The Reluctant Fundamentalist - Mohsin Hamid

A short and brilliant monologue spoken by a Pakistani stranger to an American tourist in a Lahore marketplace. As the local man's story unfolds, the tension increases almost imperceptibly and what seems like a cross-cultural character study gradually morphs into a cracking thriller. A late reference to Heart of Darkness made me realise what the author had been up to, and the final realisation is both chilling and utterly believable.