Agnes, Siobhan and Myrna all work in their local launderette and, on the surface, have little in common apart from a passion for keeping themselves to themselves...Agnes is fascinated by tales of true crime, and one crime in particular - the murder of her cousin Vina, a glamorous good time girl, found strangled outside a dancehall when Agnes was fifteen. Myrna, meanwhile, lives for the evenings and weekends, longing for romance but craving for sex and money; with mounting debts, her decisions become fuelled by desperation, and she enters a shadowy night-time world fraught with danger. Siobhan is perhaps the most elusive of the three, constantly retreating into her synaesthetic imagination, conjuring the details of people's lives through their laundry -- her fantasies becoming gradually more and more treacherous. Despite their distance and their differences, isolation draws the women together, casual work relationships metamorphosing into tentative, fragile friendships. As all three are forced to make choices about their lives, and the launderette, events build towards a shocking conclusion. Blacker and more ambitious than Negative Space, Zoe Strachan's vibrant second novel is illu
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Review
A gripping novel, full of twisted psychology and dark, covert obsessions; both murky and dazzling -- Uncut
Pitch-perfect: intelligent construction, unrelenting tension and a redemptive flourish of an ending -- Big Issue
The 29-year-old author has an eye for just the right details to breathe life into her characters and setting. -- The Herald
The tension never dips, dialogue is perfect. A must-read. -- Daily Record
a good book -- Sunday Herald
a rich, poignant work which shores up Strachan's reputation as a bold, mature writer -- The List
a rich, poignant work which shores up Strachan's reputation as a bold, mature writer. -- The List
the author uses the sardonic humour which characterised her excellent debut Negative Space -- The List
the noir sexiness of Dance With a Stranger or one of the better Jack Vettriano paintings . . . Both murky and dazzling -- Uncut
Pitch-perfect: intelligent construction, unrelenting tension and a redemptive flourish of an ending -- Big Issue
The 29-year-old author has an eye for just the right details to breathe life into her characters and setting. -- The Herald
The tension never dips, dialogue is perfect. A must-read. -- Daily Record
a good book -- Sunday Herald
a rich, poignant work which shores up Strachan's reputation as a bold, mature writer -- The List
a rich, poignant work which shores up Strachan's reputation as a bold, mature writer. -- The List
the author uses the sardonic humour which characterised her excellent debut Negative Space -- The List
the noir sexiness of Dance With a Stranger or one of the better Jack Vettriano paintings . . . Both murky and dazzling -- Uncut
Book Description
Agnes, Siobhan and Myrna all work in their local launderette. Agnes, betrayed by her husband, is fascinated by tales of true crime -- particularly the murder of her glamorous cousin Vina, killed years ago. Myrna, meanwhile, dreams of romance but craves sex and money; with mounting debts, she enters a shadowy world fraught with danger. Siobhan, the most reclusive of the three, spends her time conjuring the details of people’s lives through their laundry -- her fantasies becoming gradually more and more treacherous. Blacker and more ambitious than Negative Space, Zoë Strachan's vibrant second novel is illuminated by her light observational touch, deft characterization and gift for creating -- and sustaining -- suspense.
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
6 of 7 people found the following review helpful
By Daphne Doyle
Format:Paperback
Zoe Strachan is an exciting young writer whose work gets better with each book. Spin Cycle is her quirky take on life in Glasgow through the eyes of three very different and very unusual women working in a launderette. Each of the three have their own shady secrets and the reader is skillfully drawn in. The clever title relates to how their lives entertwine like jumpers in the drier until a cycle is complete and the story reaches a satisfying conclusion. If you liked the first book you'll love this!
2 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
This snippet of Glasgow life examines the life and trials of Agnes, Myrna and Siobhan, the three staff memebers of a small launderette.
Life can lead you to unexpected places. How often have any of us said 'How did I end up like this' - well this maps this phrase beautifully.
Whether its examining the effects of childhood trauma, modern day debt and binge drinking habits or basic sexuality and fetish, Zoe Strachan knits these three women together and expresses how relevant they can be to each other.
It was involving, and in no way trite so whilst the ending is 'neat' it doesn't appear contrived in any way.
Worth a read. Looking forward to Zoes next one.
Life can lead you to unexpected places. How often have any of us said 'How did I end up like this' - well this maps this phrase beautifully.
Whether its examining the effects of childhood trauma, modern day debt and binge drinking habits or basic sexuality and fetish, Zoe Strachan knits these three women together and expresses how relevant they can be to each other.
It was involving, and in no way trite so whilst the ending is 'neat' it doesn't appear contrived in any way.
Worth a read. Looking forward to Zoes next one.
2 of 8 people found the following review helpful
By J Cooper
Format:Paperback
a compulsive read, I read it in just over a day. The one fault was that the ending seemed to all be wrapped up way too quick!
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