Crazy Paving

The gripping psychological suspense novel from the bestselling author of APPLE TREE YARD, also a hit BBC series starring Emily Watson

SHORTLISTED FOR THE JOHN LLEWELYN RHYS PRIZE

Annette, Joan, and Helly have little in common beyond the drudgery of their London office job - and the man who runs it. Their boss is charming when he needs to be, but beneath the surface lies something far more dangerous: manipulation, corruption, and a quiet threat that none of them can escape.

As bomb scares rattle the city and daily life begins to fracture, the pressure inside the office mounts. Small compromises turn large. Loyalties shift. And when the women find themselves drawn into their boss’s increasingly sinister schemes, the line between victim and accomplice - employer and employee - begins to blur.

Darkly funny, unsettling, and sharply observed, Crazy Paving is a story of three women who are forced to ditch everything for an offensive of their own, only to find the cruellest circumstances can make heroines of us all…

Like most offices, theirs is full of intrigue, sexual desire and blackmail - and everybody thinks it is somebody elses turn to make the coffee.

PRAISE FOR LOUISE DOUGHTY:

Few first novels are as confident and accomplished as Louise Doughtys darkly funny debut...often touching, always incisive, and moves along at a spanking pace DAILY TELEGRAPH

Attention to comic detail reminiscent of Margaret Atwood...brave, haunting and hilariousTIME OUT

Fresh, original, funny and sad...DEBORAH MOGGACH

Wonderfully witty, and filled with lively and convincing dialogue and vibrant characters - a black comedy for our timesMALCOLM BRADBURY