by Ian McEwan
First published 1998
Clive Linley stands in the cold at Molly Lane's funeral, watching her coffin lowered into the ground. The celebrated composer finds himself beside Vernon Halliday, a newspaper editor who also once shared Molly's bed. Both men have achieved success in their fields, yet grief and old rivalries simmer beneath their polite conversation. They strike an agreement that day, a pact born from witnessing Molly's decline and their fear of similar fate. The deal seems reasonable at first, but its implications will fracture their friendship beyond repair. Meanwhile, Julian Garmony, Molly's conservative politician ex-lover and current Foreign Secretary, pursues his own ruthless political agenda. As the consequences of their funeral-day promise unfold, Clive and Vernon discover how quickly moral certainty can crumble when self-interest collides with loyalty.
Genres: literary-fiction, mystery, contemporary, political-thriller
Vibes: intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, unreliable-narrator
Setting: England, Great Britain, London, London (England)
Period: 20th-century, 21st-century
192 pages · Hardcover · Jonathan Cape