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“On rare occasions, an author pulls off the high-wire act of writing a crime-oriented novel that easily transcends the genre. The Farm is one of these…[Smith’s] skills are as finely honed as ever, with this tale that’s both a page-turner and a searing examination of the lives of our protagonist, his lover, and his family. Structurally innovative and stylistically resonant, The Farm is a remarkable achievement.”
— Jeffrey Deaver, New York Times bestselling author
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“I read this book in two greedy sittings, absolutely and joyfully clueless as to where it was leading. Tom Rob Smith has created a truly original and chilling thriller, which makes you ask yourself, ‘Who would I believe?’”
— Jojoy Moyes, New York Times bestselling author
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“A pacey page-turner with an ending you’ll be dying to talk about.”
— Good Housekeeping (UK), Thriller of the Month
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“Is there anything more unnerving than the realization that you can’t
trust your own mother? Maybe the realization that you can’t trust your
father either. That’s the killer premise of The Farm.”
— New York Times Book Review
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“Tom Rob Smith breathes new life into the landscape, transcending the traditional crime fiction genre with an intricately knitted thriller steeped in mythology…[Smith] demonstrates the same craftsmanship that saw his highly acclaimed novel Child 44 claim the Galaxy Book Award for Best New Writer…Meticulously weaving together literary themes of revenge and madness…this latest offering is a tapestry of fairytales old and new; so unsettling and oppressive that it blurs the distinctions between sanity and madness, reality and fantasy, leaving the reader guessing until the bitter end.”
— Independent (UK)
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“This is a neatly plotted book full of stories within stories, which gradually unravel to confound our expectations…Smith’s twisting, turning novel shows that Scandi crime also retains the ability to surprise and thrill.”
— Guardian (London)
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“Superior…Smith keeps the reader guessing up to the powerfully effective resolution that’s refreshingly devoid of contrivances.”
— Publishers Weekly (starred review)
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“Smith does creepy very well, setting scenes that slowly build in intensity, and he keeps readers guessing about who can and cannot be trusted…A satisfying mystery on ground that, though familiar, manages to yield surprises in Smith’s skillful telling.”
— Kirkus Reviews
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“The author’s first stand-alone novel after his wildly successful Soviet-era trilogy hits the ground running…The unreliability of Tilde’s narration—is she telling the truth about this sinister scheme or is she crazy?—provides the novel with a constant tension…A worthy addition to the growing canon of Scandinavian crime thrillers.”
— Library Journal
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Smith keeps the reader guessing up to the powerfully effective resolution that's refreshingly devoid of contrivances.
— Publishers Weekly (Starred Review)
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I read this book in two greedy sittings, absolutely and joyfully clueless as to where it was leading. Tom Rob Smith has created a truly original and chilling thriller, which makes you ask yourself 'who would I believe'?
— Jojo Moyes, New York Times bestselling author of Me Before You
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Tom Rob Smith breathes new life into the landscape, transcending the traditional crime fiction genre with an intricately-knitted thriller steeped in mythology...[Smith] demonstrates the same craftsmanship that saw his highly-acclaimed novel Child 44 claim the Galaxy Book Award for Best New Writer and [be] long-listed for the Manbooker Prize, among its many plaudits. Meticulously weaving together literary themes of revenge and madness...this latest offering is a tapestry of fairytales old and new; so unsettling and oppressive that it blurs the distinctions between sanity and madness, reality and fantasy, leaving the reader guessing until the bitter end.
— The Independent (UK)
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Chilling, hypnotic and thoroughly compelling. You will not read a better thriller this year.
— Mark Billingham, international bestselling author of The Dying Hours
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This is a neatly plotted book full of stories within stories, which gradually unravel to confound our expectations...Smith's twisting, turning novel shows that Scandi crime also retains the ability to surprise and thrill.
— The Guardian (UK)
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On rare occasions, an author pulls off the high-wire act of writing a crime-oriented novel that easily transcends the genre. The Farm is one of these...[Smith's] skills are as finely honed as ever, with this tale that's both a page turner and a searing examination of the lives of our protagonist, his lover and his family. Structurally innovative and stylistically resonant, The Farm is a remarkable achievement.
— Jeffery Deaver, bestselling author of The Kill Room
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'Impossible to put down' has become as overused a thing to say about books as the one saying that the people writing them should stick with what they know. In the case of The Farm, it is close to true (I read it in about three sittings and real life felt like an impertinent interruption whenever I had to put it down). Child 44 was one of those rare books that managed to thrill both the Booker judges and the Richard and Judy brigade. The Farm is, perhaps, even better. It is so good, in fact, that you will finish it quickly and then be jealous of anyone who hasn't read it yet.
— The Independent (UK)
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Gripping, atmospheric...This absorbing novel thrives on gradually revealing the intimate details of lives, showing how they become hidden not only from strangers, but from those closest to them. The relationship between parents and children is excellently explored as the author traces the toxic effect of lies and reveals some shocking home truths.
— The Observer (UK)