Tide running - Oonya Kempadoo

An incredibly original voice - Kempadoo's second novel is a lyrical, funny, sexy compelling and unsettling novel that confirms the talents seen in her first novel Buxton Spice Set on the island of Tobago two young men. Cliff and Ossie, from the rough side of town watch the arrival of a young couple Peter, an Englishman, and Bella, a Caribbean woman and their child to a house overlooking the harbour. The couple get to know the two young men, inviting them into their house and lives and the two worlds begin to merge as the sea crashes in the background. A menage a trois occurs between Cliff and the couple and, for him, the harsh, bright, brittle life of urban Plymouth is kept, briefly, at bay. As the intricate relationship between the couple and Ossie intensifies, things begin to go wrong - money goes missing, the couple's car disappears. Is Cliff really guilty? Is Bella right to be suspicious? Tide Running brilliantly portrays the lush seascape of this Caribbean island as well as the tough disappointed world of urban Tobago. Kempadoo's story is utterly captivating and while also asks unsettling questions about relationships, wealth and responsibility.;Her first novel, published by Phoenix was widely acclaimed on publication and sold well in hardback. Picador can really capitalise on this success with a book that has all the charm of her first book with a really compelling plot.