The Man had only once followed her home in the evening, after she had been to a Blue Moon concert with Claire and Viv. Still, Elaine was not frightened. It amused her to have an admirer who was far too timid to approach. On that evening, she had been tempted to give him a fright, to swing round and confront him. Or she might look down from the top of the bank and ask him if he had now seen everything he wanted. But that would be like breaking the rules of a private game. Then, perhaps, The Man might become dangerous …

‘The book shows a bleak and unprepossessing gallery of villainous talent’ Punch