The Somnambulist (Gollancz) - Softcover

Jonathan Barnes

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0575079428 ISBN 13: 9780575079427

Publisher: Gollancz, 2007

Synopsis

Book by Barnes, Jonathan

About this title

About the Author:

Jonathan Barnes is a debut novelist. He graduated from Oxford five years ago with a first in English Literature. He has had various jobs in banking but is also a reviewer for numerous literary magazines and papers.

From Publishers Weekly:

Starred Review. Set in Victorian London, this superb debut from British author Barnes raises the bar for historical thrillers, starting with its curious opening line: Be warned. This book has no literary merit whatsoever. A page-turner, it's full of peculiar characters, notably Edward Moon, a highly unorthodox detective, and Moon's bizarre sidekick, known only as the Somnambulist. Moon, a conjuror by profession whose act has fallen on hard times, has cracked some of the city's most notorious murders. Now, he's leading the investigation into a shadowy religious group aiming to overtake London and do away with its oppressive, bourgeois tendencies. Moon is a remarkable invention, a master of logic and harborer of all sorts of unnatural habits and mannerisms. The Somnambulist—a giant, milk-swigging mute—doesn't appear to be human at all, yet serves as Moon's moral as well as intellectual compass. Together, they wend their way through a London rich in period detail. Barnes saves his best surprise for the story's homestretch, when he reveals the identity of his narrator, who's been cleverly pulling strings since the opening. (Feb.)
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About this edition

• Publisher: Gollancz
• Publication date: 2007
• ISBN 10: 0575079428
• ISBN 13: 9780575079427
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 284