Ulteriori informazioni
For fans of Anthony Horowitz, Tana French, and Sally Rooney, a wonderfully original, genre-breaking literary debut from Ireland that''s an homage to the brilliant detective novels of the early twentieth century, a twisty modern murder mystery, and a searing exploration of grief and loss. A group of friends gather at an Airbnb on New Year''s Eve. It is Benjamin''s birthday, and his sister Abigail is throwing him a jazz-age Murder Mystery themed party. As the night plays out, champagne is drunk, hors d''oeuvres consumed, and relationships forged, consolidated or frayed. Someone kisses the wrong person; someone else''s heart is broken. In the morning, all of them wake up--except Benjamin. As Abigail attempts to wrap her mind around her brother''s death, an eminent detective arrives determined to find Benjamin''s killer. In this mansion, suddenly complete with a butler, gardener and housekeeper, everyone is a suspect, and nothing is quite as it seems. Will the culprit be revealed? And how can Abigail, now alone, piece herself back together in the wake of this loss? Gripping and playful, sharp and profoundly moving, Fair Play plumbs the depths of the human heart while subverting one of our most popular genres.
Relazione
"A terrific debut novel. . . . It's a witty, knowing homage to classic detective fiction, but also a deeply sensitive examination of the loneliness and confusion of grief-and a reminder that every sudden death is a mystery that can't be fully explained. . . . A bracing meditation on the different ways we perceive death (and fiction)." - New York Times Book Review
"Entertainingly avant-garde. . . . Ms. Hegarty is after more than a simulation of Golden Age mystery in the 21st century, mixing in elements that suggest a work of metafiction as written by the Marx Brothers. . . . Fair Play shows how the true mysteries of death and life can elude the consolations of genre fiction-even as Ms. Hegarty's audacious concoction transcends the limitations of form. Fair play, indeed." - Wall Street Journal
"[An] engaging, ingenious Möbius strip of a book is undoubtedly the most original crime novel you'll read all year." - The Guardian
"A fiendishly designed, intricately layered, psychologically astute tale, and so elegantly written too. I've never read anything like it . . . a story of striking originality. I am full of admiration. - Emma Stonex, author of The Lamplighters
"Dazzling, formally subversive, brimming with compassion, Fair Play explodes the conventions of a mystery in order to confront us with the genuinely mysterious. An emotional ambush of a novel, this book will delight readers-then it will haunt them." - Colin Walsh, author of Kala
"This isn't just a whodunit. It's also a playful, poignant metafictional puzzle that melds genre conventions with wit and heart . . . . Hegarty's novel is as much about storytelling and loss as it is about solving a crime. Clever nods to Golden Age mysteries, a delightfully odd detective and vividly drawn characters make this a standout debut. It's smart, surprising and sneakily emotional; a layered literary game that both satirizes and celebrates the mystery genre while exploring the messier truths it often tries to tidy away." - Seattle Times
"Oh, it's cunning, this splendid novel-like Knives Out with the blades whetted extra-sharp: a mystery to boggle the brain. But what's most surprising is how Louise Hegarty's lovely debut echoes in the heart long after the solution is revealed. Unguessable, irrepressible-and ultimately astonishing." - A.J. Finn, #1 New York Times bestselling author of End of Story and The Woman in the Window
"Brilliant . . . . Readers, especially fans of Richard Osman, will happily go along with the plot's many reversals and take heart in its surprisingly tender conclusion. Hegarty's wonderfully eccentric characters, expert knowledge of classic whodunits, and ability to balance silly hijinks and serious emotional stakes mark her as a writer worth keeping tabs on. For mystery lovers, this is a joy." - Publishers Weekly (starred review)
"[Fair Play] honors the golden age of crime novels, just as it turns the genre on its head." - NPR
"It's a witty, knowing homage to classic detective fiction, but also a deeply sensitive examination of the loneliness and confusion of grief-and a reminder that every sudden death is a mystery that can't be fully explained... a bracing meditation on the different ways we perceive death (and fiction)." - New York Times
"A clever tale of two halves that turns crime genre on its head." - Irish Independent
"Fair Play acts as both witty deconstruction of a genre and portrait of unbearable grief and loss." - Financial Times
