Other People's Fun
A wickedly funny literary thriller for the Instagram age
Format:Hardback
Publisher:Orion Publishing Co
Publishing:30th Oct '25
£20.00
This title is due to be published on 30th October, and will be despatched as soon as possible.
From the author of Alys, Always and Her
'The perfect lesson in backstabbing. Bitchy, sly and twisty' Claire Fuller
'Brilliant, clever, such a pleasure to read' Marian Keyes
'A one-sitting read steeped in tension and unease' Red
If someone wants to be seen - and oh, how they want to be seen - then someone has to watch.
Ruth is alone, unnoticed and at a loss: her marriage has ended, her daughter is leaving home and her job is leading nowhere.
But luckily Sookie is back in her life - vivid, self-assured Sookie, who never spared the time for Ruth when they were teenagers, but who now seems to want to be friends. What could possibly go wrong?
As Ruth becomes caught up in Sookie's life, she sees that everything is not as simple and Instagrammable as Sookie would have you believe. But what has that got to do with Ruth - and what can she do about it?
Other People's Fun is a novel about modern life and the lies we tell our neighbours, friends, families and selves through the hall of mirrors that is social media. Filled with Harriet Lane's trademark creeping unease and forensic observation, this marks the long-awaited return of the mistress of literary suspense.
Brilliant, clever, such a pleasure to read . . . Her writing is as sharp as a scalpel and her judgement is savage (this is not a criticism) -- Marian Keyes
The perfect lesson in backstabbing. Bitchy, sly, and twisty - what a ride -- Claire Fuller
Chilling, witty and unputdownable - a superb revenge drama that peels away the facades of social media -- Lissa Evans
Thrilling, sharp, and hugely interesting. Like Jean Rhys and Patricia Highsmith, Harriet Lane writes with a gripping, inexorable sense of tension. Other People's Fun is very smart and darkly funny, a brilliant take on displacement, envy, and artifice. I couldn't put it down -- Flynn Berry
Oh my goodness, absolutely gripping. One of the most captivatingly insightful writers I have ever read, she perceives and effortlessly describes the billion and one things that subliminally irritate in daily life and in the most deliciously bitchy way. She discerns *everything*! Riveting and fabulously entertaining -- Leyla Sanai
Spiky and atmospheric. A smartly-observed meditation on self-presentation and female friendships -- Sarah Harman
I adored this deliciously wicked satire on the narcissistic, entitled and sanctimonious side of elite middle-class life. It's brilliantly witty and stingingly sharp, with all too recognisable people, places and products tied up in a much sadder if suspenseful story. It reminded me of both Anita Brookner and Saltburn as a tale of what privilege and luck look like to those who feel deprived of it. Other People's Fun deserves every success -- Amanda Craig
The Jane Austen of the Instagram age on brilliant form -- Julie Burchill
Waspishly funny, acutely perceptive . . . A brilliant novel you'll want to pass on to all your friends * Woman & Home *
I routinely check some authors to see if they have a new book out - and Harriet Lane is one of them . . . If you loved Notes on a Scandal, then this is for you * Prima *
This deliciously twisted tale is a one-sitting read steeped in tension and unease * Red *
ISBN: 9781474602822
Dimensions: 218mm x 140mm x 22mm
Weight: 319g
208 pages