French Exit made me so happy ... Brilliant, addictive, funny and wise (Andrew Sean Greer, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of 'Less')Dazzling . deWitt writes in a gorgeously relaxed, freeform style, dabbing a clause here, a phrase there. The book is studded with tiny pleasures . Sharp and strange . DeWitt's particular comic genius is to evoke the darkness behind the dazzle ... Whichever style he adopts or genre he inhabits, deWitt remains a true original (Guardian)An accomplished comic novel shot through with DeWitt's trademark genre defiance and caustic sense of humour (i)Pure joy - think Noël Coward shaken up with Ivy Compton-Burnett and garnished with a twist of Lemony Snicket (Mail on Sunday)DeWitt is in possession of a fresh, lively voice that surprises at every turn (Kate Atkinson, author of 'Transcription')My favourite book of his yet. The dialogue is dizzyingly good, the world so weird and fresh. A triumph from a writer truly in the zone (Maria Semple, author of the bestselling 'Where?d You Go, Bernadette')Gloriously, acerbically funny and odd (Melissa Harrison)A sparkling dark comedy ... DeWitt's tone is breezy, droll, and blithely transgressive ... These are people you may not want to invite to dinner, but they sure make for fun reading (NPR)A thrilling madcap caper anchored by memorable characters, emotional depth and forensically sharp writing (Hannah Rothschild, author of 'The Improbability of Love')The first time I read French Exit, I raced through, impatient to know the fates of its characters. Then I turned back to page one to enjoy Patrick deWitt's understated satire and casually brutal wit (Nell Zink, author of 'Mislaid' and 'The Wallcreeper')

A tragedy of manners from the Man Booker-shortlisted author of The Sisters Brothers 'My favourite book of his yet' Maria Semple, author of Where'd You Go, Bernadette 'Pure joy' Mail on Sunday

'Buoyantly insane' New Yorker  Frances Price is in dire straits. Scandals swirl around the recently widowed New York socialite, and her adult-aged, toddler-brained son Malcolm is no help.

Cutting their losses, they grab their cat, Small Frank, and head for the exit. Paris becomes the backdrop for a giddy drive to self-destruction, helped along by a cast of singularly curious characters.

Brimming with pathos, warmth and wit, French Exit is a riotous send-up of high society and a moving story of mothers and sons.