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The Light of Day

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About this listen

 A BBC BETWEEN THE COVERS BOOKER PRIZE GEM

FROM THE BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF MOTHERING SUNDAY AND LAST ORDERS, and reissued for the first time on the Scribner list, The Light of Day is both a gripping crime story and a remarkable love story.

On a cold but dazzling November morning George Webb, a former policeman turned private detective, prepares to visit Sarah, a prisoner and the woman he loves. As he goes about the business of the day he relives the catastrophic events of two years ago that have both bound them together and kept them apart.

Making atmospheric use of its suburban setting and shot through with a plain man’s unwitting poetry and rueful humour, The Light of Day is a powerful and moving tale of murder, redemption and of the discovery, for better or worse, of the hidden forces inside us.

Praise for Mothering Sunday:
'Bathed in light; and even when tragedy strikes, it blazes irresistibly… Swift’s small fiction feels like a masterpiece’ Guardian

‘Alive with sensuousness and sensuality … wonderfully accomplished, it is an achievement’ Sunday Times

‘From start to finish Swift’s is a novel of stylish brilliance and quiet narrative verve. The archly modulated, precise prose (a hybrid of Henry Green and Kazuo Ishiguro) is a glory to read. Now 66, Swift is a writer at the very top of his game’ Evening Standard

‘Mothering Sunday is a powerful, philosophical and exquisitely observed novel about the lives we lead, and the parallel lives – the parallel stories – we can never know … It may just be Swift’s best novel yet’ Observer

‘A real in-depth study of humanity’ Alex Jones, Between the Covers

‘I loved this so much. The form is so interesting. The voice is just so clear and there’s this dryness to him too’ Omari Douglas, Between the Covers Suspense Thriller & Suspense Crime Emotionally Gripping

Critic reviews

'Bathed in light; and even when tragedy strikes, it blazes irresistibly… Swift’s small fiction feels like a masterpiece’
‘Alive with sensuousness and sensuality … wonderfully accomplished, it is an achievement’
‘From start to finish Swift’s is a novel of stylish brilliance and quiet narrative verve. The archly modulated, precise prose (a hybrid of Henry Green and Kazuo Ishiguro) is a glory to read. Now 66, Swift is a writer at the very top of his game’
‘Mothering Sunday is a powerful, philosophical and exquisitely observed novel about the lives we lead, and the parallel lives – the parallel stories – we can never know … It may just be Swift’s best novel yet’
All stars
Most relevant
Early on the listener knows what has happened but not how it happened. Excellent listen.

Well Story

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Swift’s writing is beautiful. The voice of George is just right. He speaks In idioms but they mean more than face value. And some are repeated to add to their importance e,g “cross the line “.

Crafted Writing

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Managed to get through this because the narration was decent, but got to the end and thought “what was the point of that”! Maybe I just didn’t get it!?

Pointless

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after Waterland, I expected more, yes it's well written but I wanted to know why he fell in love with Mrs nash

expected too much

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Seemed to take a long time, in a slow way to say very little. Kept with it in the vain attempt it would improve although sadly it didn’t.

Disappointed

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