Out

Natsuo Kirino

Set in modern Japan, this is a tense and compelling read. It tells the tale of four ordinary working-class women and the profound effect that one event has on their lives. At first glance I didn't think I would enjoy this book but I was totally wrong - I was hooked from the first page and couldn't put it down.

Extract

She knew now that his hatred was on the verge of erupting, and that he seemed to be enjoying the game of pushing it toward the brink. She had seen the amusement in his eyes, seen how much pleasure it gave him to play cat and mouse with her. But she'd also seen that something in him was unhinged and impelling him towards an explosion. That same thing was inside her, too. It was the part of her that had secretly thought she might be willing to die as long as he were the one to kill her.

Parallels