My Absolute Darling is a difficult book to get through. Yes it is brilliantly written. Yes the author has researched the hell out of guns. There is a frightening authenticity to the novel. It is such a relentless series of horrific abuse. There are so few moments when you can relax. There is an annoying overwritten quality for the first third of the book. You eventually get into the swing of his writing. It’s a master class debut novel. Just be warned you will be distraught until the very end.