The Favour
Published on 4. March 2021
Book
Paperback/Softback
336 pages
978-1-83895-202-0 (ISBN)
Description
'Absorbing, intelligent and atmospheric... Genius' Elizabeth Haynes
_________________________
Fortune favours the fraud...
When she was thirteen years old, Ada Howell lost not just her father, but the life she felt she was destined to lead. Now, at eighteen, Ada is given a second chance when her wealthy godmother gifts her with an extravagant art history trip to Italy.
In the palazzos of Venice, the cathedrals of Florence and the villas of Rome, she finally finds herself among the kind of people she aspires to be: sophisticated, cultured, privileged. Ada does everything in her power to prove she is one of them. And when a member of the group dies in suspicious circumstances, she seizes the opportunity to permanently bind herself to this gilded set.
But everything hidden must eventually surface, and when it does, Ada discovers she's been keeping a far darker secret than she could ever have imagined...
'Intelligent, elegant and immersive' Claire Kendal
'A compulsive story, written with steely intelligence and wicked prose' Elizabeth Buchan
_________________________
Fortune favours the fraud...
When she was thirteen years old, Ada Howell lost not just her father, but the life she felt she was destined to lead. Now, at eighteen, Ada is given a second chance when her wealthy godmother gifts her with an extravagant art history trip to Italy.
In the palazzos of Venice, the cathedrals of Florence and the villas of Rome, she finally finds herself among the kind of people she aspires to be: sophisticated, cultured, privileged. Ada does everything in her power to prove she is one of them. And when a member of the group dies in suspicious circumstances, she seizes the opportunity to permanently bind herself to this gilded set.
But everything hidden must eventually surface, and when it does, Ada discovers she's been keeping a far darker secret than she could ever have imagined...
'Intelligent, elegant and immersive' Claire Kendal
'A compulsive story, written with steely intelligence and wicked prose' Elizabeth Buchan
Reviews / Votes
A treat ... excellent insights ... elegant prose * Daily Mail * With a frisson of uneasiness throughout, this intensely captivating thriller will cast its spell, leaving you on edge with unexpected twists. * Heat Magazine * Intelligent, elegant and immersive. I found myself absorbed by the voice and story, and fascinated by a complex narrator who made me feel both empathy and horror. -- Claire Kendal, bestselling author of 'The Book of You' Absorbing, intelligent and atmospheric, full of cool, incisive observations on class, loyalty and friendship - and oh my goodness, a razor-sharp twist. Genius. -- Elizabeth Haynes Ambition, lust, family secrets and lashings of Italian art - what could go wrong? A compulsive story, written with steely intelligence and wicked prose, that should propel the author into the bestseller lists. -- Elizabeth Buchan A heady tapestry of desires, secrets and entitled cruelties, suffused with the heat and shimmer of Italy... beautifully written, intoxicating... Fab! -- Philippa East Glamour and art with a very dark underbelly of deceit and jealousy, that kept me guessing (and gasping) to the very end. -- Cressida McLauglin The Favour is a refreshing, fun and compelling read about deception and consequences that had me hooked from the start. Ada is a wonderful creation who will stay with me for some time. * Lisa Ballantyne * Intense and intelligent, with a deliciously dark and dangerous atmosphere, and a story suffused with secrets and lies. Not to mention the intrigue of Italy, a fascinating central character and a killer twist. I loved it! * Jenny Quintana, author of The Missing Girl * Devious and manipulative, she pulls the reader through this tale of gilded youth misbehaving and paying the price. The tension comes not so much from whether the truth about the crime will emerge as from whether or not Ada will ultimately get what she wants or the punishment she so richly deserves. * Literary Review * Riveting ... an enormously engrossing, satisfying book - darkly funny, sharply ironic, keenly observed and elegantly written * Western Mail * A gripping plot, fascinating characters and a glorious backdrop ... a hugely ambitious debut that delivers handsomely on its promise * Irish Times *More details
Edition
Export/Airside
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Atlantic Books
Dimensions
Height: 234 mm
Width: 153 mm
Thickness: 23 mm
Weight
425 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-83895-202-0 (9781838952020)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Person
Laura Vaughan grew up in rural Wales, and studied Art History in Italy and Classics at Bristol and Oxford. She got her first book deal aged twenty-two and went on to write eleven books for children and young adults. She lives in South London with her husband and two children. The Favour is her first novel for adults.