Cover image of "One of Us," which is British political satire

Meet the Fitzmaurices, a wealthy, aristocratic British family with more than their share of buried secrets. But, like most secrets, they can’t remain hidden forever. And as they come to light, the family unravels. But the roots of their exposure lie far in the past at an elite “public school” called Burtonbury. There, a scholarship boy named Martin Gilmour meets Ben Fitzmaurice and Andrew Jarvis, Ben’s wealthy friend. Martin has an unhealthy fixation on the glamorous, aristocratic Ben. But one night, Ben drives drunk and kills a young woman by the side of the street. Martin, who is sober, is a passenger. And that is the event that sets in motion the tragic, far-reaching events related in Elizabeth Day’s luminous new novel, One of Us.

He’s on his way to 10 Downing Street. Or is he?

To help protect Ben and his family’s reputation, Martin agrees to take the blame. And the family pays him generously in exchange for his silence. But years later, his loyalty has earned him nothing. Ben unceremoniously drops him and his wife at his 40th birthday party. Because Ben intends to enter politics and needs to put loose ends behind him. But as he is poised to enter the race for leadership in the Conservative Party and make his way to 10 Downing Street, Martin refuses to stay silent. Will his actions upend Ben’s future? Or will Ben manage with his usual smooth aplomb to avoid the consequences?

One of Us by Elizabeth Day (2026) 335 pages ★★★★★

Photo of John Profumo, the central figure in a political scandal that was tailor-made for British political satire
In 1963, the British tabloid press had a field day over the Profumo scandal. Then, this man, Tory Secretary of State for War John Profumo, had been caught with his pants down with 19-year-old “model” Christine Keeler. Prime Minister Harold MacMillan resigned as a consequence. This climactic event in this novel is much different. But there are parallels. Image: History Extra

The novel opens with a suspicious death

All this background information comes to light only deep into the story. In fact, the novel opens when Ben’s older sister, Felicity (“Fliss”), turns up dead on a beach in Bali. The circumstances are suspicious, and we soon learn from a friend of hers in Bali that, in fact, she has committed suicide. But in his eulogy at the funeral, Ben treats her death as an accidental drug overdose. (Fliss’ friend says she’d been clean for some time.) But Fliss is the only member of the Fitzmaurice family who treated Martin kindly. Realizing the deception is part of a lifelong pattern of denial and obfuscation, he decides to blow the whistle on Ben. And Cosima, Ben’s eldest child, plays a central role in making that possible.

A story told through multiple narrators

Day shifts perspective from chapter to chapter. Serving as narrator, we first meet Martin, who has spent his life craving the family’s acceptance. Serena, Ben’s long-suffering wife. Richard, a disgraced Tory MP who loses his post in the cabinet. And Andrew Jarvis, whose money and influence in bankrolling Ben poison every relationship.

One of Us is at once a political thriller, a satirical treatment of the British upper class and British politics, and a family drama. Day writes exceptionally well. The book is a pleasure to read.

About the author

Photo of Elizabeth Day, author of this British political satire
Elizabeth Day. Image: British Vogue

To date, Elizabeth Day has written six novels and four nonfiction books based on her popular podcast, How to Fail with Elizabeth Day. Born in 1978 Surrey, England, and raised largely in Northern Ireland, she earned a double first in History from Queens’ College, Cambridge. She worked as a journalist for manny years before releasing her first novel in 2012.

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