Author:William Boyd,Jack Rowan

Brought to you by Penguin.
Vienna, 1913. Lysander Rief, a young English actor, sits in the waiting room of the city's preeminent psychiatrist as he anxiously ponders the particularly intimate nature of his neurosis. When the enigmatic, intensely beautiful Hettie Bull walks in, Lysander is immediately drawn to her, unaware of how destructive the consequences of their subsequent affair will be. One year later, home in London, Lysander finds himself entangled in the dangerous web of wartime intelligence - a world of sex, scandal and spies that is slowly, steadily, permeating every corner of his life...
© William Boyd 2012 (P) Penguin Audio 2020
An exuberantly comic writer whose work is characterised by both great humanity and unusual charm
—— Evening StandardA witty, touching story about an unlikely friendship
—— ExpressGorgeously funny
—— IndependentHad me crying with laughter
—— Daily TelegraphVibrant dialogue, a family in meltdown, a clash of cultures and wonderful cast of expertly observed characters. Pure laugh-out-loud social comedy
—— Daily MailHilarious. A big-hearted confection of the comic and the poignant
—— Literary ReviewA big, bustling novel, told with enthusiasm by a narrator who is warm, winningly disaster-prone and, crucially, believable
—— SpectatorGeorgie is a lively, intensely sympathetic narrator ... brimming with warmth and busyness
—— GuardianMarina Lewycka is an instantly likeable writer, funny, intelligent and refreshingly generous in her assessments of people and their motivations. She writes about modern life so well. An extremely enjoyable read
—— New StatesmanUplifting. Lewycka's style is so appealing, so friendly
—— Sunday TimesA truly engaging and funny book
—— WomanLewycka is a good, serious writer with a strong, original voice
—— Sunday TelegraphA very funny and touching story of a friendship and a mystery unravelled
Casey Cep’s painstakingly researched book is a gripping account of both the trial and Lee’s obsession with it.
—— ObserverCasey Cep has created a book that’s totally astounding and deeply moving.
—— StylistAstounding
—— Emerald StreetSuperb, sparklingly intelligent
—— Daily TelegraphIn Furious Hours, her brilliant and gripping account, Casey Cep details and analyses [Harper] Lee’s increasingly desperate efforts to write that second book … Furious Hours is probably the nearest we will get to the book Harper Lee tried so hard to complete. It is a tacit tribute to Harper Lee but even more, an attempt, largely successful, to bring her abandoned project to final fruition … A book of compelling portraits … Cep’s narrative swarms with other characters, all credibly realised in their often cantankerous and eccentric ways … Painstakingly researched and beautifully written.
—— Times Literary SupplementIt’s as gripping as a thriller and as coolly dissected as a forensics report.
—— Robert Doulgas-Fairhurst , The SpectatorThe inside scoop on Harper Lee’s long, post-Mockingbird silence. After working with Truman Capote on his true-crime book In Cold Blood, Lee attempted something similar, taking a murderous preacher, the Rev Willie Maxwell, as her subject. Despite years of research, Lee never produced a book – but Cep’s beautifully written offering goes a long way to making up for that. Utterly gripping, this is the ideal Christmas treat for anyone who loves Harper Lee.
—— Claire Lowdon , Sunday Times, Best Literary Books of the YearAn ingeniously structured, beautifully written double mystery
—— The EconomistFascinating true story
—— The TimesThe astonishing account of murders in Alabama and Harper Lee's attempt to unravel the story.
—— Hugo Vickers , The TelegraphFascinating ... Riveting.
—— Evening StandardA glorious book of heart-warming philosophy and heart-rending sadness
—— Sainsbury’s MagazineAn excellent novel...thrilling reading...incredibly entertaining
—— Bookgeeks.co.ukSurely one of the most versatile novelists writing today
—— Daily ExpressVivid, original and always engaging
—— The TimesRose Tremain writes comedy that can break your heart
—— Literary ReviewSteps inside the mind of Sir Robert Merivel
—— Sunday Business PostFor a second time this is one to cherish
—— Boyd Tonkin , IndependentA Pepysian romp of the first order
—— Independent RadarContinues in the same superior vein as Restoration… The fusion of such an engrossing character, and the minutiae of another time, remains a marvel
—— Daily TelegraphIn this evocative and beautifully drawn novel of family and loyalty in the face of an uncertain future Tremain continues the story of a wonderfully unique character
—— Hannah Britt , Daily ExpressHugely enjoyable
—— Reader's DigestMerivel’s hapless charm remains intact in this tour de force of literary technique
—— Sunday Telegraph (Seven)A sequel that looks back to the earlier novel without ever quite recapturing its spirit is the perfect form in which to evoke that feeling of having to carry on, and of trying to make yourself have fun even with it eventually begins to hurt
—— Colin Burrow , GuardianA marvelllously rollicking good read, and it is such a pleasure to meet Robert Merivel again. Rose Tremain brings the character to life in a way that makes you want to find out even more about the period. Enormously skilled and deft
—— Good Book Guide






