Terry, the charismatic director of a British campaign for open government, has a direct approach to official secrets and women alike. The only person who can resist his brash frankness is Hilary, a serious and dedicated young civil servant in the Home Office, who happens to know the truth about a big police cover-up. Until one morning she turns up at the campaign's offices with a brown envelope marked Private and Confidential. What eventually emerges from that envelope will change the lives of everyone involved.
The theme of Michael Frayn's eighth novel,
Now You Know
(1992) is the difficult counterbalance of openness and personal privacy. As timely as ever in today's WikiLeaks era, it is, like all of Frayn's work, both thought-provoking and very funny. This edition features a new introduction by the author.
'Entertaining enough to keep you up half the night.' -
Chicago Tribune
'Unabashed joy in the language . . . refreshing vitality. Serious issues are being examined here, and with superb intelligence.' - James Wilcox,
The New York Times Book Review
'A tremendously thought-provoking story, skillfully crafted.' -
The Milwaukee Journal