One of those fabulous books that leaves you with a smile on your face and hope in your heart

Compelling

Yet another great read, packed with fantastic characters, uncomfortable truths, and flashes of pure comedy. Who could ask for more?

Emotional and engaging, I was completely absorbed

This engrossing story sparkles with wit

Catherine Alliott is back with another warm, escapist read. Big subjects are dealt with sensitively in this wonderfully written novel

Uplifting . . . Filled with colourful characters, this humorous story about families, ageing and moving on

Emotional and affecting, this is an absorbing read

A wry look at life in the wealthy environs of the Oxfordshire countryside . . . page-turning

A warm, escapist read

Included in 'The Hot List'

Praise for Catherine Alliott

Warm, witty and wise

A huge treat. Hilarious yet poignant

Her writing is both intelligent and sparkling

Fans of David Nicholls will adore this complex love story

A complex, beautiful, multilayered debut exploring love in all its forms

If you love sweet, sorrowful coming-of-age tales, you'll love this beautifully written debut

Beautiful. Finished with a lump in my throat. A never-ending daisy chain smoking summer of first love

A beautifully written story of love in all its forms . . . The writing is stunning and intuitive, and the story is one I don't think I will forget

Teeming with acute observations and wired with suspense, this novel explores how we are the architects of our own lives

With easy prose and the tantalising story of a mermaid loved and feared in equal measure, [Roffey] draws the reader in... A book for our time

Monique Roffey is a writer of verve, vibrancy and compassion, and her work is always a joy to read

Monique Roffey has a sharp, original way of looking at the world... an arrestingly poetic story

[Monique Roffey] is the most adventurous of writers and The Mermaid of Black Conch does not disappoint... this is a strange, haunting, original and memorable novel about Aycayia, a mermaid from deep history who is entrapped and taken out of the sea... This is a novel packed with layers of meaning around womanhood, alienation, masculinity, toxic attitudes towards women, and inter-female rivalry, as well as love, compassion and the search for home

Monique Roffey is a unique talent and most daring and versatile of writers. I never know what to expect and I'm never disappointed

The Mermaid of Black Conch is wonderfully written, with both soul and intense drama - it glistens almost, like the mermaid! I love its all-round charisma and also its great compassion for both humanity and the natural world

An extraordinary, beautifully written, captivating, visceral book - full of mythic energy and unforgettable characters, including some tremendously transgressive women... It is utterly original - unlike anything we've ever read - and feels like a classic in the making from a writer at the height of her powers. It's a book that will take you to the furthest reaches of your imagination - we found it completely compelling

A fiercely modern mermaid story... Roffey subverts the fairtyale... The narrative is interspersed with poetry, journal entries, recollections and passages that give insight into various characters' perspectives; this entertaining novel, like Aycayia [the mermaid], is itself a shape-shifting curiosity.

I would definitely recommend The Mermaid of Black Conch...a bittersweet love story between a beautiful young woman cursed to live as a mermaid and a fisherman... a joy to read, brimming with memorable characters and vivid descriptions... a hugely entertaining and thought-provoking novel

Roffey doesn't limit herself to simple romance, but delves into themes of corruption, prejudice, ecology and more

Magical

The novel is a unique Caribbean fable that takes the familiar story of a mermaid abruptly thrust onshore and brings it to a new place. It reads like the work of a novelist in command of her material and focused on using a mythic 'then' to speak to now

A lyrical love story about a mermaid and a fisherman, but equally, transformation and ancient ways. It's exquisite

[A] beautiful book... Roffey's writing is lyrical and filled with magic, but there is plenty of bittersweet realism to ground it

A very beautiful, haunting book