The Execution — Hugo Wilcken

‘Unnervingly cool prose…an entertainingly urbane thriller [whose] suspense lies not in the whodunit, but in watching a perfect life unravel.' Daily Telegraph

Matthew Bourne suspects his partner, Marianne, of having an affair �" though he has just embarked on one himself. Then one day a colleague's wife dies in tragic circumstances, and Matthew is called to identify the body. Only much later does he realise that this incident has seeped into his life like a slow poison…A riveting narrative of mystery and menace, ‘The Execution' is a stunningly accomplished novel.

Reviews

‘Brilliant…A diabolical thriller that echoes the best suspense of Patricia Highsmith with a cheeky nod to Dostoyevski, “The Execution” is a remarkably accomplished debut heralding the arrival of a noteworthy talent.' Publishers' Weekly

‘You are thrown headlong into a compulsive world of moral ambiguity right at the outset of “The Execution”…Wilcken refuses to judge Matthew for his behaviour, and this distance gives the novel a beguiling and thought-provoking ambivalence.' Literary Review

‘An impressive and sure-footed debut…Wilcken's tight, energetic prose keeps the pages turning.' Daily Mail

‘Wilcken, who lives in Paris, has chosen the extremely French subject of murder and adultery…The tone, which in its fatalism could be called existential, could also, in its acceptance of the way the world and emotions work, be called wise. Through this tone and elegant patterning, “The Execution” transcends genre.' Observer

‘Taut, menacing, full of sinister beguilements. And unsettlingly shrewd.' Will Eaves, author of ‘The Oversight'

About the author

Hugo Wilcken is in his thirties and British-Australian. He lives in Paris, where he has worked as a writer since 1990.