Common Decency

Susannah Dickey has an uncanny ability to get right to the dark heart of her characters, blending acidic observation with a generous side of kindness. Common Decency is sharp as tacks, extremely funny and deeply moving. This novel is very good company.'

Jan Carson

I loved Common Decency, a perfectly judged glimpse at two variations of loneliness and how they inform and relate to one another. Such a surprising, clever, sad and strange book which I am still thinking about long after finishing - and yet such a propulsive joy to read too.

Megan Nolan

Common Decency is a study of alienation and connection, of love and grief, written by an author who truly cares about language and understands its power from within. Susannah Dickey is a phenomenal talent and I loved this novel.

Elizabeth Day

Quite simply, one of the funniest and most insightful novelists writing today. Her turn of phrase, ear for dialogue, wry humour and power of observation is masterful.

Nell Frizzell

[A] treat . . . vividly compelling . . . a rare talent, and certainly one to watch

Sunday Times

[A]n unsettling, bewitching tale about loneliness, connection and obsession

Evening Standard

[M]ellifluous, luminescent prose . . . vivid, luscious stuff. The style is sublime...

CultureFly

Common Decency exudes humour, empathy and perceptive insights that are sure to linger in the minds of readers

NB Magazine

A poignant, deft portrayal of love, obsession and grief

Stylist

Rich and absorbing . . . a writer coming into her own, assured in what it is she is trying to do. . . thrilling and engaging. We are carried along by the prose; we trust it knows where it's going.

Irish Times

With hints of Fleabag, Ottessa Moshfegh and Sally Rooney, it's strong, compelling and occasionally very funny stuff...seriously readable

Daily Mail

Pulsing with unexpected bursts of mischief and shot through with insight and empathy

The Herald

A wonderful book . . . vivid and relatable . . . Dickey tells this story confidently ... and there are moments of real beauty

Literary Review

A vivid and beautifully written novel that confirms [Dickey] as one of literature's major new talents ... its quiet despair is genuinely affecting

Observer

This witty and psychologically astute novel is a welcome, engaging read from a talented young writer.

Sunday Independent, Ireland

Absolutely brilliant, nauseating, compelling - genuinely funny not just 'publishing funny' - read it as soon as you can

A K Blakemore

If you've ever speculated about, or envied, or resented, or desired the life of someone proximate but not intimate to you, you might find this novel as compelling as I did. It's deeply funny, the imagery is enviable and it's painful to read in places because it captures our abject, vulnerable conditions. Highly recommended!

Amy Key

Elizabeth Day's Book of the Year

Daily Mail, Best Books of 2022