The Secret History. Донна Тартт

Truly deserving of the accolade Modern Classic, Donna Tartt's bestseller The Secret History is a remarkable achievement ­­- both compelling and elegant, dramatic and playful.

'What we did was terrible, but still I don't think any of us were bad, exactly; chalk it up to weakness on my part, hubris on Henry's, too much Greek prose composition - whatever you like.'

Under the influence of their charismatic classics professor, a group of clever, eccentric misfits at an elite New England college discover a way of thinking and living that is a world away from the humdrum existence of their contemporaries. But when they go beyond the boundaries of morality, their lives are changed profoundly and for ever.

The Secret History is a story of two parts; the chain of events that led to the death of a classmate - and what happened next.

'So irresistible and seductive it's almost a guilty pleasure' Guardian

'Donna Tartt is an amazingly good writer. She's dense, she's allusive. She's a gorgeous storyteller' Stephen King

'A haunting, compelling, and brilliant piece of fiction . . . Packed with literary allusion and told with a sophistication and texture' The Times