READING IDEAS FOR THE WEEK

The Blackmailer Bloomsbury, £8.99

Areissue of a classic originally published in 1958, this short novel from Isabel Colegate certainly packs a punch. Set in 1950s London, the reader is immersed in the cut-throat world of the Fleet Street literary scene, and is privy to the inner workings of the publishing world.

The narrative focuses on Baldwin Reeves, a former soldier turned barrister, who is determined to make his name known in the legal scene.

However, Baldwin knows a secret – a secret he knows will have explosive consequences if ever revealed to the public. After finding himself lured by the promise of a big paycheck from a newspaper journalist, who wants to publish an exclusive article covering the shocking story, Baldwin decides to blackmail the young widow of one of his former army colleagues and war hero Anthony Lane.

Lane was hailed as a hero after being killed during the Korean war, but it becomes apparent he was not the man that the newspapers portrayed him to be.

His widow Judith Lane is in the publishing world, and after being told by Baldwin he intends to sell her late husband’s story, and sully his reputation, Judith finds herself embroiled in an entanglement with the barrister – she must weigh up what protecting her husband’s reputation is really worth.

Due to it’s length, the character development is understandably limited, but the complexities of the relationship between Judith and Baldwin makes for compelling reading.

Both are equally matched in terms of their agency and power over one another, which seems extraordinary given the context in which it was originally written.

Isabel Colegate rejects the male/female gender tropes that are prominent in literature from the era, and the result is a brilliantly witty yet surprisingly dark story, and serves as a brilliant case study in comic writing.

A real treat for literary fans, The Blackmailer manages to still feel contemporary in a world where tabloid journalism – and now social media spin-offs – remain at the forefront of setting the news agenda. A must-read classic.