
Critic Reviews
Good
Based on 9 reviews on

"This brilliant novel works wonders." Malcolm Forbes, Minneapolis Star Tribune
A blisteringly funny political critique wrapped up in a murder mystery, The Proof of My Innocence is a wry portrayal of our political moment by one of Britain's most beloved novelists.
Post-university life doesn't suit Phyl. She's living at home with her parents, working a zero-hour job serving Japanese food to tourists at Heathrow airport, and her ambitions seem to be going nowhere fast. That is, until family friend Chris comes to stay. He's been on the path to uncover a sinister think-tank that's been scheming to push the government in a more extreme direction. As Britain finds itself under the leadership of a new prime minister whose tenure will only last for seven weeks, Chris pursues his story to a conference being held deep in the Cotswolds, where events take a sinister turn. But will the solution to the mystery lie in contemporary politics, or in a decades-old literary enigma?
"A cosy crime spoof around the rise and rapid fall of Liz Truss; this playful, metafictional romp is enormous fun." The Guardian, Best Books of the Year
"Probably the best English novelist of his generation."--Nick Hornby
★ "Beautifully written and full of wisdom, this unusual and fascinating book contains many treats..."--Kirkus Review (starred review) on Mr. Wilder and Me
"...[a] poignant delineation of tradition and progress."--Booklist on Bournville
"A novel not just for movie lovers, but for anyone who favors sharp writing, subtle wit, deeply portrayed characters, and the elegiac."--The Arts Fuse on Mr. Wilder and Me
"Coe shows an understanding of this country that goes beyond what most cabinet ministers can muster...he is a master of satire but pokes fun subtly, without ever being cruel, biting or blatant...his light, funny writing makes you feel better."--Evening Standard (UK)
"British novelists love to diagnose the state of the nation. Few do it better than Jonathan Coe, who writes with warmth and subversive glee about social change and the comforting mundanities it imperils."--Spectator (UK)