A Flaw in the Design: ‘A psychological thriller par excellence’ Guardian

by Nathan Oates

A professor’s life is turned upside down when he takes in his charming, wildly dangerous nephew, whose wealthy parents have just died under mysterious circumstances, in this propulsive, edge-of-your-seat debut psychological thriller.

“An absolute page-turner . . . I read it in a single sitting.”—Miranda Cowley Heller, bestselling author of The Paper Palace
 
The cleverest psychopaths hide in plain sight.

Gil is living a quiet life as a creative writing professor in a bucolic Vermont town, when he receives some shocking His sister and her husband have been killed in a car accident, and their only son is coming to live with him and his family.
 
Gil and his wife are apprehensive about taking in seventeen-year-old Matthew. Yes, he has just lost both his parents, but they haven’t seen him in seven years—and the last time the families were together, Matthew lured their young daughter into a terrifying, life-threatening situation. Since that incident, Gil has been estranged from his sister and her flashy, wealthy banker husband. 

Now Matthew is their charge, living under their roof.
 
The boy seems charming, smart, and urbane, if strangely unaffected by his parents’ deaths. Gil hopes they can put the past behind them, though he’s surprised when Matthew signs up for his creative writing class. Then Matthew begins turning in chilling stories about the imagined deaths of Gil’s family and his own parents. Bewildered and panicked, Gil ultimately decides he must take matters into his own hands—before life imitates art.
 
Told in limber, mesmerizing prose, A Flaw in the Design is a twisting novel of suspense that brilliantly explores the tensions surrounding class, family, and the drive to control one’s own story.

304 pages, Paperback

Published December 7, 2023

Reviews

[Jeilen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lo leí bien rápido y pensé que la historia iba por otro lado. Aún sigo pensando en todo.

[Robert Razo II · Rating 3 out of 5]

Had a good backstory and set up. Clever parts of the book where you think the story will take a bigger turn but the ending was underwhelming.

[Tana · Rating 5 out of 5]

I feel I found hidden treasure with this one. There are only two ratings thus far on Goodreads and that surprises me because it was so good. It’s about an uncle who becomes crazily obsessed with his troubled nephew…and the ending is just flawless! Let’s hope there’s more to come, maybe a series???

If I had to say one negative, it would be that several chapters seemed long without much happening, but honestly I neglected EVERYTHING today just to finish this book and I’m not even sorry. Five stars.

[Grace Akin · Rating 2 out of 5]

Only the last 40 pages were worth reading. If you like reading elaborate pages long descriptions about a middle aged man’s jealousy of his rich sister and his numerous failures in life, this is the book for you. The political and “philosophical” insertions were trite and unnecessary. However, the use of creative writing stories as plot devices was a fun idea. I feel like this book had the potential to be something special but needed a few more rounds of editing.

[Karin Jaen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Creo que es un libro bastante fácil para leer no es de los mejores ¿a alguien más le desespero el tío?

[Emily · Rating 3 out of 5]

Le doy tres estrellas porque no es un libro malo pero tampoco es el gran libro. Tiene ventajas y desventajas.

Los capítulos son fáciles de leer y relativamente cortos, no te provoca bloqueo lector y con un buen ritmo de lectura terminas rápido la historia.

No pude empatizar con ningún personaje que se presenta, Gil hasta me llegó a desesperar de todo lo que decía y pensaba. Solo hay un giro de trama impresionante, por lo demás es bastante predecible todo lo que pasa.

El final definitivamente no es lo que esperaba pero sinceramente pienso que para una segunda parte es un desperdicio. No le veo potencial de ser un buen final.

[Diana Roth · Rating 1 out of 5]

I don't like it at all 😬
Sorry but not sorry, the story is so bad, you can not connect with the main character.

I'm really sad, I finished this book so a few minutes ago, so I have tons of emotions right now, because I bought this book attracted by the plot, and I gave it a chance even when some friends told me about how bad it is! And at first I thought maybe they were wrong, but they weren't...

I dont' wanna be rude, but I do not recommend this book, I think the author could do something better, the story about the paranoid uncle and the crazy nephew has potential, but the development was so bad.

And maybe it was just me, but I don't like when it has an open ending 🥲

[Nicola · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars, I suppose. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't my fave...
Personally, I thought parts of the story were dragging out here and there, like maybe I was just being impatient, but the flashbacks through the story were a bit long for me.
I didn't mind the over story though, I liked it. It was still very 'ooooh' just not really like 'gasp' yk???
Thinking about now as well though... I feel like some characters just disappeared... like the youngest daughter. Who doesn't remember almost drowing when she was younger. And is like the whole point that our main character, Gil, doesn't trust or like his nephew??
An okay read. Don't think it's one of the books I'd want to really read again.

[Anafenix · Rating 3 out of 5]

🌟🌟✨️
Thriller con un argumento muy simple y predecible, ademas el prota me ha resultado muy pesado, cae mal.Se pasa todo el libro dandole vueltas a lo mismo, haciendo la lectura muy lenta.

En los thriller es en el unico genero que no admito descrubir todo el pastel antes de tiempo, y con este lo he acertado absolutamente todo, todo lo poquito que habia para averiguar.

[Diana · Rating 3 out of 5]

Al inicio te atrapa pero a la mitad del libro se pierde todo el encanto, se repite toda la historia y no te logra dar nada, los últimos dos capítulos se vuelven interesantes pero hubiera preferido que hubiera sido así desde la mitad del libro, no le encontré el chiste a la historia ya que siento que no se desarrolló de una manera que te atrape.

[Mariana González · Rating 3 out of 5]

Estuvo bien, nada tan innovador o tan intrigante, no sé si hay segunda parte o si el final es así. Admito que me gustaría saber más, tal vez ver cómo se desarrollo ese giro en el final que me haga pensar que si valió la pena pero tampoco es que me muera de la curiosidad.

[Pmg Pmg · Rating 3 out of 5]

Aún no sé qué pensar fue por momentos algo aburrido y también perturbador.
El tío Gil me parecía insufrible no pude empatizar del todo con él...
Las últimas 50 páginas estuvieron muy buenas.


Aunque te deja con la intriga...

[Lila Castellanos · Rating 2 out of 5]

Bastante aburrido y tedioso.

[Sofia Nozz · Rating 2 out of 5]

Queda en continuación?? Lo supongo por ese final :/

[Mile :) · Rating 2 out of 5]

...

[María · Rating 2 out of 5]

1,5 ⭐️
Total perdida de tiempo

[Tamioka · Rating 2 out of 5]

Fue muuuy largo y aburrido! no me gustó!

[Elsa · Rating 1 out of 5]

It's me, the problem it's me.

(El MC me ha parecido insufrible)

[Emma · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really thought I was going to enjoy this but none of the characters were likeable, the writing was a bit long winded at times without really saying much and the ending wasn't satisfying.

[Iram Ramirez · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good, entertained

[Rebecca DeVaud · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book was good. Bought it in an airport and read it in 5 days. I kept waiting for big things to happen and loops starting to close which didn’t happen until about the last 50 pages. The book felt a bit unfinished, so maybe there will be a sequel…?

[Dee Roll · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really thought there were three psychotics in this novel the uncle, the nephew and the uncle’s wife for putting up with him but guess what!!! It was the nephew!

[Mérida Santomé Román · Rating 3 out of 5]

Todavía no tengo una opinión concluyente... Necesito darme unos días y escribir en varias hojas para decidirlo 🤔

[Lynda · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was good. But the ending!!! Really??? Can’t leave it hanging like that.