Bring the House Down

A "binge-worthy novel" (Kiley Reid, New York Times bestselling author of Come and Get It) following a theater critic at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe who writes a vicious one-star review of a struggling actress he has a one-night stand with in this sharply funny, feminist tinderbox.

A WASHINGTON POST AND NPR BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR - ONE OF GLAMOUR'S BEST BOOKS FOR BOOK CLUBS

"Bring the House Down is sharp-witted, wise, and authentic--what a fierce, fantastically funny read." --Claire Lombardo, New York Times bestselling author of The Most Fun We Ever Had

Infamous theater critic Alex Lyons knows his verdict by the time the curtain comes down--either a five-star rave or a one-star pan. On the opening night of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, he doesn't deliberate over the scathing review he writes for Hayley Sinclair's show. Nor does he hesitate when the opportunity presents itself to have a one-night stand with the struggling actress.

Unaware that she's gone home with the critic who's just written a career-ending review of her show, Hayley wakes up at his apartment to see his hatchet job in print. In a brilliant act of revenge, she revamps her one-woman show into a viral sensation critiquing Alex Lyons himself--entitled son of a famous actress, serial philanderer, and by all accounts a terrible man. As his reputation goes up in flames, he insists on telling his version of events to his colleague Sophie. Through her eyes, we see that the deeper she gets pulled into his downfall, the more conflicted she becomes.

A brilliant Trojan horse of a book about art, power, and misogyny, Bring the House Down is a searing, insightful, and hilarious debut that captures the blurred line between reality and performance.

Author: Charlotte Runcie
Publisher: Vintage
Published: 07/21/2026
Pages: 304
Binding Type: Paperback
Weight: 0.52lbs
Size: 8.01h x 5.11w x 0.81d
ISBN: 9780593688915

About the Author
CHARLOTTE RUNCIE was most recently The Daily Telegraph's radio critic and senior arts columnist. She has also written for magazines and newspapers including The Times and The Guardian, spending years in the culture trenches reviewing shows at the Edinburgh Festival. A graduate of Cambridge University, Charlotte was longlisted for the 2023 Lucy Cavendish Fiction Prize and the Bridport Prize, and was a Foyle Young Poet of the Year.