The Lover (2004 novel)

The Lover

First edition cover
Author	Laura Wilson
Country	United Kingdom
Language	English
Genre	crime fiction
Publisher	Orion Publishing Group
Publication date	17 June 2004
Media type	Print (Hardcover)
Pages	282 pp (first edition)
ISBN
OCLC	59271349

The Lover is a 2004 crime fiction novel written by Laura Wilson and first published in the United Kingdom by Orion Publishing Group on 17 June 2004. A fictionalized account of the activities of a serial killer known as Blackout Ripper who began killing prostitutes in London during World War II, the novel follows the viewpoints of three different people, including the killer, as their individual lives begin to intersect.

It was released in the United States by Orion's American branch. The novel was nominated for two 2004 Crime Writers' Association awards. The French translation, released in 2005 by Albin Michel, won the Prix Littéraires 2004 Prix du Polar Europeen. Critics heavily praised the work, with British papers The Independent and the Telegraph's reviewers both selecting it as one of the best novels of 2004.

Set in World War II England, The Lover is a novel based on the real-life case of serial killer Gordon Cummins, also known as the Blackout Ripper. A 28-year-old British airman, Cummins began strangling and mutilating female prostitutes in London during the bombing and subsequent blackout in the city. The novel looks at the events from three view points: a female prostitute with a young son who is a potential victim, a woman who met Cummings and became infatuated with him, and Cummins himself.

Orion Publishing Group first published the novel in the United Kingdom in hardback from on 17 June 2004. It was published in the United States the following week. The paperback version was published in the United Kingdom on 21 April 2005, and in the United States on 28 June 2005.