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Always anxious to read anything I can find by John Boyne, I wonder how I could have missed NEXT OF KIN for the last 17 years. I think this might be my favorite of his books.

Historical fiction that is also a thriller, NEXT OF KIN is set in England during 1936, when Edward VIII was King of England and then abdicated the throne. At the same time as his birthright was being discussed all over the world, when he might have felt that it was being stolen from him, another man, Owen Montignac, is SURE that HIS birthright was stolen from HIM.

Owen is a member of the upper class and has lived a very palatial life with his aunt and uncle and cousins in a beautiful mansion that he feels was stolen from his father, the firstborn son. That mindset leads to so much trouble! Unlike the king, he refuses to just step aside.

Boyne is critical of the upper class and not only of the Montignacs. Another family in the story, not quite so rich but still upper class, enjoys the lifestyle because the father is a judge. The 24-year-old son, Gareth Bentley, has graduated from college where he studied law. He now sleeps in late every morning and spends the rest of every day doing pretty much nothing at his father's expense. But Judge Bentley finally gives him an ultimatum: get a job or else. Then Gareth meets Owen.

Gareth thinks Owen is his friend so is easily led into Owen's get-rich-quick scheme. As a result, the lives of two families are changed forever.

NEXT OF KIN could be the best of John Boyne. If you, too, missed reading it, grab it now.

This is one of those rare novels that has all the components of great literature as well as a gripping, page-turning plot. Irish author John Boyne, who is one of my favorite writers of all time, has penned an extraordinary story filled with twists and turns that will keep you up well past your bedtime if you're not careful.

It's 1936 in London, and while most of the world is reeling from an economic depression, the British aristocracy is doing quite well, thank you. Handsome and enigmatic Owen Montignac is 25 years old and has just suffered a monstrous disappointment: He fully expected to inherit his uncle's estate—money, house, land, everything—but he was left with nothing. And that's a problem because Owen has racked up a gambling debt of 50,000 pounds. How he resolves this is the bulk of the plot and includes such escapades as art theft, murder, unlikely conspiracies, and even a plot against King Edward VIII and his American paramour, the twice-divorced and oh-so scandalous Wallis Simpson. Bonus: The ending gave me the shivers.

While the intricate, multifaceted plot truly is so compelling it's hard to stop reading and attend to your real life, this book shines because it is also a literary delight. The characters are fully developed—so real that they almost pop off the page. The story has something bold to say about life and love, ethics and morals, right and wrong, good and evil. It's a book that made me think—far beyond wondering what would happen next.

John Boyne is a genius writer. Read and enjoy!