Having only read Miss Brodie before 2018, I decided to use the reprint of her work last year as a reason to read more of Muriel Spark. Loitering with Intent is definitely the best so far (The Driver's Seat had been top for me until now), and I think would appeal to a much wider audience than some of her writing.

Fluer Talbot becomes embroiled in a life imitating art, imitating life scenario after taking a job working for the eccentric and highly controlling Sir Quentin, and wackiness ensues. Loitering With Intent has lots of the Spark dark wit, but there is much more to this novel than some of her other work - her Booker prize nomination wholly deserved, and it deserves more recognition than it currently receives.

Call my cynical, but the entire book read like it was a screenplay - unsurprising he has already sold the rights to it, so makes me think his agent said he could probably make more cash by writing a novel and turning it into a screenplay, rather than just selling a screenplay.

Pros: quick read and managed to tie together both parts of the story more efficiently than I predicted 100 pages in.

Cons: stereotypical and old fashioned understanding of mental illness, twist wasn't terribly thrilling and fits in with the Ed Sheeran 'good guy feel bad for me' style of popular culture the UK seem to be lapping up, rather than calling men out for gaslighting.