One cannot read this book without the total absorption that comes from the recognition of the truth

As vigorous and as exquisitely written as anything he has produced

Vivid and telling... Alan Paton may have come closer to conveying the essence of South African history than anyone else

The funniest novelist writing today

This is a romp with many of the staples of Sharpe's bestselling comedy

a vicious social satire, heavily seasoned with outrageous farce and ebullient comedy. Yes, it's always a pleasure to welcome a new novel by one of the world's funniest writers.

Part of the pleasure of reading Tom Sharpe lies in his cheerful penchant for anachronism and whimsy.

[a] rollicking plot

The funniest novel writing today

[Taylor's] prose is note-perfect and seems completely natural...Better still, he never forgets the 'mystery' part of that promise on the cover. As the great race approaches, the many strands of the story come together in a way that's wholly satisfying and exciting

Taylor wears his research lightly but there is no doubt how much effort he has expended... The whole is an engaging drama - escapism of the highest standard

Taylor manages to successfully pastiche a 19th-century mystery novel with this fast paced, enjoyable read

This is a book to read by the fireside, to be swept along in, to realise - with a start - that hours have gone by...In other words, to rediscover the lost-in-another-world joy of reading. And this book really IS a joy...my favourite book of the year so far

A delicious, highly intelligent page-turner... With clever, confident plotting and meticulous period details, this is an engrossing and deeply satisfying read

As you would expect from somebody steeped in Victorian fictional history, Taylor rarely puts a foot wrong...the colourful events which take place on the Downs should delight any racing enthusiast

Taylor’s love and understanding of Victorian melodrama is put to good use in this tangibly detailed and deliciously written pastiche centred on an Epsom Derby swindle

This is a fictional world in which daughters are ready to bump off their fathers, husbands to exploit their wives, and everyone is happy to chance their assets on the wheel of fortune. It’s a novel that will keep you gripped until the very last furlong

It is a detective story as gripping as the Victorian novels that inspired it, and is written with narrative flair and a terrific sense of fun

Derby Day will be hard to put down... As ever with Taylor, literary complexities lurk under the smooth surface of a stylish page-turner

De Witt has intelligence, wit and unusual stylistic bravery

An ambitious, colossal debut novel

DeWitt pushes enjoyably but firmly against (and sometimes beyond) the unknown capabilities of the reader