THE CODES OF LOVE: THE DEVIL IS IN THE DIALOGUE

What’s it worth? Is it worth while? Is it worth whiling away a few hours, to experience a fling? Well, it goes from worth to worth in Hannah Persaud’s debut novel, THE CODES OF LOVE.

An astonishing story of desire and delusion, THE CODES OF LOVE revolves around the concentric connubial couple Emily and Ryan. He’s a successful architect, she is a teacher of writing. Their marriage is an open one, instigated by Emily.

But what happens when both are attracted to the same person, in this instance, the free spirited Ada, seductive bi sexual force of nature, and what happens when an unrequited love goes unanswered?

As ambitious as wearing shorts in Wales, THE CODES OF LOVE sets out to decipher the X factors that can corrupt the rules of extra marital sexual congress and the transgressions that can occur when either party get lax or when external influence flex extortionate pressure.

THE CODES OF LOVE also explores the effects of an open marriage on the children and the concept of truthfulness as opposed to faithfulness. The idea of an open marriage as espoused by Emily is that is dispenses with double standards but given the vagaries of human emotions, in this case it leads to a double life, a double life doubled, or squared, and the conceit leads inexorably into deceit.

Hannah Persaud’s prose is page-turningly good, the sex scenes show no symptoms of the purple and are all the more erotic, all good in the clinches, but it’s her dialogue that cinches that she’s the real deal in writing about marriage and intimate relationships.

THE CODES OF LOVE is a thriller of sorts, with mystery, intrigue, stalking, disappearances, blackmail, secrets and lies. And an unexpected twist.

THE CODES OF LOVE by Hannah Persau is published by Muswell Press.