The Night in Question
The uplifting new book club read from the prize-winning author
-
- $15.99
Publisher Description
Discover the uplifting story with a uniquely loveable protagonist, perfect for fans of The List of Suspicious Things, Elizabeth is Missing, and Dear Mrs Bird.
'Full of unforgettable characters . . . a beguiling mystery’ Jennie Godfrey, author of The List of Suspicious Things
'A wonderfully warm and involving page-turner.' Clare Chambers, author of Small Pleasures
'Life-affirming [and] full of surprises' Emma Stonex, author of The Lamplighters
Florence Butterfield has a secret.
She's kept it for 70 years. She's travelled the world, fallen in love, and grown and changed in ways she never could have imagined. But she's never told a soul.
Until one midsummer's night, something happens. Something so terrible and unexpected that it changes everything for Florrie. And perhaps, at last, her long-buried secret will finally see the light of day . . .
Praise for The Night in Question and Susan Fletcher:
'[Fletcher's] prose is extraordinarily lyrical . . . and her themes are profound.' Sunday Times
'A gifted storyteller' Independent
'Fletcher unpeels with delicacy and insight the complex layers of the human heart.' Guardian
Readers LOVE The Night in Question:
'I absolutely loved this book... The writing is compelling and a joy to read.' ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
'A heartwarming story that [...] moved me to tears more than once.' ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
'I loved this gorgeous novel, which is both a gripping, twisting whodunnit and a moving, intricate, beautifully written portrait of a life.' ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
'Easily the best book I've read this year.' ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
'A glorious combination of razor-sharp plotting, vivid characterisation and beautiful prose.' ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Fletcher (House of Glass) expertly intertwines two mysteries in this eloquent and astute tale set in a British assisted living facility. The first mystery concerns Renata Green, manager of Babbington Hall, a retirement residence in the Oxfordshire countryside. Renata's fall from her office window is witnessed by 87-year-old Florrie Butterfield, who roams the facility's grounds in her wheelchair and is "as deaf as a saucepan without her hearing aids." Residents suspect Renata jumped in a suicide attempt that has left her comatose, but Florrie, who chatted with Renata earlier in the day and found her to be uncharacteristically cheery and outgoing, believes she was murdered. Following that hunch, the octogenarian sets about investigating with the help of fellow resident and former schoolteacher Stanhope Jones. As they gather clues, Fletcher lights the fuse on the second mystery: who is Florrie, anyway? What's behind the terrible secret she has trouble even thinking about in private? And what might she learn about forgiveness from her sleuthing with Stanhope? Fletcher points those questions in poignant directions, providing her unforgettable protagonist with resonant lessons about mending the past, all while maintaining satisfying tension in the central whodunit. This gloriously uplifting mystery will stay with readers long after they've turned the final page.
