London in the 1920s: a powerful, atmospheric and emotional novel with a charismatic, but flawed heroine trying to find her place in the world.

London in the 1920s: a powerful, atmospheric and emotional novel with a charismatic, but flawed heroine trying to find her place in the world.

Against a backdrop of thuggish blackmail, constricting high society and the glitter of London recovering from the First World War, Edie Greenlaw is trying to work out what she wants from the world. The closer the prospect of marriage with her handsome war hero fiance becomes, the less fulfilling it seems. Defying caution she goes to the aid of a friend and entangles herself in a dangerous demi-monde of sexual extortion and violence.

Praise for Anthony Quinn:

'So versatile - Quinn seems to reinvent himself with every book' Jonathan Coe

'A witty and erudite writer' Alexander Larman, The Critic

'Brings to the fore all of Quinn's talents - gripping storylines, plot twists, thorough research and elegant prose' The Times

Details

ISBN13: 9780349148540
Format: Paperback / softback
Number of Pages: 416
Edition:
Publication Date: 11 Aug 2026
Publisher: Little, Brown Book Group
Publication City, Country: London, United Kingdom
Dimensions (cm): 23.2(H)x15.4(L)x3.6(W)500
Weight (gm): 500

Author Biography

Anthony Quinn was born in Liverpool in 1964. From 1998 to 2013 he was the film critic for the Independent. His novels include The Rescue Man, which won the 2009 Authors' Club Best First Novel Award; Half of the Human Race; The Streets, which was shortlisted for the 2013 Walter Scott Prize; Curtain Call, soon to be a feature film starring Ian McKellen and Gemma Arterton; Freya, Eureka, Our Friends in Berlin and London, Burning. He also wrote the recent Liverpool memoir Klopp.

Reviews

Anthony Quinn creates a world so full of charm and intrigue that it is hard to leave for a moment. Utterly beguiling * Denise Mina *
Supremely elegant prose, vivid characterisation, graceful plotting - no one honours the novel's traditional virtues quite as faithfully as Anthony Quinn * Jonathan Coe *
Cleverly plotted, filled with credible characters and bolstered by his command of period detail * Sunday Times *
A glittering addition to Quinn's body of work. -- Stephanie Merritt * Observer *