One of Us
by Elizabeth Day· 2025
A thriller that doubles as a state-of-the-nation novel, as the buried secrets and crumbling facades of the powerful Fitzmaurice family begin to unravel with very public consequences.
In the inner circle, where can you hide a secret?
In this story of betrayal, old bonds and buried scandals, one British establishment family comes face to face with the consequences of privilege and the true cost of power.
Martin and Ben were friends for decades — best friends, Martin would have said — before the events at Ben’s 40th birthday party tore them apart. So when Martin receives a surprise invitation back into the inner sanctum of the Fitzmaurice family after seven years of silence, he can’t resist the chance to get his revenge. Ben has risen through the ranks of power, and is now touted as the next Prime Minister. But Martin can’t help but notice certain flies in the ointment… Ben’s wife, Serena, for instance, whose privileged existence is beginning to feel like a gilded cage. Or their daughter, Cosima, an environmental activist fighting against everything her parents once stood for. Or the disgraced MP Richard Take, determined to make his big comeback. And then there’s Fliss, the Fitzmaurice black sheep, whose untimely death sparks more suspicion than closure. Through their intertwined stories, a family – and a nation – unravel under the weight of its secrets.
With everyone watching, the stage is set for a reckoning. It's time for Martin and Ben to confront what love truly means when everything—family, power, and loyalty—is on the line.
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A thriller that doubles as a state-of-the-nation novel, as the buried secrets and crumbling facades of the powerful Fitzmaurice family begin to unravel with very public consequences. In the inner circle, where can you hide a secret? In this story of betrayal, old bonds and buried scandals, one British establishment family comes face to face with the consequences of privilege and the true cost of power. Martin and Ben were friends for decades — best friends, Martin would have said — before the events at Ben’s 40th birthday party tore them apart. So when Martin receives a surprise invitation back into the inner sanctum of the Fitzmaurice family after seven years of silence, he can’t resist the chance to get his revenge. Ben has risen through the ranks of power, and is now touted as the next Prime Minister. But Martin can’t help but notice certain flies in the ointment… Ben’s wife, Serena, for instance, whose privileged existence is beginning to feel like a gilded cage. Or their daughter, Cosima, an environmental activist fighting against everything her parents once stood for. Or the disgraced MP Richard Take, determined to make his big comeback. And then there’s Fliss, the Fitzmaurice black sheep, whose untimely death sparks more suspicion than closure. Through their intertwined stories, a family – and a nation – unravel under the weight of its secrets. With everyone watching, the stage is set for a reckoning. It's time for Martin and Ben to confront what love truly means when everything—family, power, and loyalty—is on the line.