The Mask of Memory — Victor Canning

Isolation and boredom can do strange things to people. After years and years of too much time on her hands, lonely housewife Margaret Tucker's mundane routine becomes smattered with odd behaviour.

Her husband, Bernard, is cold and distant. Spending most of his time in London with only infrequent visits back to the marital home, Margaret knows nothing about her husband's other life and has been all but discarded by the man she once loved.

When Margaret starts losing periods of time and cannot recall her actions she knows things have got to change. But just as she is beginning to rediscover herself, her husband's mysterious life once again collides with hers . . .

'Compulsive Canning' Yorkshire Post

'Espionage with a twist . . . written with sensitivity and underlying menace' New York Times

'Brilliant characterisation . . . depicts the earthy love affair of the lonely wife of a government Security Chief who is involved with the struggle between the trade unions and the State . . . far more than a thriller' Birmingham Post

'Very superior spy-story on two levels' Observer

'Mesmerically readable' Guardian