I bought this in hardback as a treat and it was worth the extra money. I would probably admire a shopping list by Sarah Waters but The Paying Guests was lovely by any standards. I say lovely rather than 'amazing' or 'brilliant' not because it wasn't those things too, but because 'lovely' seems to better fit its quiet, unshowy, very English restraint.
It's really a novel of two parts - the first lulling you into a false sense of security, the second a real nail-biter which turns the domestic world established in the first bit on its head.
It's not as plotty as her earlier, Victorian-set novels, but it's beautifully written and nuanced, and absolutely nails the 1920s setting without beating you round the head with all the research she must have done. Forget flappers and the Charleston - this book focuses on the post-WW1 issues that faced the middle and aspiring working classes.
For those who like a book that sets off from the first page at breakneck pace, hold on and stick with it because the tension builds and builds until you're hurtling through to get to the conclusion.The Paying Guests