THIS is the fourth novel by Phil Hogan, a British-born author and journalist, whose previous books have covered adultery, divorce and sibling rivalry. This offering takes us on a creepy and unexpected journey, following the life of an unassuming estate agent.

Told in bite-size chapters which gradually come together to reveal the true nature of the story’s main character, this is an original and fascinating reading experience.

Right from the start, the reader is drawn into estate agent Mr Heming’s world, a world where he remains, in the main, unnoticed by others, but those he is drawn to become the focus of his obsessive attentions.

This is a story that will remain with the reader long after the book is finished, and will leave them questioning those around them. It also shows how the actions of one person can, in time, have quite unrelated, but devastating consequences for others. And one thing’s for sure, it leaves you feeling that the next time you trust an estate agent with a set of keys, you’ll change the locks afterwards.

Rachael Dunn