Don’t be fooled by the jaunty cover of the latest book from acclaimed writer Kathleen Stewart – the men of bad character from the title are less good-hearted rakes than men of seriously bad, bad character.

The woman who loves them is Rose. She is a bit of a drifter, and seems to be floating through life in a daze. Only gradually do we become aware of the reasons behind this detachment from the real world, and the remarkable thing about this book is that this seriously shocking denouement is not its most unsettling element. It is the story of Rose, and her search for something – men, purpose, passion or company – that is most compelling and heartbreaking. A brilliant poet, Rose survives by working part-time in a publishing company and finds solace not in her lacklustre group of friends, but her therapist. Her manipulative ex-husband, the absent father and the curiously named Gary Gravelly are all shady and elusive, but they are secondary to the gradual revelation of Rose’s character and why she is drawn to such men.

This book will quietly creep up on you and have you re-examining your own relationships.