Author:Patrick Woodhead

To Luca Matthews the dangers of the high mountain peaks are the air upon which he thrives.
In the ruthless pursuit of his goals he would sacrifice anything - even another climber's life. His friends and family know and fear it. So when he sights a virgin peak in the Himalayas that exists on no map, no one is surprised when he becomes obsessed with being the first to scale it.
Together with his climbing partner, Bill Taylor, they set off into a region of Tibet highly restricted by the Chinese. But a freak accident puts one of their team in mortal danger and it is left to a local Tibetan girl to lead them to Geltang, a monastery that has been hidden from the outside world since the Chinese Cultural Revolution, when most of the monasteries were pillaged and burned. When the Chinese secret police get wind of them, Luca and Bill find themselves embroiled in an age-old struggle, not for their lives but to protect the precious secret that Geltang hides, and the legacy of Tibet itself.
Think Da Vinci mystery; add handsome men and butterfly-inducing courage. Brilliant
—— Dolly Jones, vogue.comA gripping read by a man who really knows what it is like in the mountains - dangerous!
—— Bear GryllsUtterly compelling ... a real adventurer's tale packed full of mystery, intrigue and plenty of derring-do. Alex Garland's The Beach injected with far Eastern mysticism and high altitude adventure
—— Ben FogleHistory and culture as well as high altitude action - you'll be hooked
—— Adventure TravelA razor-edged thriller
—— Peterborough Evening TelegraphA mixture of high-octane adventure and Eastern mysticism that results in a riveting read.If you like Indiana Jones then you'll love this - Indiana for the modern age
—— No 1 MagazineMarvellously told and wonderfully done
—— Maeve KennedySuch intensity ... a big book about history and violence, you can feel the blood running off the page. It is also a very personal and human book
—— Dreda Say MitchellFirst piece I've read that puts you completely into the Jewish history. A fascinating new look
—— Cahal DallatGripping and visceral
—— Arifa Akbar , The Independent'The descriptions of violence are visceral. Parts could be describing contemporary Afghanistan with only a change of names... indisputably elegant.
—— Stuart Kelly , Scotland on SundayClose’s sardonic, well-crafted female characters and the all-too-familiar feeling of wedding fatigue will capture a large audience
—— Metro News (New York)This debut will ring bells... An uncanny portrait emerges of a time in life marked by too many hangovers, bad dates and bridal showers - as well as an abundance of solid friendships
—— PeopleIt’s a pleasure to get to know the characters
—— The Columbus DispatchFunny and often poignant...The vignettes of White Dresses are intricate and often absurd, yet instantly relatable
—— Winnipeg Free PressSo many books...say they perfectly capture the angst and soaring joys of post-college life, but Girls in White Dresses truly does
—— Metro News (Toronto)With a light touch and utterly believable characters, Close’s...appealing debut manages to capture the humor, heartache and cautious optimism of her protagonists
—— Kirkus ReviewsFeels like catching up with an old friend... Although the majority of the stories are humorous, they are never mean-spirited, and the friendships Close portrays feel incredibly realistic
—— National PostClose straddles the line between melancholy and breeziness as she chronicles the exploits of recent college grads trying to make it in New York City . . . Hints at something deeper and truer: not just the adventure of being young, but the unmooring of it, too
—— Entertainment WeeklyYou’ll relate, but mostly you’ll laugh as Close turns her sweet-tart wit on the dating and mating shenanigans of this tight-knit group of friends
—— RedbookClose’s wry wit and deadpan delivery...make this debut novel a treat to read. . . . An original confection with echoes of The Girls' Guide to Hunting and Fishing and a dollop of Sex and the City
—— Shelf AwarenessJennifer Close’s debut, Girls in White Dresses, follows a group of young women doing all the things they know they shouldn’t—falling for one’s boss, dating gay men—all while drinking far too many mimosas at other people’s weddings
—— Vogue.comFunny... These stories will resonate with readers in the throes of the quarter-life churn
—— Publishers WeeklyWhat a delight! The young women in this hugely appealing book are charming, funny, rueful, poignant - just like their creator, in other words, one of the freshest and most appealing new voices in fiction. I can't wait for more work from Jennifer Close
—— Ann Packer, bestselling author of The Dive from Clausen’s Pier and Swim Back to MeThe only way to express my love for Girls in White Dresses by Jennifer Close is to tell you that this is the one book that I will be recommending over and over again to all of my friends. I laughed, I cried, I nodded knowingly as the characters waded their way through the hits and misses of their twenties and thirties. I can't remember the last time I loved a book as much as this one
—— Allison Winn Scotch, New York Times bestselling author of 'The One That I Want' and 'Time of My Life'Girls In White Dresses is a dark, funny, intimate romp through boyfriends, first apartments, and great friendships - but beneath the surface lurks the jealousy, disappointment, and love that didn't quite end up the way you thought it would. Jennifer Close's brilliant, deadpan humor made me laugh so hard my own roommate thought I was nuts
—— Margot Berwin, author of Hothouse FlowerGirls in White Dresses is about a group of smart, funny, unapologetically grouchy, always-hungover female friends who kvetch their way through one another's weddings and showers, stare blearily at one another's offspring, sometimes barely tolerate one another's men, but nonetheless have one another's backs through thick and thin. Jennifer Close has written an unsentimental, frank novel about female friendship - its lifelong loyalties and unconditional love
—— Kate Christensen, PEN/Faulkner Award-winning author of 'The Great Man' and 'The Astral'I recently read a book which explores the same post-university landscape that Girls handles; Jennifer Close's Girls In White Dresses. Like Girls, it is often funny, moving and true to (my and other straight women of a certain age living in a big city) life
—— Bim Adewunmi , GuardianDelightful… Sharply and sparely written … a great debut
—— Wendy Holden , Daily Mail, Books of the Year