Almost Love

Louise O’neill Riverrun. Out Thursday The eagerly anticipated first adult novel from YA star O’neill introduces Sarah, an art teacher at an exclusive Dublin school, drawn into a painfully one-sided affair with the wealthy, powerful father of one of her pupils.

Her obsession for the older man, despite barely knowing him, grows to impact on every aspect of her life.

It is testament to O’neill that you can’t help but feel and fear for the selfish and not too likeable Sarah as revelations about her tragic childhood hint at her damaged psyche.

It’s hard to resist the compulsive, car-crash appeal of this raw story. A private detective falls in love with the beautiful redhead he is investigating – but does he know what his beloved is capable of? A pacy, pithy modern take on the noir tradition – and influenced by the old movies that the heroine loves – this is terrific entertainment. In the tough environment of Australia’s Northern Territory in 1978, women have little time for leisure. But when five pals bond over a love of reading, the result is life-changing. A sweet tale, and wonderfully atmospheric.