Jonathan Cape (UK), Knopf (US), 2011
Engrossing story and characters. My bookclub read this and none of us could figure out why the mother left a sum of money in her will to her son's friend. We gave up trying to figure it out, thinking either it was too mysterious for us to understand, or the author had forgotten to explain. Later I saw the movie version with my logical husband who said it was simply because she liked him. Problem solved. I recommend reading the book or seeing the movie but not both. The movie adds nothing to the book (except my husband's elucidation of the mystery).
Agreed!
If Hubert was right about the money in The Sense of an Ending, that is pretty weak plot-wise...