The Coincidence Engine

Shortlisted for the Bollinger Everyman Wodehouse Prize for Comic Fiction 'A tremendous novel - droll, savvy, original. An invigorating blast of fiction' William Boyd 'A superbly entertaining brain-twister' The Times A hurricane sweeps off the Gulf of Mexico and in the back-country of Alabama, assembles a passenger jet out of old bean-cans and junkyard waste. An eccentric mathematician - last heard of investigating the physics of free will and ranting about the devil - vanishes in the French Pyrenees. And the thuggish operatives of a multinational arms conglomerate are closing in on Alex Smart - a harmless Cambridge postgraduate who has set off with hope in his heart and a ring in his pocket to ask his American girlfriend to marry him. At the Directorate of the Extremely Improbable - an organisation so secret that many of its operatives aren't 100 per cent sure it exists — Red Queen takes an interest. What ensues is a chaotic chase across an imaginary America, haunted by madness, murder, mistaken identity, and a very large number of unhealthy but delicious snacks. The Coincidence Engine exists. And it has started to work. The Coincidence Engine is consistently engaging - one of the most enjoyable, entertaining debut novels you'll come across for ages. At the Directorate of the Extremely Improbable - a secret organisation which many believe doesn't exist - Red Queen is beginning to examine three apparently unrelated situtations. What ensues is a chaotic chase across an imaginary America, haunted by madness, murder, mistaken identity - and a number of delicious snacks. A hurricane sweeps off the Gulf of Mexico and in, the back-country of Alabama, assembles a passenger jet out of old bean-cans and junkyard waste. An eccentric mathematician - last heard of investigating the physics of free will and ranting about the devil - vanishes in the French Pyrenees. And the thuggish operatives of a multinational arms conglomerate are closing in on Alex Smart - a harmless Cambridge postgraduate who has set off with hope in his heart and a ring in his pocket to ask his American girlfriend to marry him. At the Directorate of the Extremely Improbable - an organisation so secret that many of its operatives aren't 100 per cent sure it exists -- Red Queen takes an interest. What ensues is a chaotic chase across an imaginary America, haunted by madness, murder, mistaken identity, and a very large number of unhealthy but delicious snacks. The Coincidence Engine exists. And it has started to work. The Coincidence Engine is consistently engaging - one of the most enjoyable, entertaining debut novels you'll come across for ages A hurricane sweeps off the Gulf of Mexico and in the back-country of Alabama, assembles a passenger jet out of old bean-cans and junkyard waste. An eccentric mathematician vanishes in the French Pyrenees. And the thuggish operatives of a multinational arms conglomerate close in on Alex Smart - a harmless Cambridge postgraduate who has set off to ask his American girlfriend to marry him. At the Directorate of the Extremely Improbable - an organisation so secret, many of its operatives aren't a hundred per cent sure it exists - Red Queen takes an interest. What ensues is a chaotic chase across an imaginary America, haunted by madness, murder, mistaken identity, and vast amounts of unhealthy but delicious snacks. The Coincidence Engine exists. And it has started to work. A Hurricane Sweeps Off The Gulf Of Mexico And, In The Back-country Of Alabama Assembles A Passenger Jet Out Of Old Bean Cans And Junkyard Waste. An Eccentric Mathematician - Last Heard Of Investigating The Physics Of Free Will And Ranting About The Devil - Vanishes In The French Pyrenees. And The Thuggish Operatives Of A Multinational Arms Conglomerate Are Closing In On Alex Smart - A Harmless Cambridge Postgraduate Who Has Set Off With Hope In His Heart And A Ring In His Pocket To Ask His American Girlfriend To Marry Him. Sam Leith. Shortlisted for the Bollinger Everyman Wodehouse Prize for Comic Fiction 2011