The Fall Guy: A Novel by James Lasdun
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I love stories like this, that plunge me right in from page one. Matthew, a down-on-his-luck chef, visits Charlie and Chloe, his wealthy cousin and wife. At first everything seems idyllic, but as the story progresses, each character has secrets and motives that slowly unfold. The narrative is from Matthew’s point of view and at first you might believe everything he says, but again, as things progress, you have reasons to wonder if he’s being totally honest. And then it’s a matter of Chloe, who constantly surprises. And where is it that Charlie disappears to every day? Jealousy, murder, infidelity and voyeurism all play a part in the well-told tale and by the time you get to the last page you’ll still be wondering who the real fall guy (or girl) is.
I would have given it 5 stars, but there were a couple of too obvious clues near the end, making the ending more predicable than it should have been. That said, it was an extremely enjoyable read.
Thank you Netgalley and WW Norton & Company for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.