Our Take
Graeme Macrae Burnet continues his exploration of literary gamesmanship with Case Study, a fiendishly clever novel that sits somewhere between psychological thriller and postmodern puzzle box. Following his Booker-shortlisted His Bloody Project, Burnet once again constructs a multilayered narrative that questions the nature of truth and reliability. The genius lies in the structure: alternating between the young woman's therapy session notebooks and the author's own research creates an unsettling interplay between subjective experience and supposedly objective investigation. As readers, we're never quite sure what's real—is Collins Braithwaite a dangerous charlatan or misunderstood innovator? Is our narrator a reliable witness or is she experiencing the very psychological unraveling she attributes to her sister? Burnet captures 1960s London with period-perfect detail while exploring timeless questions about power dynamics in therapeutic relationships and the malleability of identity. The novel's dark humor and intellectual playfulness never overshadow its genuine psychological insight. Fans of Iain Pears's An Instance of the Fingerpost or Sarah Waters's Victorian mysteries will appreciate the intricate plotting and unreliable narration. For readers who loved Burnet's previous work or anyone fascinated by novels that challenge conventional notions of truth, Case Study is a sophisticated, deeply satisfying read that will have you questioning everything.