A Crime in the Neighborhood

WINNER OF THE WOMEN''S PRIZE FOR FICTION

''This ambitious account of a sudden coming of age reminded me strongly of To Kill a Mockingbird - and is every bit as moving and satisfying'' Daily Telegraph

In the long hot summer of 1972, three events shattered the serenity of ten-year-old Marsha''s life: her father ran away with her mother''s sister; a young boy called Boyd Ellison was molested and murdered; and Watergate made the headlines. Living in a world no longer safe or familiar, Marsha turns increasingly to ''the book of evidence'' in which she records the doings of the neighbors, especially of shy Mr Green next door. But as Marsha''s confusion and her murder hunt accelerate, her ''facts'' spread the damage cruelly and catastrophically throughout the neighborhood.

''It is impossible not to be completely swept along. Berne''s vision is gently humorous, ironic, quirky, and she writes with such piercing sensitivity . . . a compelling debut novel'' The Times

''Intensely evocative. I loved it'' Observer

''The writing is marvellous . . . comparisons have been made between her and Anne Tyler and Harper Lee. Same ball-park, delightfully different voice'' Mail on Sunday