A powerful reverie...the city is so vivid to the eye that it is the real hero of the book.

One of those few emancipated Soviet writers who firmly believe-and still believe-that to create is to choose

Worth reading in any language

The White Guard captures the tumult, madness and confusion of revolution

Excellent ... There is a compulsion and persuasive assurance in the writing

A strong, dark and original story, told by an engrossing new voice in English fiction

An exceptionally well-written, suspenseful novel ... with an unerring sense of period, place and mood

The strength of this book is its evocation of powerful sexuality and its capturing the flavour of South Africa 50 years ago.

Heath's reckless, innocent Laura, caught in the upheaval and cruelty of an unjust system that mingled bloodshed with the tennis club and the bitchy tea party, is unforgettable

Rachel Heath explores the dangers of intimacy, the secrets behind ordinary existences, the fruitlessness of the search for a home, and, ultimately, the grim inevitability of disaster. A promising debut from a startling new voice.

[A] gripping tale...

The closest thing I can compare it to is The Secret History by Donna Tart.

Rachel Heath is excellent on the atmosphere of post-war Britain and the lure of South Africa.

This author is good at sex, writing well about female sensuality.

The interweaving of the lives of Gay and Laura is skilfully handled, the plot ever-thickening as the two move towards that fatal voyage back to Britain.

Rachel Heath's dark compelling debut novel tells the tale of two very different girls; both are misfits trying to find a story in which they can star.

... examines the extraordinary lengths people will go to when driven by love.

Those who survive do dreadful things. This is the nub of their experiences and also, hints the author of our own.

A highly accomplished debut, this is a chilling portrait of racial tension, social immorality, betrayal and love, and also an atmospheric examination of the end of innocence.

The writing is strong and though the sections featuring Gay's earlier life lose momentum, the story picks up pace when the girls' paths become entwined and the conclusion is compelling and thrillingly macabre.

This fictional account of a true story gives a darkly shocking version of the events surrounding this tragic case.

Brilliantly melds a factual post-war murder into a dark fictional tale

Land of Marvels offers a fluent plot peopled by sharp, affecting characters and graced with the author's usual erudite wit and understanding humour

[a] cleverly plotted and elegantly written novel...Unsworth has evidently done a great deal of research, but this is woven seamlessly into the fabric of the novel so that the reader is caught up in the excitement of Somerville's discoveries.