My Lover's Lover - Softcover

O'Farrell, Maggie

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0747268754 ISBN 13: 9780747268758

Publisher: QPD, 2002

Synopsis

Her award-winning novel, After You'd Gone, established Maggie O'Farrell as a master of psychological depth and supple prose. In My Lover's Lover she has written a haunting page-turner.

When Lily slips on the sidewalk outside a London gallery and literally falls at the feet of a stranger, Marcus, the attraction is instant and electric. Within a week she is sharing this magnetic yet elusive architect's waterfront loft and sleeping in the room that belonged to his girlfriend, Sinead-of whom all he will say is "she's no longer . . . with us." But there lingers a distinct presence, of a woman who seems to have disappeared abruptly-leaving behind a single sexy dress in the closet, a puzzling mark on the wall, and the suffocating scent of jasmine. As Lily falls ever more deeply in love with Marcus, Sinead's aura consumes her with fear and obsession that spark a drama of passion and betrayal.

About this title

About the Author

Maggie O'Farrell's debut novel, After You'd Gone, was published to international acclaim and won a Betty Trask Award.

From Publishers Weekly

British writer O'Farrell turns a deceptively simple romantic novel into an engrossing story of psychological suspense. Lily, a young Londoner, meets Marcus, an architect, at an art opening, and they fall for each other. Within a week, she's moved into his loft, which he also shares with Aidan, a film animator. Lily takes over a room once occupied by Marcus's ex-girlfriend, Sinead. Marcus says very little about Sinead, except that "she's no longer... with us," causing Lily to wonder if perhaps she's dead. As Lily and Marcus become more deeply involved, Lily becomes obsessed with Sinead's fate and thinks she sees her everywhere; especially disconcerting are Sinead's spectral appearances while Lily and Marcus are making love. Then one day, Lily stumbles across the real Sinead and attempts to question her about her relationship with Marcus. Sinead flees, but Lily tracks her down; she finds that Sinead is a lecturer in English literature, and finally gets her to tell why she broke up with Marcus. Sinead's story makes up the second part of the book, chronicling the onset and passionate height of their five-year affair and her discovery that he was an inveterate philanderer. Lily realizes that her relationship with Marcus has been unhealthy; now it's her turn to flee. In the book's final major section, Aidan falls in love with Sinead and a strange turn of events finds three of the characters in Australia. O'Farrell's premise-a woman's curiosity about her lover's former relationship-is somewhat commonplace. What makes her novel distinctive is the supernatural element, which she manages well, suggesting that Lily's subconscious will save her in the end. O'Farrell's debut, After You'd Gone, won a Betty Trask Award.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About this edition

• Publisher: QPD
• Publication date: 2002
• ISBN 10: 0747268754
• ISBN 13: 9780747268758
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 322