WhenDr. Hugh Clore, a literature professor of precarious means and obsessivetemperament, becomes the lodger of the boyish and beautiful Arthur Rose he'sinstantly besotted. Recently orphaned, Arthur drifts through a life ofclaustrophobic privilege, having inherited his parents' wealth and a grandGeorgian terraced house on Highbury Fields.Hugh plots to make Arthur fall in lovewith him, adopting the role of mentor and taking charge of Arthur’s education.But his carefully laid plans are disrupted when Arthur’s girlfriend, GeorgiaGroad, moves in. At twenty-one, a year older than Arthur, Georgia becomes Hugh’snemesis—an obstacle to his aspic paradise. Hugh, delusional but effective inhis manipulations, sets his sights on Georgia, drawing her into his orbit ashis second pupil, scheming to replace her in Arthur’s life. One thing is forcertain: it can't end well.

WhenDr. Hugh Clore, a literature professor of precarious means and obsessivetemperament, becomes the lodger of the boyish and beautiful Arthur Rose he'sinstantly besotted. Recently orphaned, Arthur drifts through a life ofclaustrophobic privilege, having inherited his parents' wealth and a grandGeorgian terraced house on Highbury Fields.Hugh plots to make Arthur fall in lovewith him, adopting the role of mentor and taking charge of Arthur’s education.But his carefully laid plans are disrupted when Arthur’s girlfriend, GeorgiaGroad, moves in. At twenty-one, a year older than Arthur, Georgia becomes Hugh’snemesis—an obstacle to his aspic paradise. Hugh, delusional but effective inhis manipulations, sets his sights on Georgia, drawing her into his orbit ashis second pupil, scheming to replace her in Arthur’s life. One thing is forcertain: it can't end well.