Betrayals: Murder Room

"An obituary tells of a Scottish scientist dying; travelers tell tales to while away the time, then one dies mysteriously; a publisher's reader reports on a trashy story; an academic scandal is hashed over; an avid television watcher offers up his diary. Then names start recurring, similar situations are alluded to. Thus does the author of The Quincunx build up this story of betrayals....Palliser uses stories within stories, black humor, and parody to make it all work."

-- Dallas Morning News

"Richly Hilarious...

These seemingly diverse narratives -- at first glance, about completely unrelated subjects -- are filled with hidden connections."

-- Los Angeles Times Book Review

"Ingenious in the highest degree...Some of the book will make the reader laugh out loud; some will make him shudder. Palliser has a wicked eye, an ear that misses nothing, and a virtuoso dirty mind....In each story someone becomes obsessed with a rival and plots his destruction only to become caught in a trap of his own devising; the scorpion perishes from his own sting."

-- The Boston Globe

"A Thought-Provoking and Wonderful Novel...

Let us hope that Charles Palliser carries on his idiosyncratic career by defying all expectations save one -- that he continue to produce novels reflecting his exceptional knowledge and creativity."

-- The Washington Post Book World

"Fiendishly Clever."

-- San Francisco Chronicle

Charles Palliser'shistorical novels include The Quincunx, The Unburied, and Rustication. His fiction has been translated into a dozen languages. Palliser’sThe Quincunx was awarded the Sue Kaufman Prize by the American Academy and Institute of Arts and Letters. He has written plays for BBC Radio and the stage. Prior to becoming a full-time writer in 1990, he taught literature and creative writing at universities in the UK and the USA. A graduate of Oxford University, Palliser lives in London.