I understand that Scarlett Thomas has more or less disowned her first three novels which feature the investigations undertaken by Lily Pascale, plucky and engaging lecturer in crime fiction. I can't think why. I would have thought that anyone would be very proud to have written this book and its predecessor, 'Dead Clever'.

'In Your face' is certainly very different from her more recent novels such as 'Our Tragic Universe', 'The Seed Collectors' and 'The End of Mr Y', and does not quite match up to their pitch of excellence. There is, however, ample scope for a novel to be less marvellous that 'Our Tragic Universe' yet still be very good, and this novel easily manages that.

Ms Thomas seems to excel in creating marvellous female protagonists (and her Meg Carpenter is one of my favourite fictional characters of all time), and Lily Pascale is worthy of their company. In her previous outing she solved the murder of a student whose bodyt was found on the campus of the university at which lily lectures. As this novel opens, she is still being feted for that success, for which she has just received a reward of £20,000 which will have major implications for her lifestyle, supporting her imminent purchase of a more reliable car and her move to new accommodation.

Out of the blue she receives a phone call from Jess, someone whom she knew as an undergraduate but with whom she has no contact since. Jess is an aspiring freelance journalist, and she is terrified because the three women whose experiences of stalking she cited in a magazine feature have all been killed on the same day (which was, indeed, the day on which her article was published). She persuades Lily to help her and they agree to meet in a couple of days. When lily goes to Jess's house, she has disappeared, and the police are searching for her as a possible suspect in the three murders.

Lily Pascale is resourceful and perceptive, and Thomas keeps the actions m oving swiftly along, without ever compromising plausibility. Great plotting and characterisation help, and Lily emerges once again as an exceptionally likeable and believable character. I wish Ms Thomas would change her mind about these great books - I would love to know what Lily Pascale is like as she nears middle age. ( )

The second novel in the Lily Pascal series “In Your Face” switches back to London and whilst it still “nods and winks to the camera” is probably (I haven’t read much Crime Fiction) more traditional than "Dead Clever". It leverages “Dead Clever” but doesn’t rely on it and the distance from the university creates more “literary space”. There are the occasional narcissistic lapses – Lily is nearly always described as stunning, a genius, brilliant, etc.. but then Philip Roth’s new novel is apparently about a New York Jewish Professor of Literature “turning” a stunningly attractive 30 year old lesbian literary scholar so fairs fair!

All in all, so far, I’d say I was a fan but not quite a fanatic. That said I have lined up “Seaside” for my next read so it probably depends on what your definition of fanatic is? ( )