Most so-called comic novels these days barely raise a smirk. Enter Neil Blackmore to show us all how it's done with his hugely entertaining romp through 18th-century Europe. The Intoxicating Mr Lavelle is a novel for which the word "rollicking" might have been invented ... From the start, Benjamin's voice is a delight ... Blackmore draws clear parallels between the social and financial disparities of the 18th century and today ... The Intoxicating Mr Lavelle is the kind of novel that a reader can sink into, delighting in the merriment of the prose and the eccentricity of the protagonists. But it's not just played for laughs: it's also an insightful study into a period of history often overlooked in fiction.

Seductive, decadent, cruel and utterly thrilling - just like Horace Lavelle himself. This is The Talented Mr Ripley for the twenty-first century.

An original and spirited novel.

I gorged myself with wicked glee on Horace Lavelle, and his scandalous joyride through society. Thrillingly cruel, heartbreakingly tender and altogether exhilarating; don't believe a word Lavelle says but relish every one of them.

Wildly entertaining and painfully heartbreaking ... a surprisingly timeless journey of self-discovery and the queer experience. Neil Blackmore writes with a fizzy wit that bounds his characters off the page and yet a gentle tenderness that may break your heart.

A dark and sexy whirl across the Continent on a Grand Tour like no other. Under the spell of the dangerous, delicious Horace Lavelle, every Enlightenment certainty is undone, every taboo is broken and every hypocrisy is wildly and thoroughly trampled.

Sexy, smart, funny, dark. Get ready for the intoxicating Mr Lavelle!

Blackmore's seductive tale of two brothers who fall in with a mysterious stranger while on a Grand Tour of 18th century Europe fizzes with wit and invention.

[A] lively narrative.

[A]n enjoyable dip into decadence.

Neil Blackmore's third novel delves into how a person can be blown open and changed forever by the intoxication of love and sexual desire, however brief. Meeting Lavelle is both a blessing and a curse for Benjamin, but it forces him to live a more honest life.

I really enjoyed Helen Cullen's confident voice and lyrical descriptions and was relieved by the optimistic and redemptive ending as I had become so invested in the characters. I'll look out for more from this author

So wonderful on the Irish family and the utter complexity of motherhood, family entanglement and love

An honest meditation on love and motherhood - this is a story of the confessions that aren't easily made; the secret hopes and desires that can feel too complicated or painful to express. Cullen is a thoughtful writer and she dissects the stubborn optimism of the human heart with skill and sympathy

A compassionate portrayal of love, support and grief, The Truth Must Dazzle Gradually contains moments so recognisable to anyone who has suffered from depression that credit must be given to Cullen for depicting mental illness in all its senseless brutality while never exploiting it for sentimental reasons... There are many strengths to this novel, not least of which is the author's decision not to fill the pages with anguish . . . a writer whose skill is matched by an ability to surprise with each new work

Precise, haunting and, above all, beautiful . . . has the twin ability to inspire you to take delight in the world, yet also cry with the pain that unfolds in its pages . . . a book of rare quality

I loved this book so much . . . Gorgeous

A powerful and poignant narrative told over a lifetime; exploring unconditional love, heartbreak and the beautiful flaws of human nature set within a family unit. (Cullen) is an astute and empathic writer and an incredible voice in Irish literature. You'll fall in love with the Moone family and they will linger in your heart long after you read the final pages

Beautifully-observed [...] charts a family across 37 years, living through a tragedy on a remote island; portraying mental health and the fall-out around it with enormous humanity and integrity. Tonally reminiscent of recent Colm Tóibín

A beautiful novel - Helen Cullen writes with such deft care and attention about the things that hold us together when everything falls apart

Such a tender read. Astute and compassionate, it made me cry. It's full of love. And it's quietly magnificent

A perfect combination of deeply-felt tragedy with great hopefulness

A remarkable book

A superb second novel that goes to places you mightn't expect but which ultimately end up making a great deal of sense. It touches on a lot thematically and doesn't ever suggest that any one life path can be a cure for severe mental illness and it does some things that... are very pleasing indeed. I had a LOT OF FEELINGS

Loved it. Beautiful and original

A beautifully observed saga of abandoned dreams, loss and self-discovery

Absolute poetry and a love letter to family and to the arts. The depiction of depression is as accurate as any I've read and the empathy in this book is beautiful

Powerful, intimate, moving - a beautiful exploration of love and family

This will touch your soul

Cullen's atmospheric novel captures beautifully the continuity of life even at times of deepest grief. If we avoid tragedy in literature, we're closing ourselves off to some of the most powerful and moving writing, as exemplified by Helen Cullen's second novel which deals delicately and humanely with the subjects of mental health and the ravaging effects of grief

An Irish novel moves from a family's joy to tragedy and back in this poignant yet hopeful novel spanning the late 1970s to 2015

Cullen's lyrical prose drives the immersive and heart-wrenching narrative. This complex study of depression and its impact on family dynamics will lure readers

Love is here in spades... clear a weekend for this gorgeous read

Praise for Helen Cullen

If you liked Harold Fry and Me Before You, you will love Cullen's nostalgic debut. This life-affirming book will draw you in and keep you there

Delightful

Deeply moving

I found myself totally transported into William's poignant and beguiling world of lost opportunities and love

This will touch your soul

Cullen's writing is precise, haunting and, above all, beautiful . . . has the twin ability to inspire you to take delight in the world, yet also cry with the pain that unfolds in its pages

Deals delicately and humanely with the subjects of mental health and the ravaging effects of grief . . . ultimately a hopeful read that lives long in the memory

Cullen's quietly devastating novel is both a family saga and a careful exploration of the realities of living with mental health issues

A thoroughly moving and frequently funny story of love and compassion

A tender and unflinching exploration of mental illness and how it can eat into the heart of a family. Full of empathy and genuinely moving, a novel that will stay with me for a long time