''The Lover'' is a 2004 crime fiction novel written by Laura Wilson and first published in the United Kingdom by

Orion Publishing Group Orion Publishing Group Ltd. is a UK-based book publisher. It was founded in 1991 and acquired Weidenfeld & Nicolson the following year. The group has published numerous bestselling books by notable authors including Ian Rankin, Michael Connelly, ...

on 17 June 2004. A fictionalized account of the activities of a serial killer known as

Blackout Ripper Gordon Frederick Cummins (18 February 1914 – 25 June 1942) was a British serial killer known as the Blackout Killer, the Blackout Ripper and the Wartime Ripper, who murdered four women and attempted to murder two others over a six-day period in ...

who began killing prostitutes in London during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

, the novel follows the viewpoints of three different people, including the killer, as their individual lives begin to intersect. It was released in the United States by Orion's American branch. The novel was nominated for two 2004

Crime Writers' Association The Crime Writers' Association (CWA) is a specialist authors’ organisation in the United Kingdom, most notable for its Dagger awards for the best crime writing of the year, and the Diamond Dagger awarded to an author for lifetime achievement. T ...

awards. The French translation, released in 2005 by Albin Michel, won the Prix Littéraires 2004 Prix du Polar Europeen. Critics heavily praised the work, with British papers ''

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'' and the ''

Telegraph Telegraphy is the long-distance transmission of messages where the sender uses symbolic codes, known to the recipient, rather than a physical exchange of an object bearing the message. Thus flag semaphore is a method of telegraphy, whereas p ...

''s reviewers both selecting it as one of the best novels of 2004.

Synopsis

Set in

England, ''The Lover'' is a novel based on the real-life case of

serial killer A serial killer is typically a person who murders three or more persons,A * * * * with the murders taking place over more than a month and including a significant period of time between them. While most authorities set a threshold of three ...

Gordon Cummins Gordon Frederick Cummins (18 February 1914 – 25 June 1942) was a British serial killer known as the Blackout Killer, the Blackout Ripper and the Wartime Ripper, who murdered four women and attempted to murder two others over a six-day period in ...

, also known as the

. A 28-year-old British

airman An airman is a member of an air force or air arm of a nation's armed forces. In certain air forces, it can also refer to a specific enlisted rank. An airman can also be referred as a soldier in other definitions. In civilian aviation usage, t ...

, Cummins began strangling and mutilating female

prostitutes Prostitution is the business or practice of engaging in sexual activity in exchange for payment. The definition of "sexual activity" varies, and is often defined as an activity requiring physical contact (e.g., sexual intercourse, non-penet ...

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

during the bombing and subsequent blackout in the city. The novel looks at the events from three view points: a female prostitute with a young son who is a potential victim, a woman who met Cummings and became infatuated with him, and Cummins himself.

Publication history

first published the novel in the United Kingdom in

hardback A hardcover, hard cover, or hardback (also known as hardbound, and sometimes as case-bound) book is one bound with rigid protective covers (typically of binder's board or heavy paperboard covered with buckram or other cloth, heavy paper, or occas ...

from on 17 June 2004. It was published in the United States the following week. The

paperback A paperback (softcover, softback) book is one with a thick paper or paperboard cover, and often held together with adhesive, glue rather than stitch (textile arts), stitches or Staple (fastener), staples. In contrast, hardcover (hardback) book ...

version was published in the United Kingdom on 21 April 2005, and in the United States on 28 June 2005. It was translated to French and released as ''L'Amant Anglais'' on 1 April 2005 by

Albin Michel Albin may refer to: Places * Albin, Wyoming, US * Albin Township, Brown County, Minnesota, US * Albin, Virginia, US People * Albin (given name), origin of the name and people with the first name "Albin" * Albin (surname) ;Mononyms * Albin of ...

Reception

''The Lover'' was nominated for the

's Gold Dagger and Ellis Peters Historical Dagger awards, but did not win either. The French translation won the Prix Littéraires 2004 Prix du Polar Europeen award for the "Best Crime Novel of the Year In Translation" in 2004. ''

'' listed ''The Lover'' as one of its choices for best crime fiction novel of 2004. Reviewer Jane Jakeman praised Wilson for her "meticulous" research on historical elements of the novel and considered the novel to be a "terrific read" that "continues the Dickensian tradition of the London crime novel." The ''

''s Susanna Yager also chose the novel as one of the top thrillers of 2004, noting that Wilson is "very good at creating an authentic period atmosphere". '' New Books''s David James felt the novel was "compulsive reading" and praised Wilson's ability to portray the "uneasy atmosphere" and provide the "perfect setting" for story. The ''

Birmingham Post The ''Birmingham Post'' is a weekly printed newspaper based in Birmingham, England, with a circulation of 2,545 and distribution throughout the West Midlands. First published under the name the ''Birmingham Daily Post'' in 1857, it has had a s ...

Mike Ripley Mike Ripley was born in 1952 and is the British author of the award-winning ‘Angel’ series of comedy thrillers as well as a critic and archaeologist. Life and work Ripley is the author of the ''Angel'' series of comedy thrillers set mainly in E ...

effusively praised the novel as being "quite simply superb: not only the best thing she has written to date, but certainly one of the best crime novels of the year." In particular, he noted that Wilson provided a convincing view of 1940s London and her lifelike characters.

References

External links

Laura Wilson's official ''The Lover'' webpage
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lover, The 2004 British novels British crime novels Novels about British prostitution Novels set in London Fiction set in 1942 Orion Books books