolds, where events take a sinister turn. But will the solution to the mystery lie in contemporary politics, or in a decades-old literary enigma? ""A cosy crime spoof around the rise and rapid fall of Liz Truss; this playful, metafictional romp is enormous fun."" The Guardian, Best Books of the Year

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Reviews

★ ""Coe's delectable whodunit combines shadowy right-wing politics and literary intrigue... Coe's metatextual games are as fun as the caper plot. This is a blast.""--Publishers Weekly (starred review) ""As much a political commentary as a mystery, this satisfyingly complex novel focuses on conservative movements in both the U.S. and Britain. Replete with conscienceless politicians, bloggers, literary critics, would-be authors, a sexagenarian gourmand detective and floundering twenty-somethings looking for meaning in life, this cast of characters takes the reader on a rollercoaster of sinister maneuverings, professional jealousy and murder.""--Eric Boss, Reading the West ""Probably the best English novelist of his generation.""--Nick Hornby ★ ""Beautifully written and full of wisdom, this unusual and fascinating book contains many treats...""--Kirkus Review (starred review) on Mr. Wilder and Me ""...[a] poignant delineation of tradition and progress.""--Booklist on Bournville ""A novel not just for movie lovers, but for anyone who favors sharp writing, subtle wit, deeply portrayed characters, and the elegiac.""--The Arts Fuse on Mr. Wilder and Me ""Coe shows an understanding of this country that goes beyond what most cabinet ministers can muster...he is a master of satire but pokes fun subtly, without ever being cruel, biting or blatant...his light, funny writing makes you feel better.""--Evening Standard (UK) ""British novelists love to diagnose the state of the nation. Few do it better than Jonathan Coe, who writes with warmth and subversive glee about social change and the comforting mundanities it imperils.""--Spectator (UK)

""Probably the best English novelist of his generation.""--Nick Hornby ★ ""Beautifully written and full of wisdom, this unusual and fascinating book contains many treats...""--Kirkus Review (starred review) on Mr. Wilder and Me ""...[a] poignant delineation of tradition and progress.""--Booklist on Bournville ""A novel not just for movie lovers, but for anyone who favors sharp writing, subtle wit, deeply portrayed characters, and the elegiac.""--The Arts Fuse on Mr. Wilder and Me ""Coe shows an understanding of this country that goes beyond what most cabinet ministers can muster...he is a master of satire but pokes fun subtly, without ever being cruel, biting or blatant...his light, funny writing makes you feel better.""--Evening Standard (UK) ""British novelists love to diagnose the state of the nation. Few do it better than Jonathan Coe, who writes with warmth and subversive glee about social change and the comforting mundanities it imperils.""--Spectator (UK)

Author Information

Jonathan Coe was born in 1961 in Lickey, a suburb of south-west Birmingham. His first novel, The Accidental Woman was published in 1987. His best-selling novels include What a Carve Up! and The Rotters' Club (2001). He is the recipient of many prizes and awards, including both Costa Novel of the Year and Prix du Livre Européen. He won France's Prix Médicis for The House of Sleep and Italy's Premio Flaiano and Premio Bauer-Ca' Foscari.

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