A week after the night she chases but fails to catch a mysterious trespasser outside her town house, some unknown party texts Tempe four images of a corpse that looks as if it’s been chewed by wild hogs, because it has been. She even addresses a text to him as "Dear You" which struck me as ridiculous - given that we will find out his name eventually, why be so mysterious about it? And there is an incoming Potus, Homeland once again showing its propensity to be on the pulse and interweave with reality. Weighed down by the reality of a somnolent marriage and flown children, Yvonne's affair is a kind of waking fantasy, less compromising than the web of lies she spins to maintain it. This is a wonderful account of how chaos and totally unforeseen circumstances can flow from deceit and hubris and sexual passion.

Yvonne's character is so well drawn, so complex (if not entirely sympathetic), you can truly see how she found herself in the middle of a relationship she never expected, as well as trouble she never imagined. Yvonne becomes aware that her lover is unwilling to reveal his true identity, but begins to thrive on their shared secret. However, when she meets the charming and mysterious Mark Costley, she finds herself making choices that could cost her everything that she values.In this masterful novel by British journalist/novelist/playwright Louise Doughty, every page builds the case that it’s often the smartest among us who invent the most unreliable stories about ourselves, and how it’s possible--likely, even--for essentially good solid people to do bad and stupid things.

We were instantly hooked by the unflinching voice of scientist Yvonne Carmichael, who charts her life’s sudden change of course, from a passionate extramarital tryst to a murder trial.Yvonne is a successful middle-aged geneticist, highly respected in her field and happily married with two grown children. Spending most of her days alone, she tends her beloved allotment with the care and love she doesn't receive from people.