CAPITAL

In an upper-end neighborhood in London in 2008, residents share little except their smug satisfaction in the astonishing rise in their home values. Until, that is, a creepy and intrusive anonymous postcard notifies each homeowner: “We Want What You Have.” Colin Mace narrates the various vignettes with an easy charm and delivers delightful glimpses into the personalities in each home. Without resorting to caricature, Mace gives a steely edge to the posh housewife who spends too much money on herself and too little time on her children, and provides a dumpy, plodding patience for the middle-aged Pakistani shopkeeper. As the economy grows shaky, Mace shades the disconnected neighbors with the tensions of everyday Londoners who find themselves on unexpectedly slippery footing. N.M. © AudioFile 2012, Portland, Maine [Published: DECEMBER 2012]