My Lover's Lover (Paperback)

Publisher and industry reviews

Jacket review

'A quietly dramatic dissection of the way past loves can haunt the present' -- The Daily Telegraph 20030111 'MY LOVER'S LOVER is a beautiful, lyrical, haunting tale of a girlfriend obsessed by her lover's feelings towards the woman who came before her' -- Daily Express 20021228 '!an emotional whirlwind, all passionate yearnings, raw pain and messy truths; powerful in nailing the complications of love without missing it out the power of the emotions involved' -- The Scotsman 20030111 'Beautifully written' -- Heat 20030125 'This Rebecca-esque ghost story puts at its heart the gnawing insecurities that any act of intimacy soon invites' -- The Independent 20030111 'O'Farrell's writing has a crystalline precision of idiom - there isn't one image that fails to ignite recognition' -- Independent on Sunday 20030119 'An intense, unnerving and passionate story of betrayal, loss and love in the past and present' -- Sunday Mirror 20030119 'O'Farrell has honourably equalled the success of her first novel, After You'd Gone, with a story that is certainly as absorbing - and just as beautifully written' -- Sunday Express 20021229

UK Kirkus review

Maggie O'Farrell's debut novel, After You'd Gone, was published to great critical acclaim, earning the young author a prestigious Betty Trask Award. This, her second novel is an extraordinary tale of the nature of betrayal, and how infidelity can destroy even the most secure of relationships. The first section of the book is devoted to Lily's account of her blossoming relationship with Marcus, a charming young architect who is looking for a flatmate. Only days after they meet at a gallery opening, they have moved in together, and Lily is soon sharing his bed as well as his flat. But all is not well in Marcus's lofty warehouse pad. Lily is uncomfortably aware of another, sinister, presence, and realizes she is being plagued by the intangible spirit of her new lover's former girlfriend, Sinead. Little by little, O'Farrell builds up an atmosphere of almost unbearable tension as doors slam, lights go out, packets jump off shelves and most horrifying of all, Sinead appears at the bedside as Lily and Marcus are making love.The first part of the novel has the haunting air of a modern ghost story, and the more Lily tries to untangle the mystery surrounding Sinead, the less Marcus and Aidan, Marcus's old schoolfriend, seem determined to tell her. Following a dramatic confrontation on Hungerford Bridge, Lily eventually learns the truth from Sinead herself. Although Lily narrates much of the story, she is a rather shadowy character who comes into her own in the heart-stopping 'ghost' scenes before fading away into relative obscurity later in the book. The real heroine is the flamboyant Sinead, whose devotion to Marcus is destined to lead to heartbreak. Aidan is torn between his own feelings for Sinead and his disgust with Marcus's promiscuous behaviour while Lily is torn between them all, beset by confusion and despair. This is a captivating novel and a perceptive depiction of the emotional fallout resulting from infidelity. There is an almost cinematic quality to O'Farrell's writing, the action moving effortlessly from character to character and between the present and the past. She excels at creating an atmosphere of tension and this gripping book demands to be read at a sitting. (Kirkus UK)

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