Bring the House Down

The clever U.S. debut from British journalist Runcie explores a messy situation involving a performer and her critic during the Edinburgh Fringe arts festival. Alex Lyon, a senior editor at a London newspaper, writes a scathing anonymous review of Haley Sinclair’s one-woman show, Climate Emergence–She. Later that night, Alex meets Haley randomly at a pub and they sleep together—without her knowing about his takedown, which will be published in the morning. When junior writer Sophie Rigden, a friend of Alex’s, accidentally outs him as the author of the hit piece, an enraged Haley changes her entire show into a statement about Alex’s behavior. As the Fringe Festival wears on, The Alex Lyons Experience gains more followers and momentum, with people coming forward to share the terrible things Alex has done, from being rude to his coworkers to sleeping with his best friend’s sister. Sophie stands by Alex as the conflict escalates while dealing with her own difficulties as a new mother, her grief over her mother’s recent death, and her husband’s infidelity, which leads her to make some questionable decisions of her own. Throughout, Runcie takes a thought-provoking look at art’s complex relationship with criticism and public outrage. This dramedy packs a punch. Agent: Rachel Yeoh, Madeleine Milburn Literary. (July)