The Proof of My Innocence - Jonathan Coe

nA blisteringly funny political critique wrapped up in a murder mystery, from one of Britain's most beloved novelistsn n nPost-university life doesn't suit Phyl. Time passes slowly living back home with her parents, working a zero-hour contract serving Japanese food to tourists at Heathrow's Terminal 5. As for her budding plans of becoming a writer, those are going nowhere.n n nThat is, until family friend Chris comes to stay.

He's been on the path to uncover a sinister think-tank, founded at Cambridge University in the 1980s, that's been scheming to push the British government in a more extreme direction. One that's finally poised to put their plans into action. But speaking truth to power can be dangerous--and power will stop at nothing to stay on top.n n nAs Britain finds itself under the leadership of a new Prime Minister whose tenure will only last for seven weeks, Chris pursues his story to a conference being held deep in the Cotswolds, where events take a sinister turn and a murder enquiry is soon in progress.

But will the solution to the mystery lie in contemporary politics, or in a literary enigma that is almost forty years old?n n nDarting between decades and genres, The Proof of My Innocence is a wickedly funny and razor-sharp new novel from one of Britain's most beloved novelists, showing how the key to understanding the present can often be found in the murkiest corners of the past.n n