Bookseller Reviews
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The Code For Success!
Jonny Sweet delivers a powerful and decidedly sinister debut which wonderfully re-imagines the Jeeves and Wooster scenario and turns it into a wickedly twi... READ MORE
The Next Secret History?
Ok, maybe that's a big pair of boots to fill, but I loved The Kellerby Code. The toxic friend group our lower class protagonist bends over backwards to fit... READ MORE
Chilling!
'Edward is living in a world he can't afford and to which he doesn't belong'. At the start of the novel, Edward comes across as a bit of a good-hearted bu... READ MORE
A solid thriller with a cast of unlikeable characters
The main character Edward is trying to break into the friendship group of the well off landed gentry that he went to university with. He has an interesting... READ MORE
Full of humour
A wonderfully humorous murder novel in the vein of Saltburn (without the weird sex) where our hero is mistreated by his rich theatrical "friends" and it al... READ MORE
How far would you go to fit in?
If you’re looking for something with similar vibes to Saltburn, with even less likeable characters, this is for you. Edward desperately needs to be liked a... READ MORE
Synopsis
Edward is living in a world he can't afford and to which he doesn't belong. To camouflage himself, he has catered to his friends' needs: fetching drycleaning, sorting flowers for premieres. It's a noble effort, really - anything to keep his best pals Robert and Stanza happy. In return, his proximity to them might sponge the shame of his birth and violent past cleanly away.
But the chink in his armour is his painfully unrequited love for Stanza. When he realises Stanza and Robert are an item, Edward is pushed too far. His little acts of kindness take a sinister turn, giving way to the unspeakable brutality Edward fears is at his core.
Are there limits to what he will do for his friends? Are there limits to what he will do to them?
Publisher information
- Publisher: Faber & Faber
- ISBN: 9780571379873
- Number of pages: 384
- Dimensions: 242 x 163 x 35 mm
- Weight: 608g
- Languages: English
Customer Reviews
View allWorth reading!
I was sent an advance proof copy of The Kellerby Code by Jonny Sweet to read and review by NetGalley. I wasn’t too sure about this novel to begin with as ... READ MORE
Slightly disappointing
Edward was born in the 'lower-middle' classes but, after a scholarship education and a degree at Cambridge, he aspires for more. Hiding a secret from his ... READ MORE
not for me
Sadly, despite a couple of attempts, I really couldnt get into this book. I found the writing style really difficult to engage with and to place what era i... READ MORE
Highly recommended
I rooted for EDwards as I found Robert and Stanza (why call someone using the Italian word for room ?) who are spoiled and unbearable.
it's a story of dre... READ MORE
Gripping murderous tale
I actually really enjoyed reading this. It took quite a while to get into it. It was a very slow starter and I found the beginning quite confusing, but the... READ MORE
Brutal Exploration of a the Maddening British Class System
Although The Kellerby Code references both Brideshead Revisited and Wodehouse's Jeeves and Wooster stories, the main protagonist -- Edward -- reminded me o... READ MORE
A compelling read
This is a strangely compelling read: strange because I didn’t like any of the characters but still wanted to know what happened to them. The story moves a... READ MORE
Disappointing
I bought this book as a result of watching "Between the Covers". To say I was disappointed is an understatement. To me, it reads like a submission work ... READ MORE
The Kellerby Code
I am not sure about this book. Edward is best friends with Robert and Stanza, they do treat him like a goffer and he seems, on the outside, to be quite ha... READ MORE
A difficult read with unlikeable characters
This had a lot of promise and I wanted to enjoy it a lot more than I did in the end. I found the characters largely unlikeable and I wasn't invested enough... READ MORE
Murder Mystery in a Big House
In the grounds of Kellerby House, Edward Jevons has just found a human mandible – with an amalgam filling – which he smoothly pockets. Whose mandible? Wh... READ MORE
Amusing in places
Never read anything by this author before and I agree with other reviewers it takes a while to get into. I am not really sure what to make of the book. It ... READ MORE
A clever compelling tale
A really clever thriller with Edward, the narrator- a good guy. He is at the beck and call of his ‘mate’ Robert, a budding theatre director and the enigmat... READ MORE
Dark & Funny
Thank you to the publishers for this early review copy.
I had heard only great things about this book when I started it so my expectations were very high.... READ MORE
Deft, dark, deliberate and utterly engaging.
I confess that initially I wondered if The Kellerby Code was for me … maybe it was the day, or my mood but I very soon got over myself. Jonny Sweet utterly... READ MORE
Dark, brutal and satirical
Edward is a man out of place and to some extent, out his of time, too. While The Kellerby Code reminded me from the beginning of Saltburn; for a while I co... READ MORE
Gripping, but unsettling
Hmmm - how do I feel about this book? It's hard to express, really - especially as I just watched Saltburn and there's significant crossover. Part of me lo... READ MORE
Dark and comfortable
I picked up The Kellerby Code, the debut of Jonny Sweet, after hearing Richard Osman recommending it, on Between The Covers.
Edward Jevons is desperate... READ MORE
Wonderfully dark
A few chapters in and I was hooked.
The story just kept giving and the dynamics between the friends is fascinating. It’s a skill to make the reader like... READ MORE