Other People’s Fun is a taut, elegant triumph: sharply observed, beautifully written, and quietly devastating. Harriet Lane has a gift for getting under the skin of her characters, and here she builds a subtle, spiralling tension that never lets up. Ruth’s vulnerability and Sookie’s performative confidence are rendered with chilling precision, and the way their dynamic shifts - slowly, then all at once - makes for an intensely compelling read. Every page hums with unease, and Lane’s prose is as precise and cutting as ever. A brilliant, tightly coiled novel about image, insecurity, and the invisible lines between admiration and resentment.

I’ve been waiting YEARS for Harriet Lane’s next novel, after I loved Alys, Always and was blow away by Her. Fortunately, Other People’s Fun showed me this novel was worth the wait! Land continues to show her truly outstanding abilities as a writer- few can match her skills for character development, plotting, and prose, especially in this genre. She is a master of the subtle, slow burn psychological thriller. Other People’s Fun delves into a chance meeting that the reader sees evolve into a truly toxic friendship. This is a must read!