The Book Of You - Softcover

Kendal, Claire

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1443425974 ISBN 13: 9781443425971

Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers, 2014

Synopsis

For Clarissa, their night together marked the end of something, but for Rafe, it was just the beginning . . .

For Clarissa, being called to do jury duty is a relief. It means she can leave work for a couple of weeks and avoid the unwanted attentions of her university colleague, Rafe. An intense man who is an expert on grisly folk tales, Rafe has always unnerved her, and Clarissa still cannot understand how she could have let herself have a drunken one-night stand with him.

As the trial unfolds, Clarissa begins to see the parallels between the violent tale related by the young woman whose attackers she is judging and her own situation. But with no crime to report and only her gut feeling to guide her, she is powerless. What can you do when the lines between fantasy and reality, love and fixation become dangerously blurred? How do you protect yourself from an enemy that no one else can see?

With an original structure and a heroine whose voice is equal parts unsettling and unforgettable, The Book of You is tinged with the darkness of a macabre fairy tale, yet is terrifyingly close to reality, a story that will haunt readers long after the last page is turned.

About this title

From the Back Cover

His name is Rafe, and he is everywhere Clarissa turns. At work. At her apartment. At the park. His messages choke her voicemail; his unwanted gifts keep appearing at her door. And as he has made clear, he will never let her go.

Clarissa's only sanctuary is the courtroom where she serves jury duty. The trial's rhythm allows her space to make new friends, including Robert, an attractive widower. But Rafe's relentless fixation, now fueled by jealousy, escalates in tandem with the chilling tale of predator and prey unfolding before Clarissa in court. Her only chance of escape lies in exposing Rafe's sinister intentions. Strand by strand she unravels the macabre fairy tale Rafe has spun around them and discovers that the happy ending he envisions is more horrifying than her darkest fears.

Masterfully constructed, with riveting tension and a haunting sense of menace, Claire Kendal's extraordinary debut explores the lines between obsession and love, offering a heart-stopping portrait of a woman determined to survive.

About the Author

Claire Kendal was born in America and educated in England, where she has spent all her adult life. Her first novel, The Book of You, was translated into more than twenty languages. Claire teaches English literature and creative writing, and lives in England’s South West region with her family.

About this edition

• Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
• Publication date: 2014
• ISBN 10: 1443425974
• ISBN 13: 9781443425971
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 384