Great characterisation and plenty of genuine suspense in a psychological thriller par excellence - Guardian

An absorbing and original plot. The writing is pitch-perfect and the observations of family dynamics are quietly excruciating. Oates has produced a very smart tale packed with jeopardy - Daily Mail

Terrifying and amusing ... keeps you guessing till the very end - Times

Horribly claustrophobic, in the best possible way - Observer

Compulsive, richly imagined - Irish Times

Not only a deep dive into the things that can rock the cradle of a family, but also an absolute page-turner. I read it in a single sitting. -- Miranda Cowley Heller, author of The Paper Palace

Phenomenal. A highly enjoyable Russian doll of a story. Impossible to put down. A remarkable debut -- Lisa Ballantyne, bestselling author of The Guilty One

A Flaw in the Design is a literary thriller of the highest order - a book that made my heart beat fast and my brain light up -- Julia May Jonas, author of Vladimir

A mesmerising literary thriller, full of atmosphere, perfectly observed characterisation and a plot that relentlessly corkscrews to a brilliant dénouement. I found myself completely immersed from start to finish, fully hooked on Nathan Oates' stunning fiction -- Philippa East, author of Little White Lies

This is SO up my street. Gil is estranged from his wealthy sister, as her son once tried to drown Gil's daughter when they were kids. But when his sister dies, Gil adopts the would-be-murderer. LOVE IT -- Joanna Cannon, Sunday Times bestselling author of The Trouble with Goats and Sheep



About the Author

Nathan Oates's debut collection of short stories, The Empty House, won the 2012 Spokane Prize. He is an associate professor at Seton Hall University, where he teaches creative writing. He lives in Brooklyn, New York with his family. A Flaw in the Design is his debut novel.