Sarah Thomas’s debut immerses the reader in a Kardashianesque world of Russian oligarchs, beige interiors and intimacy issues. Melanie is a private tutor to the children of the extremely rich, lulled into the job because it promises ease. In the Kemerov household, she occupies the coveted position of being just below the family but above all the staff. Capitalising on her insider knowledge of the English boarding school system, she has been employed by Kata, a billionaire’s wife hoping to penetrate the English upper classes through her daughter Alex’s education.
Melanie is transfixed by Kata, and much of the book is taken up with her observation of the family, her envy of their wealth complicated by a feeling of belonging and yet a need to hurt them, too. Ambient threat is provided by Ivan, the shady husband, as the intermittent presence of his entourage shifts the dynamic in the house. In her quest for legitimacy within the English upper classes, Kata makes a beeline for Tatiana, a former pupil at Alex’s school and now an influencer. They strike an unspoken exchange: Kata’s money for Tatiana’s cut-glass contacts. Thomas does a great job at seeding enough doubt that we’re not sure who is scamming whom, and this is revealed to be closer to home than Kata thinks. Melanie starts to flex what power she has over the family by weaponising her invisibility, revealing or withholding information.
The novel is told in three time-hopping sections across Geneva, Monaco and the Maldives as we witness the family dynamic change over time and Melanie’s opinion of Kata seesaw back and forth. Is she a victim or is she playing the game? Melanie is witness to the family trait of withholding love, which is echoed in her own life and friendships. “When we were kids together at that school it seemed we were ordered by our wits … In the end of course, we are ordered by our capital, it is cruel, it is merciless.” The capitalist action of accumulation corrupts the simplest interaction between people, stacking them on top of one another, making it hard for the haves and the have-nots to reach out to one another.
Thomas also takes us back to Russia for the family’s origin story, explaining how they got their wealth, which is where the pace slowed down for me. The entourage characters surrounding the couple feel a bit remote, cutouts rather than people, and I’m unsure whether Thomas fully delivers on the delicious premise of Melanie’s malevolence.
Queen K is as compulsive as a Netflix binge, the bouncy prose propelling you forward, but it also asks timely questions about status and what constitutes a dignified life. In the Maldives, Kata throws a big blowout party replete with flowers in temperature-controlled containers and an ostentatious display of priceless art. It’s this that triggers her downfall, and so Thomas proves her point. It was hard to feel sorry for a billionaire’s wife.
• Queen K by Sarah Thomas is published by Serpent’s Tail (£14.99). To support the Guardian and Observer, order your copy at guardianbookshop.com. Delivery charges may apply.
