"I don't think I've ever read such a true book . . . A wonderful feat of imagination." Hilary Mantel

John Egan has a gift. He can tell when people are lying. Hoping that this talent will bring him fame, he has written to
the Guinness Book of Records. But while he waits for a letter in return, his obsession with uncovering the truth begins to threaten his already fragile family.

"Enthralling and absorbing." Observer

"This is fiction-writing of the highest order . . . The story of John Egan's twelfth year is both sympathetic and disturbing. It is also rich in understated humour." J.M. Coetzee

"An unputdownable read." Scotsman

"Remarkable . . . Convincing, oddly sympathetic and always compelling, this is a novel of dark truths." Irish Times

"Uncompromising, unputdownable . . . a work of discreet brilliance. M.J. Hyland is a truly gifted writer." Ali Smith