Under its smooth, naturalistic surfaces, Exposure has a tightly wrought plot, gripping as any thriller. But it is the union of this plot with complex, challenging characters that makes the book such a surprising and fulfilling read ... As its first scene promises, it is a dream-like book, but not exactly a reverie: more like one of those visceral dreams bobbing with household objects and Freudian faces that will haunt you for months, if not years.
Dunmore has always been fantastic on the complexity of people’s motivations and the secret reasons they act as they do. This book is no exception ... Fear permeates every page with a leaking, lethal insistency ... It all adds up to a richly satisfying story. This may be an unconventional thriller, but it’s still a page turner for that.
The story is told from four points of view — Simon's, Lily's, Giles' and, briefly, Paul's. Dunmore delves into their characters, revealing latent qualities emerging to meet a fraught situation; at the same time, however, she brilliantly fulfills the requirements of a spy novel, building suspense and an air of menace ... Exposure is one of those books that you read with your heart in your mouth, your mind fully engaged, and with a sense of desolation as you note the dwindling number of pages left before it comes to an end.
