by William Boyd
First published 1998
Lorimer Black works as a star insurance adjuster for London's Fortress Sure PLC. He suffers from a sleep disorder and obsesses over British class hierarchies. On a bleak January morning, one of his cases chooses suicide over conversation. Mr. Dupree becomes Lorimer's first encounter with death, his first suicide, and his first hanged man. This convergence troubles him deeply. Soon Lorimer faces threats from a suspicious character whose claim he drastically reduced. He becomes entangled with Flavia Malinverno, a beautiful married actress who questions whether adjusters exist to make losses easier to bear. Someone torches his car. The Fort transforms him from beloved employee to prime suspect. Another case involves a rock star who claims the Devil sits on his left shoulder. Lorimer grows tired of becoming everyone's scapegoat. He collects ancient helmets desperately, knowing they provide only false protection. Boyd explores one man's personal and social anxieties through this noir thriller, examining how we shield ourselves from forces beyond our control.
Genres: fiction, mystery, crime, contemporary, thriller, psychological-thriller
Vibes: dark, emotional, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: amateur-sleuth, unreliable-narrator
Setting: London, Fortress Sure PLC
Period: January
309 pages · Paperback · Hamilton
Content warnings: death, suicide