Author:Leon Garfield
In 1847, an orphaned baby is rescued as the sole survivor of a massacre in a Polish village. Many years later a mysterious and disturbed Russian lady turns up unexpectedly at one of Mr Dolly’s regular Friday night dinner parties. So begins a search for identity and lost inheritance in the seedy and crowded streets of nineteenth century London.
His skill is breathtaking
—— Financial TimesAlways entertaining, he has gifts for acute perception and the telling phrase; though billed as his 'first adult book', this is intricate and dramatic enough to satisfy the most discerning child as well
—— Sunday TelegraphMr Garfiend handles the nineteenth century romance with such flair that one is left to wonder if perhaps he has stepped 100 years out of time
—— The ScotsmanThese works demonstrate a powerful sense of the marvellous
—— Publishers WeeklyFast-paced and irresistibly readable. Two heads, it appears, really are better than one
—— Michael Cart , BooklistBlisteringly funny, and sad
—— Financial Times website[A] simple, funny and very engaging premise...Mulligan rewrites tragedy as a triumph, and turns the story into a neat way to explore friendship and tolerance.
—— GuardianOne of the best storytellers
—— Mr Ripley's Enchanted BooksMulligan certainly delivers in this extraordinary examination of grief....highly original, emotionally-charged black comedy / thriller. A worthy successor to Mulligan’s excellent Trash.
—— Daily Mail[A] poignant, imaginative take on adolescence
—— The Times, Saturday ReviewAddictive
—— BooktrustI really enjoyed this funny, sad and truthful fable...Mulligan makes a great deal of friendship and the huge source of strength and support it can be.
—— The Book BagA poignant and heart-warming story about life and all the hardships and troubles that this can bring...A fascinating and brilliant read...Another blinding story from Andy Mulligan, which delivers the unexpected with superb imaginative qualities.
—— Mr Ripley's Enchanted BooksA complex and absorbing novel with vivid characters
—— BooktrustGripping dark comedy . . . [A] clever portrayal of a boy on the cusp of adolescence struggling to reconcile opposing impulses within himself
—— Children's Books Ireland