Bitter Orange

Reviews

Nothing is quite what it seems in this engrossing, moreish novel about a naïve woman and the hedonistic couple who beguile her Rich and compelling. Fuller is an accomplished writer Reminds me of JL Carr's A Month in the Country, Daphne Du Maurier's Jamaica Inn, and Shirley Jackson's We Have Always Lived in the Castle. Incredibly atmospheric, vivid, and intriguing. I had to keep reminding myself that I wasn't reading a forgotten classic. A stealthy shocker about thwarted desire. A sinister, slow-burn tale that saves its most heart-wrenching revelation for last A twisty, thorny, darkly atmospheric page turner about loneliness and belonging As haunting as tuberose and delicate as a scalpel Heady, claustrophobic . . . makes for perfect heatwave reading. Echoes Penelope Lively's Booker-winning Moon Tiger, Anita Brookner's Look At Me, and Sarah Waters' The Little Stranger A rich and hypnotic read This darkly smouldering, desperately sad, superior psychological thriller contains shades of Zoe Heller's Notes On A Scandal It is rare for me to put down a novel and then immediately consider rereading it to see what cleverness I might have missed. This time, though, I am tempted. Atmospheric. Rich, clever and very readable. A delicate and disturbing read, alive with love, lust, envy and guilt A sinister story that considers the terrifying lengths people will go to escape their pasts. In the vein of Shirley Jackson's bone-chilling The Haunting of Hill House, Fuller's disturbing novel will entrap readers in its twisty narrative, leaving them to reckon with what is real and what is unreal. An intoxicating, unsettling masterpiece. Bitter Orange reads like an assured, old-school, du Maurieresque classic. It's an atmospheric page-turner that speeds us towards a bloody climax of shocks and surprises Sinister and suspenseful, this gothic novel simmers with guilt, lust and envy Bewitching, otherworldly . . . full of dark foreboding. Claire Fuller is a dazzling storyteller. A compulsive page-turner. Fuller creates an atmosphere of simmering menace with all the assurance of a latter-day Daphne du Maurier A rich, dark pressure cooker of a novel that simmers with slow heat and suppressed tension Dark, beautifully written. It reminds me very much of Ian McEwan's Atonement, with similar slow-build tension and claustrophobic atmosphere An exquisite and skilfully written novel, which worms its way under your skin while Frances's loneliness seeps off every page Fuller is a master at summoning the atmosphere of a heady, hot summer that thrums with tension Multi-layered, lush, twisty and brilliantly clever A smart creation from a skilled writer: a heady psychological novel that builds its layers carefully to allow gradual revelations and stomach-churning surprises Full of complex characters and narrative richness Loneliness, guilt and atonement are at the heart of the atmospheric Bitter Orange Naturally engaging and elegantly written. Fuller is an amply gifted storyteller With shades of Brideshead and Manderley, Claire Fuller's atmospheric third novel plays a satisfyingly unpredictable game with reader expectations. Prepare to be meticulously unsettled and horribly enthralled Full of dark foreboding. Claire Fuller is a dazzling storyteller Cannily releasing clues on the way to an explosive finale . . . The lush setting and remarkable characters make for an immersive mystery Elegant, atmospheric, vivid Beautifully written, with echoes of Barbara Vine and Daphne du Maurier Sumptuous and sinister with gothic hints, this is a compelling tale of blurred friendships Expand reviews