Stanley Middleton, once dubbed “The Chekhov of Suburbia”, is to the Midlands suburb what Anne Tyler is to the Midwest picket fence

Middleton is concerned with what goes on below the surface of lives, what people feel, dream about, hope for, resent, fear – all the things that in real life may be kept hidden… Anyone coming to Middleton afresh has a real treat in store.

We need Stanley Middleton to remind us of what the novel is about.

What is so extraordinary about Mr Middleton’s talent is that, despite implacable domesticity, he is not trivial… Mr Middleton does not wish to change anybody’s view of the world; he only wants to help the readers understand and better the view of it that they already have, and his quietness, honesty and patience do indeed lead him to success in that endeavour.

THE MALICE OF FORTUNE dishes out a simmering stew, thick with chicanery, bloodshed, dastardly deeds, code-breaking and puzzle-solving.

a highly intelligent historical thriller

A powerful thinking-man's thriller.

Intricate… rewarding… The Malice of Fortune is reminiscent of Umberto Eco's The Name of the Rose in that the intrigue is rich and is inextricably entwined in its world.

Engrossing and suspenseful…

Leonardo da Vinci and Niccolo Machiavelli join their considerable forces in this teeming historical thriller…

A thrilling whodunit

Ennis is an uncommonly graceful writer and a conscientious researcher… his story zips along, a pleasure.

Absorbing and intelligent...

The scene setting and history is wonderful, and very atmospheric, you can feel the cold of the sea and of the winter nights.

Not only a unique book but something that was a pure joy to read ... Throw into the mix some wonderful authorly sleight of hand, great prose and solid dialogue all round makes this a book that I'm going to be recommending to quite a few crime fans.

If you are looking for something different in your His-Fic reading then I can recommend The Malice of Fortune.

The book’s energy, its wide reach and rich detail make it a confident example of the “unputdownable” novel.

Atmospheric… Sinister.

What a debut!

Huge, weird, wonderful and quite scary, too.

A bold debut.

Brilliantly nauseating.

A sumptuous, supernatural feast... Leaves you wanting more and more as every page turns.

A new world of adventure, romance and delicious horror.

A calm, elegantly observed love story … followed by something altogether more gothic and full-blooded.

Camp, quirky and fun.

An intriguing blend of historical and supernatural fiction.

Owen has smoothly crafted an excellent Gothic tale out of some supposedly exhausted sources of inspiration… The plot is superbly managed, as are the suspenseful changes of perspective

A ripping yarn written with depth and verve

Clever and stylish… Sophisticated

A staggering achievement of a debut… A fantastically atmospheric, engaging, immersive experience

Energetically mixing history and gothic fantasy, this is a macabre, readable and atmospheric novel

It’s all deliciously creepy, and the richly textured depiction of Victorian London is impressively done. The conclusion has you thirsting for more

Brooding and densely plotted, it is ambitious in its scope, but certainly delivers a sleek, well-crafted thriller, ideal for fans of the genre

Rich in detail, rich in style (and quite scary)

Intelligent, and also enormous fun

She manages the rare task of creating a work whose plot, character and tone are all fully developed and work in service of each other… This is a truly great novel. While it has received glowing reviews it is a great shame that it is not more widely known by the general public. I urge you all to pick it up.

Gobsmacking – and terrifying – debut… The story crackles along and its creepy, menacing characters are ideal for haunting your imagination… Don’t pick it up if you like talking to your family during the holidays, as you’ll ignore them until you’ve finished this.