For fans of Siri Hustvedt and Nicole Krauss, THE AFFAIRS OF OTHERS is an exceptional debut about the awakening of a young widow and 'carries a considerable erotic charge, but there's much more to it besides: grief is Amy Grace Loyd's subject and her narrative is as psychologically acute as it is sensual' (DAILY MAIL). Includes reading-group notes.

In the five years since her young husband's death, Celia Cassill has retreated from view. She has moved from one New York neighbourhood to another, but she has not moved on. Now the owner of a small apartment building, she has chosen tenants who will not intrude upon her grief. Everything changes when a new tenant moves in upstairs. Intoxicating and dangerous, Hope is on the run from a failed marriage and in thrall to a seductive, sinister man. As her noisy affair destroys the building's quiet, and another tenant disappears, Celia is forced back into contact with life through violence, sex and the secrets barely concealed within the brownstone's walls.

[Loyd's] writing is rich and elegant, with elements of allusion and allegory and beguiling characters to draw readers in. Dark and sensual, with just a touch of suspense, this first novel offers a heartwrenchingly honest story about grief while still allowing for a glimmer of hope