A Closed Book

Book excerpt: An isolated house deep in the Cotswolds. A writer's den, as dusty and gloomy as the cell of a medieval monk. Two people sit opposite each other, one of them talking, the other typing. But why, in such already sombre surroundings, does one of them wear thick dark glasses? And what, above all, has caused an unearthy shadow to fall across these two interwoven destinies? Apart from the several startling twists of its own brilliant plot, A Closed Book springs a few extra surprises on those readers who have already seen the film version. 'A page-turner par excellence.' Evening Standard 'Gilbert Adair's spookily gripping novel blends an Agatha Christie-like twist with a Hitchcockian plot.' Marie Claire 'This short, intellectually resourceful thriller...sparklingly clever, adroit and entertaining.' The Spectator 'Gilbert Adair's novel has an almost cinematic, even radio-play, sense of suspense, but plays tricks only possible on the page...The finale is deliciously apt and unsettling. ' Independent 'Very readable indeed...a darkly entertaining soufflé... A Closed Book positively invites an informed second reading.' Independent on Sunday