Synopses & Reviews
A stunning debut novel that unravels the hidden story behind a school shooting It should be an open-and-shut case. Samuel Szajkowski, a recently hired history teacher, walked into a school assembly with a gun and murdered three students and a colleague before turning the weapon on himself. It was a tragedy that could not have been predicted. Szajkowski, it seems clear, was a psychopath beyond help. Yet as Detective Inspector Lucia May- the only woman in her high-testosterone office in the Criminal Investigations Department-begins to piece together the testimonies of the various witnesses, an uglier and more complex picture emerges, calling into question the innocence of others. But no one, including Lucia's boss, is interested.
As the pressure to close the case builds and her colleagues' sexism takes a sinister turn, Lucia begins to realize that she has more in common with the killer than she could have imagined, and she becomes determined to expose the truth. Brilliantly interweaving the witnesses' accounts with Lucia's own perspective, A Thousand Cuts is a narrative tour de force from a formidable new voice in fiction.
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“A heart-rate-destabilising novel about the outbreak of a sinister new disease, the authorities' reactions and a pair of would-be whistleblowers. I don't know the ending yet - I'm half-dreading it - but this is one fiendish, impressive book.”
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"With his fragile, sympathetic characters, Lelic has the same ability to make us look at the society we're creating as John le Carré."
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“Lelic’s follow-up proves he’s no one-hit wonder. The Facility is well crafted…pacy and absorbing from the first page…Lelic has demonstrated once again his talent as a storyteller, keeping his prose fast-paced and always giving his characters distinct, believable voices. With The Facility he finds a niche as an author of solid, engrossing thrillers who could well turn out to be a serial bestseller.”
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“Lelic can plot like a demon and write wonderful dialogue…[He] has real talent and it will be interesting to see where he goes next.”
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“Edgy…Compelling…it concerns a top-secret institution where a number of prisoners have been taken against their will.”
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“Timely…Lelic has written a thriller for our times, whose plot is driven by a political machine that’s oiled and ready in the real world…This is Kafka meets Orwell in contemporary England.”
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“The Facility is an uputdownable thriller…there is simply no putting the book down at any point…Apart from his storytelling skills Lelic has two potent weapons in his armoury, his dialogue which is scabrous and flint-edged and his characters.”
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“[Lelic’s] ability to create an atmosphere of tension and foreboding fits…neatly into this frighteningly believable conspiracy thriller... Clever, well-paced and with a clear message, this is an ambitious and important novel with shades of George Orwell's 1984 at its core”
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“An elegant crime thriller about a falsely imprisoned man and his estranged wife, intent on finding the truth. They collide with a journalist investigating a secret government facility hidden in the countryside. Topical and fast-paced.”
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“A deeply unsettling read.”
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“Vivid and compelling, it has drawn comparisons with George Orwell’s 1984.”
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“Lelic’s lean prose and intelligent approach to a controversial issue produce a riveting read.”—Publishers Weekly
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“Former journalist Lelic brings the skills of his profession to bear in his fiction: timely topics relayed in the crispest of prose… in his latest, he dissects with chilling precision the consequences of unchecked governmental authority… Lelic makes numerous salient points about the suspension of civil liberties by an all-powerful entity even as he depicts the nightmare of an innocent man and his evolution from outright terror to dignified resistance. A fast-paced, topical read.”—Booklist
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“A perfect, gleaming piece of engineering…It works like a vise.”—Onion A.V. Club
Synopsis
"Who are you? Are you the police? This isn't legal, you know. You can't hold me like this."
In a near-future dystopian Britain, democracy has been undermined. Emboldened by new anti-terrorism laws, police start to “disappear” people from the streets for unspecified crimes. But when unassuming dentist Arthur Priestley is snatched and held prisoner at a top-secret facility, his estranged wife, Julia, and a brave but naive journalist named Tom Clarke embark on a harrowing quest for the truth. Following a trail that leads to the very top of government, they soon find themselves fighting for their lives. Well-crafted, fast-paced, and totally compelling, The Facility is a brilliant thriller that resonates eerily with the timbre of our times.
Synopsis
"In his powerful, wrenching debut, Lelic takes a sadly familiar crime and delves into the equally familiar menace at its root: bullying." -People In this riveting debut novel about sexism, bullying, and the horrific effects of random acts of violence, Detective Inspector Lucia May investigates a school shooting in which a teacher has killed three pupils, another teacher, and then himself-a tragedy that could not have been predicted. It should be an openand- shut case. Yet as Lucia begins to piece together the testimonies of the various witnesses, an uglier and more complex picture emerges, calling into question the innocence of others. Brilliantly interweaving the witnesses' accounts with Lucia's own perspective, A Thousand Cuts is a narrative tour de force from a formidable new voice in fiction.
Synopsis
"Who are you? Are you the police? This isn't legal, you know. You can't hold me like this."
In a near-future dystopian Britain, democracy has been undermined. Emboldened by new anti-terrorism laws, police start to “disappear” people from the streets for unspecified crimes. But when unassuming dentist Arthur Priestley is snatched and held prisoner at a top-secret facility, his estranged wife, Julia, and a brave but naive journalist named Tom Clarke embark on a harrowing quest for the truth. Following a trail that leads to the very top of government, they soon find themselves fighting for their lives. Well-crafted, fast-paced, and totally compelling, The Facility is a brilliant thriller that resonates eerily with the timbre of our times.
About the Author
Simon Lelic is the author of The Child Who and A Thousand Cuts, winner of a Betty Trask award, shortlisted for the CWA John Creasey New Blood Dagger Award and for the Macavity Award for Best First Mystery Novel; it was also selected as a New York Times notable crime book. He has worked as a journalist and currently runs his own business. He lives in Brighton, England, with his wife and three children.