Amigos y amantes

The echo of a gunshot in the offices of Whitehall—the British government’s administrative complex in central London—heralds not only the strange death of a senior official but also the onset of a subtle intrigue. Kate and Octavian—the latter being the head of the department where the deceased worked—are a seemingly happy couple who host an eccentric cast of characters at their Dorset home: an odd uncle who left India under a cloud of suspicion; a tormented friend who survived Dachau; the lawyer handling the case (and Kate’s platonic lover); children from previous marriages; acquaintances; and occasional visitors. All of them are connected in one way or another to the dead man in an exquisite comedy of errors, where smiles often mask profound sins. Drawing on classic thriller elements, Iris Murdoch masterfully explores the themes that have always preoccupied her: love, friendship, and that perverse boundary separating good from evil.