Shortlisted for the Specsavers National Book Award, New Writer of the Year
Named one of The Telegraph’s “Amazing 15”
Longlisted for the Desmond Elliott Prize
ShortList’s Best Fiction Debut of 2012
“This novel has everything I look for: Line by line the sentences are a pleasure, page by page the story enthralls, and as a whole, the novel is expertly constructed, each precisely cut plank snapping perfectly into place. Clever, funny, creepy, atmospheric, and very entertaining. I realize that’s a lot of adjectives, but read the book and you’ll see.” —Charles Yu, author of How to Live Safely in a Science Fictional Universe
“Funny, beguiling, and quietly profound…A wonderfully well-crafted debut.” —Times Literary Supplement
“If, like me, you’ve ever thought that your productivity and creativity would explode if only you could get organized, let this be a (morbidly funny) wakeup call.…A precisely written debut from one who knows the value of letting loose.” —Minneapolis Star-Tribune
“If you are a fan of Kafka, you should enjoy this novel, which is reminiscent of The Metamorphosis.” —Kirkus Reviews
“Guffaw-out-loud moments…married to the horrified recognition that provokes empathy. A very funny novel provoking schadenfreude and belly laughs.” —The Independent
“Highly idiosyncratic, well written, with a vivid sense of place—and weirdly compelling.” —Michael Frayn, author of Skios and Headlong
“One of the funniest and cleverest books of the year.…Care of Wooden Floors reads like a farce directed by Alfred Hitchcock, and the novel’s denouement will surprise even the most jaded readers.” —Washington Independent Review of Books
“One of the most brilliant and entertaining literary debuts this year. The precision of his language and the care with which he delineates the characters and their environment is nothing less than astounding.” —Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
“A nicely turned satire on the notion that the path to spiritual contentment lies in a pristine set of polished wooden floorboards.…Care of Wooden Floors indicates that Wiles has an eye for beauty, but an even more impressive eye for ugliness. It’s a novel full of impeccably stylish writing.” —The Guardian
“This is a terrific first novel, written with a very engaging deadpan wit, and an understated sense of the absurd.” —The Times
“Ingenious…His story has something in common, in terms of manic sensitivity and underfloor secrets, with Edgar Allan Poe’s ‘The Tell-Tale Heart’…A smart and polished debut…” —The Daily Telegraph
“This novel acquires the queasy allure of a cliff edge, the sense of impending catastrophe becoming strangely compelling…Addictive and rather clever, too.” —The Daily Mail
“Wiles is a talent to watch.” —The Spectator
“Dark and funny in equal measures…A debut as crisp, slick, and polished as a well-cared-for wooden floor.” —Scotland on Sunday
