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The Blackmailer

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( 114 ratings, 12 reviews)
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 Blackmailer by Isabel Colegate is a gripping tale set in post-war England, exploring themes of power, morality, and desire. It follows a young man whose attempt to blackmail a charming, enigmatic couple leads to unexpected consequences. Through atmospheric prose, the story delves into the complexities of human behaviour and the thin line between right and wrong.
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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?

You might enjoy this book if you are intrigued by 1950s London society and the complexities of human relationships. It offers a compelling exploration of secrets, moral dilemmas, and the intricate dance of societal expectations, providing a vivid look into the psychological intricacies of its characters.

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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

The glittering, sharp and sinister work of one of our most incisive and wickedly funny satirists; 'Isabel Colegate has no rival' (The Times)

'What we feel for each other is really a passion for power,' said Judith. 'We want to destroy each other by making the other fall in love with us.'

Judith Lane, not-quite-beautiful but charmingly serious, is the young widow of the war hero Anthony Lane, and an editor at the successful if rather rakish publisher Hanescu Lane & Co. Ltd. But one evening the harmonious routine of Judith’s life is interrupted when she receives her first visit from Baldwin Reeves, who reveals that Anthony’s wartime adventures were not quite as glorious as the newspaper reports would have her believe.

To protect Anthony’s family from the scandal, Judith reluctantly acquiesces to the repellent but attractive Reeves’s demands – but both blackmailer and blackmailee soon find themselves out of their depth in ways they could not have anticipated.

Darkly funny, strangely sexy, and glittering with Isabel Colegate’s scalpel-sharp wit, The Blackmailer is a savage and sinister comic classic.

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?

Isabel Colegate's The Blackmailer combines the quirky sensibility of Muriel Spark with the atmospheric setting reminiscent of Iris Murdoch, crafting a witty story of extortion and romance set in 1950s London. The novel is celebrated for its portrayal of English manners, receiving praise for its flowing and engaging narrative.

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781526615541

Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 09 June 2022

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 10.0mm

Width: 128.0mm

Height: 196.0mm

Weight: 140g

Pages: 160

About the Author

Isabel Colegate was born in 1931 in London and was educated at Runton Hill School in Norfolk. In 1952 she went into partnership with Anthony Blond, who was then starting a literary agency and would go on to found a publishing house, and in 1953 she married Michael Briggs, with whom she has a daughter and two sons. Colegate’s first novel, The Blackmailer, was published in 1958 and was followed by twelve more novels and one work of non-fiction. Her bestselling novel The Shooting Party won the W.H. Smith Literary Award and was adapted for a now-classic 1985 film. She has written reviews for the Spectator, Daily Telegraph and Times Literary Supplement. Isabel Colegate was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature in 1981. She lives in Somerset.

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