"London Fields" is a multi-layered, black, witty literary tour de force. A squad of characters, with the main roles ranging from Samson Young (the writer), Guy Clinch (the good, rich guy), Keith Talent (the criminal, pornography and masturbation addict, wanna-be-dart pro), Marmaduke (Guy's mighty and gruelly mean child- who serves for a big part of the best laughs here), Nicola Six (the murderee, who teases and manipulates all men in rather specific and imaginative ways) and the "absent" Mark Asprey (the writer, in whose appartment Sam is now living and writing- with the initials M.A., an alter ego of Martin Amis?). There are Guy's and Keith's wives, Guy's wife's sister Lizziboo (who rather falls for Sam) and the South African Nr. 7 tennis pro, who is, or is he not, Guy's wife's lover. Nicola Six believes she will be murdered, by Guy or Keith, and narrates her story to Sam, who is using this "real" story to get over his writing blockade. Martin Amis does not seem to pity his characters, I would even say he sadistically spotlights their diverse flaws of character (which is rather zynical at times...). As Nicola teases the men in this setting, Martin Amis teases the reader all the way through and manages to bend the ending in an unexpected, surprising but completely devastatingly convincing way. Quite breathtaking is the moment, when you become aware of having had the clues (and most answers) hidden in front of your eyes right from the very beginning. Wonderful sharp writing, a plot where you never really know which way Martin Amis will go next, a riddle, a crime story, a love story, a novel, which is by all means, to use the words of Martin Amis, just "damned bloody good".