Soon

This taut suspense novel eschews conventional catharsis in a study of a man corrupted by proximity to power. Simon Lampton's connection to New Zealand's Prime Minister David Hallwright and David's wife, Roza, drew Simon and his wife into circles of power and influence that might otherwise have been denied to them; the cost is continual exposure to a toxic environment of smug entitlement, back-biting rivalries, barely veiled racism, and the charismatic prime minister's brand of affable corruption. When journalist Arthur Weeks's threat to expose an old shame ends in a homicide, Simon is forced to acknowledge the depths to which he has sunk. While Simon and his family are presented by Grimshaw (Singularity) as flawed but perhaps redeemable, the same cannot be said of the loathsome prime minster and his cronies, who are illuminated by a very unflattering light. Readers expecting traditional nemesis to take familiar form should look elsewhere, but people seeking a tightly plotted, incisive depiction of the corrosive effects of power will find time spent reading this novel well invested. Agent: Caroline Dawnay, United Agents. (Oct.)