Critic Anthony Cummins has identified three standout works of literary fiction, praising their "absolute brilliance" and recommending them to readers. The selected novels are Patrick deWitt's DODGE CITY, Sebastian Faulks's FAREWELL TO EDEN, and William Boyd's COLD SUNSET.
Patrick deWitt's DODGE CITY, published by 4th Estate, is set in 1960s California. The narrative follows a university dropout who eschews the Vietnam War draft by heading to Canada. Along his journey, he reconnects with estranged family members. Cummins noted deWitt's signature blend of deadpan dialogue and wry observation, suggesting that the novel, while addressing themes of love and duty, maintains a light touch.
Sebastian Faulks's FAREWELL TO EDEN, published by Hutchinson Heinemann, is a period piece set in British Mandatory Palestine in 1947. The story centers on Philip, a philosophy graduate involved in a peacekeeping mission. His experiences are juxtaposed with a narrative set in 1951, where he teaches English at a rural boarding school. A colleague shares memories of her mother's murder in a Nazi death camp. Cummins described the novel as a "serious book about the ugly legacy of violence," noting its exploration of the Israel-Palestine conflict and its shift into a crime story.
William Boyd's COLD SUNSET, published by Viking, is the latest installment in his spy series featuring travel writer Gabriel Dax. In this novel, Dax is recruited by a spymistress to investigate MI6 moles during the Cold War. The plot involves Dax traveling to the U.S. to interview a dying poet for a lead and subsequently attempting to exfiltrate a defector from Moscow. Cummins characterized the book as "typically page-turning fun," highlighting its fast-paced action and gritty political backdrop, offset by the protagonist's hard-drinking and promiscuous lifestyle.
