Reviews
You'll definitely want to change your locks after reading this original and darkly funny novel… [It] will send shivers down your spine., Channeling the socially detached and unnerving personality of Nabokov's Humbert Humbert, Phil Hogan creates a character that will inspire intrigue as well as ire….This perfectly paced psychological suspense story is a roller-coaster ride through paranoia and manipulation., William Heming is cut from the same cloth as Barbara Covett in Zoë Heller's Notes On A Scandal , another unreliable narrator with whom we really should not be siding, but who proves so engaging that we can't help but go along for the ride . . . [A] gripping, thrilling novel., A memorably creepy sociopath…Hogan skillfully builds a character that combines Mr. Goodbar, Hannibal Lector and Moriarty., Channeling the socially detached and unnerving personality of Nabokov's Humbert Humbert, Phil Hogan creates a character that will inspire intrigue as well as ire....This perfectly paced psychological suspense story is a roller-coaster ride through paranoia and manipulation., A wonderfully creepy novel, macabre and blackly comic with a deeply unsettling and original hero.- Rosamund Lupton, New York Times bestselling author of Sister "Hugely engrossing... There's a real skill in the way that Hogan... pieces this unsettling story together."- The Guardian (UK)"Brilliantly creepy."- The Observer (UK), Need some morbidly funny and unsettling psychological suspense? Look no further than Phil Hogan's A Pleasure and a Calling., Delicious and addicting. William Heming joins the ranks of unforgettable, unreliable narrators in this gloriously creepy novel of psychological suspense., How mesmerizing is this book? I started it at lunch one day and finished it after dinner the same night….Reminiscent of Patricia Highsmith's Ripley books., The first-person portrayal of a truly cold-blooded protagonist is a hard thing to pull off, especially one whose outward appearance is so benign, but Phil Hogan has created an antihero horrifically ruthless and disquieting., A memorably creepy sociopath...Hogan skillfully builds a character that combines Mr. Goodbar, Hannibal Lector and Moriarty., "I loved A Pleasure and a Calling -gripping, sinister, original and brilliant!"- Sophie Hannah, bestselling author of The Monogram Murders and The Orphan Choir "A gripping psychological thriller that pegs out the creep-o-meter with its chilling, original plot…Hogan's Mr. Heming is a monumentally diabolical character-the fact that he narrates the story further ups both the stakes and the tension. Readers won't soon forget this first-rate, white-knuckle suspense novel."- Publishers Weekly (starred review) "A wonderfully creepy novel, macabre and blackly comic with a deeply unsettling and original hero."- Rosamund Lupton, New York Times- bestselling author of Sister "Hugely engrossing . . . Hogan captures perfectly [Heming's] mix of rationality and madness-the sense of logical means applied to deranged ends. The result is that we sympathize with Heming, embrace his plight-which only heightens our discomfort."- The Guardian (UK) "Brilliantly creepy."- The Observer (UK) "William Heming is cut from the same cloth as Barbara Covett in Zoë Heller's Notes On A Scandal , another unreliable narrator with whom we really should not be siding, but who proves so engaging that we can't help but go along for the ride . . . [A] gripping, thrilling novel."- The Independent on Sunday (UK) "There is a delicious feeling of complicity in his misdemeanors. Heming gets inside your head as easily as he gets into his neighbors' houses. Indeed you cannot help asking as you finish this superbly plotted and genuinely creepy novel: wouldn't we all pry into our neighbors' lives like this if we could get away with it?"- Sunday Express (UK) "You'll definitely want to change your locks after reading this original and darkly funny novel… [It] will send shivers down your spine."- The Stylist (UK), How mesmerizing is this book? I started it at lunch one day and finished it after dinner the same night....Reminiscent of Patricia Highsmith's Ripley books., A Pleasure and a Calling starts out slowly, meticulously building the first-person portrait of a sociopath. But, 70 pages in, the novel takes a sharp turn into Patricia Highsmith country, and the deliberately bland, purposely forgettable Heming stands revealed as Tom Ripley with a real estate license….This is [Phil Hogan's] first book to be published in the United States. Here's hoping for more to come., "I loved A Pleasure and a Calling -gripping, sinister, original and brilliant!"- Sophie Hannah, bestselling author of The Monogram Murders and The Orphan Choir "A gripping psychological thriller that pegs out the creep-o-meter with its chilling, original plot…Hogan's Mr. Heming is a monumentally diabolical character-the fact that he narrates the story further ups both the stakes and the tension. Readers won't soon forget this first-rate, white-knuckle suspense novel."- Publishers Weekly (starred review) "Delicious and addicting. William Heming joins the ranks of unforgettable, unreliable narrators in this gloriously creepy novel of psychological suspense."- Booklist (starred review) "A memorably creepy sociopath…Hogan skillfully builds a character that combines Mr. Goodbar, Hannibal Lector and Moriarty."- Kirkus Reviews "Channeling the socially detached and unnerving personality of Nabokov's Humbert Humbert, Phil Hogan creates a character that will inspire intrigue as well as ire….This perfectly paced psychological suspense story is a roller-coaster ride through paranoia and manipulation."- BookPage "A wonderfully creepy novel, macabre and blackly comic with a deeply unsettling and original hero."- Rosamund Lupton, New York Times- bestselling author of Sister "Hugely engrossing . . . Hogan captures perfectly [Heming's] mix of rationality and madness-the sense of logical means applied to deranged ends. The result is that we sympathize with Heming, embrace his plight-which only heightens our discomfort."- The Guardian (UK) "Brilliantly creepy."- The Observer (UK) "William Heming is cut from the same cloth as Barbara Covett in Zoë Heller's Notes On A Scandal , another unreliable narrator with whom we really should not be siding, but who proves so engaging that we can't help but go along for the ride . . . [A] gripping, thrilling novel."- The Independent on Sunday (UK) "There is a delicious feeling of complicity in his misdemeanors. Heming gets inside your head as easily as he gets into his neighbors' houses. Indeed you cannot help asking as you finish this superbly plotted and genuinely creepy novel: wouldn't we all pry into our neighbors' lives like this if we could get away with it?"- Sunday Express (UK) "You'll definitely want to change your locks after reading this original and darkly funny novel… [It] will send shivers down your spine."- The Stylist (UK), A gripping psychological thriller that pegs out the creep-o-meter with its chilling, original plot...Hogan's Mr. Heming is a monumentally diabolical character--the fact that he narrates the story further ups both the stakes and the tension. Readers won't soon forget this first-rate, white-knuckle suspense novel., Engagingly written and compulsively readable…Readers will find themselves wondering just how secure their own homes are, and, at the same time, uncomfortably beguiled by the often charming Mr. Heming, whose heart is in the right place--except when it is decidedly not., Beware, readers. Heming descends from a long line of dangerously seductive, alienated narcissists that includes Patricia Highsmith's Tom Ripley and Charles Anthony- Strangers on a Train -Bruno....Hogan is an especially agile storyteller, and he has assembled an admirably intricate back-story that explains (if not excuses) how Heming has come to be who he is. It's an exhilarating performance. Plan on having your locks changed soon after you finish reading the book., Beware, readers. Heming descends from a long line of dangerously seductive, alienated narcissists that includes Patricia Highsmith's Tom Ripley and Charles Anthony- Strangers on a Train -Bruno.…Hogan is an especially agile storyteller, and he has assembled an admirably intricate back-story that explains (if not excuses) how Heming has come to be who he is. It's an exhilarating performance. Plan on having your locks changed soon after you finish reading the book., There is a delicious feeling of complicity in his misdemeanors. Heming gets inside your head as easily as he gets into his neighbors' houses. Indeed you cannot help asking as you finish this superbly plotted and genuinely creepy novel: wouldn't we all pry into our neighbors' lives like this if we could get away with it?, A Pleasure and a Calling starts out slowly, meticulously building the first-person portrait of a sociopath. But, 70 pages in, the novel takes a sharp turn into Patricia Highsmith country, and the deliberately bland, purposely forgettable Heming stands revealed as Tom Ripley with a real estate license....This is [Phil Hogan's] first book to be published in the United States. Here's hoping for more to come., Engagingly written and compulsively readable...Readers will find themselves wondering just how secure their own homes are, and, at the same time, uncomfortably beguiled by the often charming Mr. Heming, whose heart is in the right place--except when it is decidedly not., Along with the stylistic echoes of Highsmith, Hogan also moves into the creepy-campy territory that Roman Polanski staked out, especially in The Tenant and Rosemary's Baby ....Hogan deftly creates situational suspense throughout the novel., You'll definitely want to change your locks after reading this original and darkly funny novel... [It] will send shivers down your spine., Hogan avoids clichés as he delivers one surprise after another. Heming at first seems harmless, but Hogan shows bit by bit how Heming has been scheming and diabolical, making this complex character both a villain and a hero. A Pleasure and a Calling brims with wry wit and taut tension, and will make readers think about changing the locks on their doors, just to be cautious., The word 'creepy' (attached to descriptive adverbs like 'insanely' and 'diabolically' or even 'deliciously') immediately comes to mind after a quick dip into A Pleasure and a Calling ., "I loved A Pleasure and a Calling -gripping, sinister, original and brilliant!"- Sophie Hannah, bestselling author of The Monogram Murders and The Orphan Choir "A gripping psychological thriller that pegs out the creep-o-meter with its chilling, original plot…Hogan's Mr. Heming is a monumentally diabolical character-the fact that he narrates the story further ups both the stakes and the tension. Readers won't soon forget this first-rate, white-knuckle suspense novel."- Publishers Weekly (starred review) "Delicious and addicting. William Heming joins the ranks of unforgettable, unreliable narrators in this gloriously creepy novel of psychological suspense."- Booklist (starred review) "A memorably creepy sociopath…Hogan skillfully builds a character that combines Mr. Goodbar, Hannibal Lector and Moriarty."- Kirkus Reviews "Channeling the socially detached and unnerving personality of Nabokov's Humbert Humbert, Phil Hogan creates a character that will inspire intrigue as well as ire….This perfectly paced psychological suspense story is a roller-coaster ride through paranoia and manipulation."- BookPage "A creepy but compelling story." -Kirkus Reviews (Eight Top-Shelf Crime Yarns to Help You Ring in 2015) "A wonderfully creepy novel, macabre and blackly comic with a deeply unsettling and original hero."- Rosamund Lupton, New York Times- bestselling author of Sister "Hugely engrossing . . . Hogan captures perfectly [Heming's] mix of rationality and madness-the sense of logical means applied to deranged ends. The result is that we sympathize with Heming, embrace his plight-which only heightens our discomfort."- The Guardian (UK) "Brilliantly creepy."- The Observer (UK) "William Heming is cut from the same cloth as Barbara Covett in Zoë Heller's Notes On A Scandal , another unreliable narrator with whom we really should not be siding, but who proves so engaging that we can't help but go along for the ride . . . [A] gripping, thrilling novel."- The Independent on Sunday (UK) "There is a delicious feeling of complicity in his misdemeanors. Heming gets inside your head as easily as he gets into his neighbors' houses. Indeed you cannot help asking as you finish this superbly plotted and genuinely creepy novel: wouldn't we all pry into our neighbors' lives like this if we could get away with it?"- Sunday Express (UK) "You'll definitely want to change your locks after reading this original and darkly funny novel… [It] will send shivers down your spine."- The Stylist (UK), Hugely engrossing . . . Hogan captures perfectly [Heming's] mix of rationality and madness--the sense of logical means applied to deranged ends. The result is that we sympathize with Heming, embrace his plight--which only heightens our discomfort., "I loved A Pleasure and a Calling -gripping, sinister, original and brilliant!"- Sophie Hannah, bestselling author of The Monogram Murders and The Orphan Choir "The word 'creepy' (attached to descriptive adverbs like 'insanely' and 'diabolically' or even 'deliciously') immediately comes to mind after a quick dip into A Pleasure and a Calling ." -Marilyn Stasio, New York Times Book Review " A Pleasure and a Calling starts out slowly, meticulously building the first-person portrait of a sociopath. But, 70 pages in, the novel takes a sharp turn into Patricia Highsmith country, and the deliberately bland, purposely forgettable Heming stands revealed as Tom Ripley with a real estate license….This is [Phil Hogan's] first book to be published in the United States. Here's hoping for more to come." - Dallas Morning News "Hogan avoids clichés as he delivers one surprise after another. Heming at first seems harmless, but Hogan shows bit by bit how Heming has been scheming and diabolical, making this complex character both a villain and a hero. A Pleasure and a Calling brims with wry wit and taut tension, and will make readers think about changing the locks on their doors, just to be cautious." - Associated Press "Engagingly written and compulsively readable…Readers will find themselves wondering just how secure their own homes are, and, at the same time, uncomfortably beguiled by the often charming Mr. Heming, whose heart is in the right place-except when it is decidedly not." - The Columbus Dispatch "A gripping psychological thriller that pegs out the creep-o-meter with its chilling, original plot…Hogan's Mr. Heming is a monumentally diabolical character-the fact that he narrates the story further ups both the stakes and the tension. Readers won't soon forget this first-rate, white-knuckle suspense novel."- Publishers Weekly (starred review) "Delicious and addicting. William Heming joins the ranks of unforgettable, unreliable narrators in this gloriously creepy novel of psychological suspense."- Booklist (starred review) "A memorably creepy sociopath…Hogan skillfully builds a character that combines Mr. Goodbar, Hannibal Lector and Moriarty."- Kirkus Reviews "Channeling the socially detached and unnerving personality of Nabokov's Humbert Humbert, Phil Hogan creates a character that will inspire intrigue as well as ire….This perfectly paced psychological suspense story is a roller-coaster ride through paranoia and manipulation."- BookPage "A creepy but compelling story." -Kirkus Reviews (Eight Top-Shelf Crime Yarns to Help You Ring in 2015) "A wonderfully creepy novel, macabre and blackly comic with a deeply unsettling and original hero."- Rosamund Lupton, New York Times- bestselling author of Sister "Hugely engrossing . . . Hogan captures perfectly [Heming's] mix of rationality and madness-the sense of logical means applied to deranged ends. The result is that we sympathize with Heming, embrace his plight-which only heightens our discomfort."- The Guardian (UK) "Brilliantly creepy."- The Observer (UK) "William Heming is cut from the same cloth as Barbara Covett in Zoë Heller's Notes On A Scandal , another unreliable narrator with whom we really should not be siding, but who proves so engaging that we can't help but go along for the ride . . . [A] gripping, thrilling novel."- The Independent on Sunday (UK) "There is a delicious feeling of complicity in his misdemeanors. Heming gets inside your head as easily as he gets into his neighbors'' houses. Indeed you cannot help asking as you finish this superbly plotted and genuinely creepy novel: wouldn''t we all pry into our neighbors'' lives like this if we could get away with it?"- Sunday Express (UK) "You'll definitely want to change your locks after reading this original and darkly funny novel… [It] will send shivers down your spine."- The Stylist (UK), A gripping psychological thriller that pegs out the creep-o-meter with its chilling, original plot…Hogan's Mr. Heming is a monumentally diabolical character--the fact that he narrates the story further ups both the stakes and the tension. Readers won't soon forget this first-rate, white-knuckle suspense novel.
