Disappear

 Charlie Bell's picture is in the paper. He is a popular young man with a successful hedge fund and London is full of money. Then in one evening, everything changes. When his wife Leila threatens to leave him, a journey begins in which they are both forced to discover what they believe in. The plot sweeps the reader from glitzy pre-crisis London , through the Midsummer Night's Dream of rural Spain and then back again to the grittier London of The Hillford Estate and a charitable drop-in centre for kids. Throughout the book, the inner stories reflect the outer one of the financial crisis. As grand illusions fade, Disappear questions the connection between couples, between family members, even between the helper and the helped. Ultimately it looks at our very sense of belonging and asks: is it possible simply to disappear from your own life? In the climactic final scenes, set in the heat and sensual chaos of Notting Hill Carnival, each of the main characters will live out their answer.

Review: Stevenson's writing captivates. Her characters are interesting and original. Her writing on familial relationships is unflinching: she captures the the twisted push of and pull of the sibling bond between Leila and Kate very well. She also excels at creating vivid worlds, from an opulent birthday party at a riverside penthouse and a remote Spanish villa to a claustrophobic flat on a deprived housing estate... It digs deep into the uncomfortable world of human relationships and the unexpected ways in which we trip one another up Observer Talitha Stevenson's new book, while pondering the dangers of 'making money from money', also traces the break-up of a far from recession-proof marriage ... A heartfelt read Independent