Cliffhanger by T. J. Middleton, a pseudonym for author Tim Binding (
British Council Literature), is the 1st novel in his Cliffhanger series of black comedy literary crime thrillers exploring the slightly demented psyche of middle England via wacky crime hijinx, this one the tale of a man planning to murder his wife (second one we've gotten this week, although technically this one has been free for a while now), but initially failing to succeed despite his best efforts, which are further complicated by the eccentricities of his nosy neighbours, free for a limited time courtesy of publisher Ipso Books.
Currently free (and DRM-free) @
Amazon &
Kobo (both available to Canadians)
If you are interested, you can read an
interview with the author about the writing of this book over at The Guardian, and apparently there is a
Cliffhanger: the Other Text “unedited” version also
available from publisher Picador, which has an alternative ending, among other things, which is apparently one of the topics of the interview (may contain spoilers).
Description
Al Greenwood has decided to kill his wife, and he’s planned the perfect murder. But things don’t turn out quite the way he hoped and Al finds himself committing more crimes to cover his tracks.
Seen through the eyes of the totally despicable yet strangely likeable Al, Cliffhanger is a black comedy at its most thrilling, taking the reader on a hilarious ride through middle England and the murderous psyche.
T.J. Middleton is a unique and exciting voice, full of biting wit. Sharp, original and hugely entertaining, this is crime writing at its bizarre best.
Cliffhanger is the first in T.J. Middleton's Cliffhanger series. The second, Fish Tale, is available now.