The Glass Kingdom
by Lawrence Osborne

This is the fifth book I have read by Lawrence Osborne. It is very well written and highly atmospheric. In this novel he incorporates many aspects found in his other writings: an exotic locale, a foreboding sense of doom, conflicts between the indigent and the well-to-do, ghosts, karma, etc.

It is a riveting read about the unraveling of a young woman named Sarah who deceives her elderly female employer, a successful writer, by forging her correspondence and then swindling a Hong Kong businessman. She then moves into a once luxurious high-rise in Bangkok where she assumes a false identity. There she is befriended by three other women, all suspicious of who she really is.

Outside the decaying edifice an insurrection is brewing. More and more of the tenants are leaving as their residence becomes less and less safe.

Sarah's hold on reality begins crumbling as does her outward appearance.

The novel's ending is horrifying and disturbing, making it difficult for me to recommend this book.

I still think his best novel is his first, "The Forgiven."