The Most Difficult Thing. Charlotte Philby
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PART OF THE FAMILY
Charlotte Philby
First published in hardback as The Most Difficult Thing
The Borough Press
An imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers Ltd
1 London Bridge Street
London SE1 9GF
First published in Great Britain by HarperCollinsPublishers 2019
First published in hardback as The Most Difficult Thing
Copyright © Charlotte Philby 2019
Cover design by Andrew Davis © HarperCollinsPublishers Ltd 2019
Cover photographs © Elena Alferova / Trevillion Images
Charlotte Philby asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of this work.
A catalogue copy of this book is available from the British Library.
This novel is entirely a work of fiction. The names, characters and incidents portrayed in it are the work of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or localities is entirely coincidental.
All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, down-loaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins.
Source ISBN: 9780008327026
Ebook Edition © June 2019 ISBN: 9780008327002
Version: 2020-10-07
‘Everyone has an agenda in this intriguing exploration of deceit and duplicity, as Philby ratchets up the paranoia to Highsmithian level’
GUARDIAN
‘An enigmatic and slippery beast, a cool new generation of spy novel. Just as the characters play cat and mouse with one another, so does the author with her readers – it’s a guessing game right to the end and I turned the last page with my heart pounding. Recommended’
LOUISE CANDLISH
‘A compelling and emotionally resonant mixture of spy thriller and domestic suspense’
DAILY TELEGRAPH
‘I devoured this beautifully written, intricately wrought and unique blend of spy thriller and domestic suspense. The twists keep coming, right down to that chilling last line’
ERIN KELLY
‘Like The Night Manager rewritten by Patricia Highsmith, this is a distinctively female take on spying’
MAIL ON SUNDAY
‘Dark and addictive and magnificent’
JOANNA CANNON
‘A genre-busting spy novel that amps up the tension and will leave you trusting no one’
RED
‘Spying has been her inheritance and this brilliant, beautifully crafted debut novel uses it to the full – and so much more besides’
JON SNOW, Channel 4 News
‘A writer of promise’
FINANCIAL TIMES
‘Compelling and complex – a compulsive read’
HARRIET TYCE, author of Blood Orange
‘An espionage/domestic noir crossover in which betrayal is as inevitable as it is compulsive’
i PAPER
‘Compulsive and chilling’
GOOD HOUSEKEEPING
‘A page-turning thriller’
BBC RADIO 4 OPEN BOOK
‘Philby clearly understands something about deceit and betrayal, making this a page-turner with several cliffhanger moments, including the ending’
DAILY EXPRESS
‘Intricate, enigmatic, and compelling … Philby is perfectly placed to blend spy thriller with domestic tension’
PRESS ASSOCIATION
‘[A] page-turner full of intrigue and deception … a compulsive read’
PRIMA
‘Fantastic … [a] slick spy thriller’
WOMAN’S WEEKLY
‘A carefully constructed study of duplicity in which the uneasy mood of moral compromise and betrayal never abates’
THE HERALD
‘Absolutely riveting … It will keep your heart pounding to the very last page’
MEATH CHRONICLE
For Rosa
‘To know yourself is the most difficult thing’
Thales of Miletus
Contents
Copyright
Praise for Part of the Family
Dedication
Epigraph
Prologue
Part One
Chapter 1: Anna
Chapter 2: Anna
Chapter 3: Anna
Chapter 4: Anna