2007-08-02 One in a million

I read a lot of crime fiction, and this novel was recommended to me by a friend who said that anyone who was interested in crime fiction ought to read this. The opening chapter presents one of the most audaciously weird mysteries I've ever come across - a man walks into a psychiatrist's office wearing a purple flower in his hair, and claims that three 'little men' are paying him to do strange things (flower-wearing, whistling during concerts, and giving away money). The psychiatrist, Dr George Matthews, has to unravel the mystery. At first he assumes his client is bonkers (as one would), but then he meets one of the little men himself...
This is an amazing book, with a constantly-surprising and genuinely original plot, a macabre, tense, nightmarish atmosphere throughout and a satisfyingly unpredictable and gripping conclusion. My one criticism is that because there's so much plot, certain things that should have been given more time to unfold naturally in the book feel as if they've been 'rushed through'. I'd have preferred the author to take his time and for the book to be slightly longer. Still, it is one of the most striking and memorable crime stories I've ever read.