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The Glass Kingdom

By Lawrence Osborne
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Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
The Glass Kingdom is a tense heist novel following Sarah Talbot Jennings, an American woman who flees New York to disappear in the sultry, shadowy world of Bangkok's Kingdom complex. Amid political chaos and a violent uprising, Sarah finds her refuge turning into a dangerous trap as she witnesses chilling events, capturing a vivid intersection of human greed and psychological unrest.
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Format: Paperback / softback
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

Readers who appreciate atmospheric thrillers set in exotic locales will find this novel compelling. Fans of suspenseful, character-driven fiction and those interested in complex psychological dramas and moral ambiguity will be drawn to Osborneโ€™s work.

Book Hero thinking about your next read

A tense, stunningly well-observed heist novel from 'the bastard child of Graham Greene and Patrica Highsmith' (Metro)

Sarah Talbot Jennings, a young American living in New York, has fled to Bangkok to disappear.

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

A tense, stunningly well-observed heist novel following an American woman on the run in the blazing heat of Bangkok, from 'the bastard child of Graham Greene and Patricia Highsmith' (Metro).

The Glass Kingdom is a tense, stunningly well-observed heist novel from 'the bastard child of Graham Greene and Patricia Highsmith' (Metro).

Sarah Talbot Jennings, a young American living in New York, has fled to Bangkok to disappear. Armed with a suitcase full of cash, she takes up residence at the Kingdom, a glittering complex slowly sinking into its own twilight. There, against a backdrop of shadowy gossip and intrigue, she is soon drawn into the orbit of the Kingdom's glamorous ex-pat women. But when political chaos and a frenzied uprising wrack the streets below, and Sarah witnesses something unspeakable, her safe haven begins to feel like a trap.

From a master of atmosphere and suspense comes a brilliantly unsettling story of cruelty and psychological unrest, and an enthralling glimpse into the shadowy crossroads of karma and human greed.

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

Showing Osborne at the height of his powers, The Glass Kingdom is stylish, disquieting, and upends readersโ€™ assumptions. John Gray praises its sophisticated storytelling (New Statesman). Hilary Mantel highlights Bangkok itself as a character, a restless, alien cityscape. Louise Doughty notes Osborne's exceptional descriptive skills and sustained menace (New York Times). Blake Morrison commends the novelโ€™s filmic quality, luxurious setting, and gripping suspense towards a violent finale (London Review of Books). Critics agree that The Glass Kingdom is a masterful, unsettling exploration of cruelty and karma.

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781529110777

Publisher: Vintage Publishing

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 19 August 2021

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Vintage

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 20.0mm

Width: 130.0mm

Height: 200.0mm

Weight: 215g

Pages: 304

Collections

Crime & Thriller Fiction General Fiction Lawrence Osborne Literary Fiction Penguin Books

About the Author

Lawrence Osborne is a critically acclaimed novelist, journalist, and screenwriter based in Bangkok. He is the author of eight novels, including Ballad of a Small Player, Beautiful Animals, and The Forgiven. His non-fiction ranges from memoir through travelogue to essays, including Bangkok Days, The Naked Tourist and The Wet and the Dry. His novels have been chosen as Books of the Year by the Guardian, the Observer, the Daily Telegraph, the New Statesman, the Daily Mail, The Economist, The New Yorker and the New York Times. The Forgiven was made into a film in 2022 starring Jessica Chastain and Ralph Fiennes and Ballad of a Small Player starring Colin Farrell and Tilda Swinton was released on Netflix in 2025.

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