The Most Difficult Thing

★★★★★

Firmly in the emerging domestic noir genre, Charlotte Philby’s debut is enigmatic, and compelling to the end. Philby – an investigative journalist and granddaughter of Britain’s most famous communist double-agent, Kim Philby – is perfectly placed to blend spy thriller with domestic tension. Claims that The Most Difficult Thing is reminiscent of The Night Manager from a woman’s point of view, aren’t far off. Centred around two women and the men they love, the novel takes a good hard look at the nature of family, swirled with a gritty undercurrent of lies and betrayal. Told through alternate chapters, Anna and Maria’s double lives interweave around a family patriarch.