Description
Book SynopsisLondon: 1963. The lives of a professional shoplifter and a young art student collide. Delia needs to atone for a terrible mistake; Tess is desperate to convince herself she really is an artist.
Elsewhere in London, the Krays are on the rise and a gang war is in the offing.
Tess’s relationship with her gay best friend grows unexpectedly complicated, and Delia falls for a man she’s been paid to betray. At last, the two women find a resolution together – a performance that is both Delia’s goodbye to crime and Tess’s one genuine work of art.
Trade ReviewA vivid, satisfying walk through sixties London.
* The Wee Review *
Bloody excellent.
Beautiful... A truly brilliant debut novel.
* The Caffeinated Reader blog *
Utterly captivating... Absolutely hilarious, this is a rich and fulfilling story that leaves you eager for more. Wharton’s writing style is oozing with eloquence, wit and nuance.
* CommonSpace *
Strong characters and a vivid recreation of the times.
* The Herald *
Vibrant, absorbing and bursting with the unexpected, Finer Things is a sideways look at 1960s London, in which art school bohemia meets the gangster underworld. It is full of spot-on observations about the subtle power play in human interaction. I was immediately drawn into its vivid world.
An evocative portrait of two women navigating 1960's London.
David Wharton's novel unfolds with all the style, pace and drama of a British New Wave movie. It is a very fine thing indeed.
