Rough Cider

by Peter Lovesey

Overview

“Bracing psychological suspense.”—The New York Times Book Review

Reading, England, 1964. Theo, a lonely university lecturer, is approached by an American girl named Alice who wants to learn more about her father, a GI hanged for murder in Somerset during World War II. As a boy, Theo was a principal witness for the prosecution. He has been haunted by the arrest and conviction ever since. As the pair tries to uncover the facts, the horrors of the past take on a frightening immediacy when another murder is committed.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781569477366
Publisher:	Soho Press, Incorporated
Publication date:	07/01/2003
Sold by:	Penguin Random House Publisher Services
Format:	eBook
Pages:	258
File size:	881 KB

About the Author

Peter Lovesey is the author of more than thirty highly praised mystery novels and has been awarded the CWA Gold and Silver Daggers and the Diamond Dagger for Lifetime Achievement, as well as many US honors. He lives in West Sussex, England.

Editorial Reviews

When Theo Sinclair was nine years old, in 1943, he fell in love with a girl of 20 named Barbara Lockwood, who killed herself. Now it's 1964, and Theo is teaching undergraduate history courses at the University of Reading, England. He's only 29, but already a confirmed bachelor and curmudgeon. Theo's humdrum life is shattered by the appearance of Alice Ashenfelter, a beautiful young American whose father was hanged for the murder provoked by Barbara's suicide. Alice is determined to prove that justice miscarried, and finds ways to engage Theo in her cause. Suddenly, as the pair investigate the old mystery, there's a new murder, then a third. Lovesey deftly builds suspense as the plot unfolds, and his slam-bang finish is altogether satisfying. Quirky and entertaining characters give added depth to this corker of a novel. Mystery Guild selection. (May)

Publishers Weekly - Publisher's Weekly

Crime Writers' Association Diamond Dagger for Lifetime Achievement Recipient
Mystery Writers of America 2018 Grandmaster

Praise for Rough Cider

Nominated for the Edgar Award for Best Mystery Novel

“Bracing psychological suspense.”
—The New York Times Book Review

“This is a Russian doll of a book, one secret concealed inside another, one fact leading to another, just the way a whodunit ought to be, but so often is not. It is neatly constructed and written in a quick-fire prose style, which adds considerably to its appeal.”
—Financial Times

“[Lovesey] excels at his craft and keeps coming up with books that entertain and puzzle.”
—The Sunday Telegraph

“I enjoyed Rough Cider very much indeed, read it at a sitting . . . Original the novel certainly is, leaving the reader dry-mouthed. But with no desire for cider as a thirst-quencher.”
—Ruth Rendell

Praise for Peter Lovesey
 
“I have long loved Peter Lovesey’s books . . . A creative, courageous and gifted writer.”
—Louise Penny
 
“Lovesey is a master of the crime novel.”
—Sara Paretsky
 
“What'll it be today? A knotty puzzle mystery? A fast-paced police procedural? Something more high-toned, with a bit of wit? With the British author Peter Lovesey, there's no need to make those agonizing decisions, because his books have it all.”
—The New York Times Book Review
 
“Mr. Lovesey's narrative is swift, but he takes time out for local color and abundant humor, the latter springing from the book's quirky characters . . . Lovesey is a wizard at mixing character-driven comedy with realistic-to-grim suspense. And in a writing career spanning four decades, he has created a stylish and varied body of work.”
—The Wall Street Journal
 
“A treat . . . Lovesey’s restraint, wit, and charming cast ensure him a place in the winner’s circle.”
 —Entertainment Weekly
 
“Extremely stylish, lighter than air . . . utterly surprising.”
—Newsweek

From the Publisher