The Dilemma: A Novel

4.5★s

The Dilemma is the fourth novel by British author, B.A. Paris. Livia Harman has an awful secret she's choosing to reveal after her massive fortieth birthday party. It's one of those devastating secrets that, when it comes out, is going to severely unbalance the lives of those close to her.

Her son Josh has a piece of news that's not going to go down well with his father, and her daughter Marnie is definitely hiding something. Her husband Adam has a few surprises for her birthday, but will they be welcomed? It looks like the night of June eighth might not end well. To say much more about the plot without spoilers is difficult.

Told in hourly instalments, mostly over the twenty-four-hour period from the morning of Livia's long-awaited party, this is a dual narrative from the perspectives of Livia and Adam. The reader is shown the interpretation that each of them puts on the events and encounters during that time, with backstories provided through flashbacks.

It is quickly clear that Livia and Adam and their family and friends care very much about one another so their dilemmas involve deciding what will do least harm to those they love. However, (and this will frustrate some readers) they do both spend quite a lot of time agonising about situations when they are not in command of all the facts, and expend a lot of energy second-guessing and imagining worst-case scenarios. Intense and thought-provoking, this is a powerful read.

This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by HQ Fiction

It is worth mentioning that Paris does something a little cute in her acknowledgements.