Jonathan Coe is on form again with this mix of political satire mixed with a classic whodunit. It is also a series of books within a book and running behind the main characters & plot is the short but devastating reign of Liz Truss as Prime Minister, Coe even makes a cameo of sorts when the story goes back to the 1980's and features an author who writes political satires.
The joy of this novel, and indeed his others, is that they are entertaining, thought provoking, genuinely loveable & repulsive characters and always have a keen eye on the current world around us.

Many of the novelists that I like in Coe's generation give the sense that their best work is behind them. Yet Coe seems to be getting better and better, with each of his most recent recent books being his 'best so far' (in my opinion). My main bugbear with some of his novels is the inclusion of magical realism, of which there's none here, and/or satire that is taken too far. Those flaws are avoided in this clever novel that combines a good old fashioned mystery with political satire.

The novel is set during Liz Truss's short, ill fated spell as UK prime minister, although that is only tangential to the plot. A left-wing journalist is murdered during a conference of right-wing thinkers. His daughter and her friend, along with a police detective on the verge of retirement, attempt to find out who killed him and why, with a conclusion that surprised even a jaded mystery reader like me (and it's rare these days that I get a real unexpected solution). It has a 'book within a book within a book' structure that I enjoyed, and that deliberately touches on several genres. Crime, obviously, and satire, but also 'dark academia' and even conspiracy theories.

Coe's satire felt like it hit the right level here, not being overdone to the point it stops being sharp, but also not so subtle it's not recognisable. The writing seems to come from a left wing viewpoint, but you don't have to be a socialist to enjoy it. And whilst the action takes place against the backdrop of politics, it is primarily about solving the crime. The resolution is worthy of Christie - I'd say more about it but I don't want to spoil things for other readers.

I'd highly recommend the novel to those who like literary fiction, crime/mystery fiction, and political satire, as it has elements of them all.

A mix of murder mystery and political satire set in 2022, when Liz Truss was PM. Phyllis feels bored and like a failure going back to live with her parents after university. Then a friend of her parents, a political satirist called Christopher Swann, is murdered at a party conference. A long part of the book is taken up by Phyl’s own book, which doesn’t quite work for me.

A favourite author, Jonathan Coe's latest is a smart and sharp satire, a darkly humorous state of the nation novel. A frustrated English literature graduate, Phyl, is working at Heathrow at the Japanese fast food, Hey Teriyaki, when Chris Swann, who writes a political blog, a long time friend of her vicar mother, Joanne, comes to stay with daughter, Rashida, who she becomes close to, the two of them later becoming sleuths. Harbouring ambitions of becoming a writer, Phyl is considering cosy crime, dark academia, and autofiction, genres adeptly incorporated here with skill, along with a structure shaped by the continuous British Transport mantra of see it, say it, sort it. At the forefront is the short tenure, famously outlasted by a lettuce, of the deranged and divisive PM Liz Truss, and her dangerous policies that bring Britain to its knees, financially ruined, the repercussions of which we are still reeling from.

For almost 40 years Swann had tirelessly pursued conservatism extremism and how it mutated through the years, gaining influence through the years on both sides of the Atlantic. His early 1980s time at Cambridge University, attending the salons of Emeric Coutts, the power of the covert shadow chamber, and the rise of the likes of Roger Wagstaff. The promotion of a nastier, more savage attack on community, connection, and progressive culture and values, a monstrous push for a society based on the survival of the fittest. Chris is set to attend the TrueCon conference, where he observes and listens, inspiring fury and rage in some, only to end up being murdered, his death being investigated by the astute Detective Prue Freeborne.

Pertinent questions are raised, on the politics and culture of division, the conflicts, the differing values and perceptions of truth and realities, leaving people to find their own kinds of meanings and closure (as we see in the conclusion), battling with the storms that follow. Britain changed, consensus appeared to disappear, with the growth of the covert right wing networks, libertarianism, and individualism, at the expense of an inclusive society, culminating in the tragedy, madness, and failure of Truss. A wonderfully captivating meta, entertaining, fun, and engaging comic read that captures the zeitgeist of a nation, an incisive social and political commentary, packaged in a form that is likely to appeal to a wide range of readers. Simply brilliant and highly recommended. Many thanks to the publisher for an ARC.

This is a very readable and clever “state of the nation”metafiction combining elements of murder mystery, dark academe, satire, and auto-fiction, and with a very good ending. I found it extremely difficult to put down. The characterisation is excellent with some engaging characters, some recognisable stereotypes, and a good mix of age, politics, and intellect. It would be a good book club choice, offering lots of scope for lively discussion.

Jonathan Coe’s real strength is political satire and Liz Truss’s thankfully brief premiership and the UK’s economic collapse provides ample opportunity for him to play to his strengths in his latest novel.
The shadowy right wing think tank emerging from 1980s Cambridge is also compelling Coe material.
But for me, the whole forgotten novelist mystery, a ‘cosy’ locked door and secret passage murder is derivative and dull.
There is humour, wit and some vivid characterisation, but overall, this latest work is disappointing; it lacks the integrity and seamless power of his earlier work. It took eleven days to read, whereas his best would be devoured in 3 days max.
Thank you #penguin and #netgalley for my pre-release copy.

The Proof of My Innocence by Jonathan Coe
A new book by Jonathan Coe is always something to look forward to. As always this is a satire on the state of the nation but it is also so much more it is partly a cosy murder mystery and part ‘auto-fiction’. The story centres around Phyl, who has returned to her parents’ home from university and is wondering what to do with her life whilst working at a sushi restaurant in Heathrow airport.
She becomes involved in the life of Christopher Swann, a friend of her mother’s from her days at Cambridge. He writes a blog in which he shares his fears that a Right Wing group are wielding undue influence over government. The fact that this book is set at the time of the ill-fated Truss government and he weaves into the story the havoc caused by the few weeks of the Truss regme that even the lettuce outlived.
Parts of the novel are laugh out loud funny but there is always the suggestion that sinister forces are at work. The characters are entertaining and original. The plot twists and turns and there is a fiction within the fiction but the questions are resolved at the end. It is sorted, or is it? I will be recommending it to my various book groups - an interesting and thought provoking read. Many thanks to the author, the publishers and Net Galley for the opportunity to read the book in return for an honest review.

The Proof of My Innocence masterfully weaves multiple genres—cosy crime and dark academia into a clever and engaging story, as is typical of Jonathan Coe’s work.

Each genre brings its own flavour to the book, allowing for seamless flashbacks to the 1980s, when many of the key characters first crossed paths. This layering of genres adds depth while keeping readers on their toes, as it shifts between different tones and styles.

The cast of characters is eclectic, and the plot demands attention to keep track of their complex interactions. However, this diversity also makes the story more immersive and rewarding. The book doesn’t shy away from commentary on contemporary UK far-right politics, adding a sharp and insightful layer to the unfolding events, making it not just a mystery, but also a timely political exploration.

What truly stands out is how the book keeps you hooked, drawing you deeper into the intrigue. The resolution of the murder mystery is particularly satisfying—brilliantly executed, with a twist that feels earned and unexpected.

Coe's ability to balance clever plot mechanics with humour, warmth, and social critique makes this book both thought-provoking and highly enjoyable.

Read more at The Secret Bookreview.

An indictment of recent Tory rule, this also pokes fun at contemporary publishing trends with its metafictional skewering of the cosy crime and dark academia subgenres. It is funny, angry and compelling. I raced through it and wished there was more.

The author is excellent at understanding British mentality and culture. His observations are excellent and this a great cosy crime thriller.

This is my second book by this author I loved Bournville thanks to NetGalley.
This time the author combines the madness of 2022 and Prime Ministers limited time in office and a murder sound like this could not work by it does really well.
The background actually starts around twenty years earlier when a clandestine group of Cambridge dons, began to reframe the Conservative party.
I do think the author enjoyed writing about the drama between Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak.

A well written book

Due fr Publication November 7th 2024

I enjoyed this book in parts but it was just too twisty for me with too many layers rather than sticking to a main narrative. I enjoyed the development of the think thank from its origins at Cambridge University in the 1980s to being in a position to influence government with its extreme ideas but the book as a whole didn't quite work for me.

I thoroughly enjoyed Jonathan Coe’s previous book, Bournville, and so was delighted to be offered an advance review copy for his new book.

The book starts with Phyl at home after university, a very similar age to my oldest child, and so easy to identify with. Her parents’ friend Chris and his daughter Rashida come to visit the family. The book is then set over the time period of Liz Truss’s prime ministership (so yes, quite a concise timeline) and ends up being a book within a book within a book. It’s all a bit of a head f*ck – but in a good way – and the ending makes you question everything you’ve previously read, but I’m getting ahead of myself.

Each book element is a different genre – from cosy crime, to dark academia, with some autofiction thrown in for good measure. This is all clever – as Jonathan Coe’s books always are! It also enables there to be flashbacks to the 1980s when a lot of the main characters first met.

Another similarity with Coe’s previous books is that the locations are close to where I live! Who knew Fish Hill outside Broadway would be such a feature (I spent my 50th birthday with friends in a hotel a short walk from that particular stretch of road).

There is an eclectic mix of characters – and you do have to concentrate not to get confused (although that might just be me?!) The commentary on the current state of UK far right politics is also ‘interesting’.

Overall the book is very good at drawing you in and you wanting to find out more – and I absolutely adored the way the murder ended up being solved (no spoilers here).

A big thank you to the publisher and Net Galley for my advance review copy in exchange for an honest review. The book is out in November 2024 and available for pre order now.

The Proof of My Innocence by Jonathan Coe is a gripping and suspenseful novel that delves into the complexities of truth, memory, and justice. Coe masterfully unravels the narrative, blending tension with introspective moments as the protagonist fights to clear their name. The story is layered with twists and emotional depth, exploring themes of guilt, redemption, and the lengths one will go to prove their innocence. Coe’s sharp prose and compelling characters keep readers on edge, making this a thought-provoking and immersive read that challenges perceptions of morality and the often ambiguous nature of truth.

Set against the backdrop of Liz Truss's premiership, this latest novel by Jonathan Coe is, as one would expect from Coe, very enjoyable, playful and occasionally eccentric. Here we have a novel within a novel, a pastiche of cosy crime, politics, and more besides. Your mileage with it depends on how much you've admired Coe in the past. If you've loved his work before, then this will grab you. If you're new to Coe, perhaps start with something like The Rotters Club or What a Carve Up, to get a sense of his style before starting this. Nevertheless, this is a very funny, enjoyable read. Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for the ARC.

How much background in reality does a work of fiction need before you suspect it is actually non-fiction? Liz Truss became leader of the Conservative party on 5th September 2022, became Prime Minister on the 6th, resigned the party leadership on October 20th, and resigned as PM on 25th. To compound the plot, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth died on the 8th September. That was reality but to some it felt like fiction. In this, his latest, book, Coe sets a complex murder mystery during those heady days, although the background starts twenty years earlier when a clandestine group of Cambridge dons, began to reframe the Conservative party – a plan which, to some extent, culminated with this Tax cutting, free enterprise, PM. Fortuitously, the 2022 British TrueCon Conference has also just begun in a stately home in the Cotswolds – a meeting of the rightmost wing of the party, convened and run by that covert group, who are now more overt and known as Processus. Attending as an observer is the left-leaning blogger, Christopher Swann, a Cambridge contemporary of the Processus leaders, who has followed their progress, blogging and otherwise railing against their politics. When Christopher is murdered in a locked room, DI Prue Freeborne and her DS quickly establish that only three people had access to the secret passage which the killer must have used. Two of these are the primary leaders of Processus and the third is the principal speaker, a right-wing academic literary critic. Also investigating is Phyl, daughter of Chris’s great friend from their student days, who has always considered Chris an uncle, and his adopted daughter Rashida. Who killed Chris? More importantly, why was he killed?
The foregoing sets the scene and the main protagonists, a fairly simple murder-mystery in an unusual location at an unbelievable time. However, this is Jonathan Coe, so clearly it is a satire, but what is being satirised? The politics? Fairly easy to do that, although the real life events are hard to be beat! The genre? How is that to be approached? Pop in eccentric characters, country house background, larger than life detective with foibles, couple of amateur sleuths, locked-room mystery, throw in a bit of exotic travel – all of the above? Check! But Coe is too clever a writer so we also get a range of other styles of writing, and alternative interpretations. Some literati might call it Meta (in fact one character highlights this possibility by writing a poem on the role of meta). Some, more prosaic, readers might call it a Mashup. It is certainly an intellectual challenge, although the answers to the questions at the end of my first paragraph are not hard to deduce (or is that what I’m supposed to think?). Assigning stars to this book is necessarily tricky. The plot set out above is a 3, the tour de force of the book is a 5, averaging gives me 4, but I liked it too much to give it less than 4.5, which rounds up to 5. In parliamentary style, therefore, I have to say “The Fives Have It”
I would like to thank NetGalley, the publishers and the author for providing me with a draft proof copy for the purpose of this review.

I love Jonathan Coe and there is much to like in this novel. I’m not sure I expected a cozy crime story and I’m not certain that this works. The narrative is set against the backdrop of the Liz Truss premiership and deals with the far right politics of this time. There are some great characters particularly the police inspector, a woman on the verge of retirement. I’m thinking that she is happy to put that off as long as possible! The two girls who are telling the story are not well drawn but this is still enjoyable. Great humour.

I'm a big fan of Jonathan Coe's work and have read most of his books. His skill at political satire is deft and witty and I love his characters and their frequent lack of self awareness.

I thought this was going to be another cracking book and was enjoying it but it became too meta for me. There's a book within a book within another book etc. I did like the pastiche of genres and of contemporary fiction trends bit struggled to keep myself interested when the narrative kept switching. It felt slightly too farcical for me.

Saying that, I did enjoy his take on recent history and politics

I have not read Coe’s work before. Based on this novel, I’m not sure I will read any more of his work.
The book can’t decide what genre it belongs in, with a novel, within a novel, a murder mystery and a cast of thousands ( or so it seems), added to very recent political events. The part surroundings Liz Truss’s disastrous prime- ministership was particularly disturbing, as it affected our family personally, and badly, with the law of unintended consequences.
I could not warm to the narrative or the characters, and was unsure exactly what the novel was trying to achieve.
My thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for my advance copy of this book.

Thank you for the opportunity to review this book. In all honesty this is a fantastic, clever and very contemporary novel. It's so enjoyable to read something that is set so carefully in the political present, yet neatly refers to the character's academic past lives. Including a reference to Sherlock Holmes and the Locked Room just made it fascinating and a really pleasurable novel to read.