Jawbone Lake

A gripping, thought-provoking tale

The List

Robinson is very good on the odd dynamics of the relationships grown-up sons have with their fathers … the characters and the writing are so compelling. This book is also full of unexpected imagery … and amusing dialogue … that will linger happily in the memory

Jake Kerridge, Sunday Express

Robinson seems to reinvent himself with each book. This time he has written an exemplary literary thriller. The clever bastard.

Me And My Big Mouth

Robinson brings his characters alive by the evocation of their expansive inner worlds, the reaction of each to the events that spiral out from Jawbone Lake. Even the landscape of the Peaks colludes in the shifting of perspectives, slowly revealing more secrets to the intertwined protagonists. This novel resounds long after the mesmerising final sentence completes its circle. On the surface, it’s a literary thriller. But Robinson uses the frame of taut, compulsive storytelling to reveal infinite space beyond – the fathoms that lie between us.

Guardian

[A] lyrical novel about lives in a remarkable landscape.

Sunday Times

This is a literary thriller of the highest order.

Irish Independent

I became totally absorbed in this emotive and beautifully rendered novel... I would easily compare it to a writer such as Jim Crace in the rendition of its deep rooted emotional themes, and its pitch perfect evocation of place. A beautiful and affecting read.

Raven Crime Reads

A novel that ... knows how to thrill, even as it treats its thriller aspect as something strange and inscrutable ... another intriguing book from an author whose work should not remain a secret.

David H blog

[A] very gripping literary thriller

Savidge Reads

Robinson is deft at capturing the nuances of…relationship[s]…[There are] endearing, memorable characters.

Sunday Business Post

[A] fine thriller, a psychological study of a young woman who is reluctantly involved in the plot and brilliant word pictures of life at the blunt end of "poverty Britain"…I found myself quickly drawn into the plot, with brief word-pictures building up just the right amount of framework in my mind. An elegant and fast-moving narrative drove me on through the pages and yet somehow leaving me feeling that "this is good writing".’

A Common Reader

[Robinson's] latest novel is a literary thriller with traces of Enduring Love. It is cold and bleak and brilliantly done. He is one of the finest British novelists of his age.

Me and My Big Mouth

I simply could not stop reading the book…Robinson really captures the atmosphere of the Peak District which is at once incredibly beautiful and also dangerous and ominous. This ripples through the book and often informs the mood over the characters even if they don’t know it. I loved all this. There is a modern gothic nature to all of this, along with an earthy element that works wonders for me and I think Robinson is brilliant at… A deliciously dark literary thriller.

Savidge Reads

[A] very human novel in which nearly everything is expertly understated ... The characters and storyline are completely absorbing and all of the drama is handled brilliantly making the novel seem almost like a true life account ... Jawbone Lake is a very deep and poignant tale that had me hooked from the start ... It is an emotional read with exceptionally well crafted characters and a lot of heart; I thoroughly enjoyed it.’

The Bookbag

A novel that knows how to thrill, even as it treats its thriller aspect as something strange and inscrutable. So that’s another intriguing book from an author whose work should not remain a secret.

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