Farthing

If Le Carre scares you, try Jo Walton. Of course her brilliant story of a democracy selling itself out to fascism sixty years ago is just a mystery, just a thriller, just a fantasy of course we know nothing like that could happen now. Don t we?

Stunningly powerful While the whodunit plot is compelling, it s the convincing portrait of a country s incremental slide into fascism that makes this novel a standout. Mainstream readers should be enthralled as well. - Publishers Weekly

Amazing One of the most compelling and chilling books of the year - RT Book Reviews

A subversive, trenchant and simultaneously dark and light piece of speculative fiction. Can I get an amen? The parallels between her Britain and today s climate are never didactic and always effective. It s also a book about husbands and wives, and about class and sex. It is quite an achievement, brothers and sisters. Hallelujah. - Bookslut

A stiff-upper-lip whodunit boasting political intrigue and uncomfortable truths about anti-Semitism. - Entertainment Weekly

Walton realizes an all-too-convincing alternate world in which the Third Reich but not its spirit was stopped at the English Channel. The characters are highly plausible, and in every aspect from the petty snobbery hampering the inspector to the we-don t-do-that-here conclusion, the plot encourages warily reconsidering the daily news. - Booklist

A beautifully-written alternate history thriller by World Fantasy Award-winner Jo Walton, Farthing is a smart, convincing tale of a country s slide into fascism that s sure to entertain casual and genre readers alike. - Cinescope

It really is one of those books that succeeds in almost too many ways to count. It’s a great, engaging read, and sharp as a knife. The most meaningful parahistorical novel I’ve come across in a long time, succinct and rivetingly readable.