Part political thriller, part meditation on the nature of desire and betrayal,Grimly funny, painfully sad, and beautifully written.Poet James Lasdun confirms his career as an important novelist. . . . Macabre but sensationally authentic.A surprising and nuanced novel . . . that skillfully blends the political and the personal.Pitch-perfect. . . . And what finely wrought characters. . . . [Superb. . . . Every page of this narration bears examples of Lasduns own poetic mastery. . . . Shockingly vivid.