The Half Life of Joshua Jones

Joshua Jones' life is falling apart: he's lost his job, his wife has left him for another woman, and he's been kicked out of his flat. On the precipice of homelessness and defeat, he has a chance encounter with a beguiling stranger, Angela, triggering a series of surreal events that will blow his world wildly off course.

Angela, an impulsive femme fatale, has also reached a low point. Seeking refuge from her troubles in the arms of a stranger, they share an intimate moment of tenderness in a café. But as she walks away from Josh, she steps quite deliberately into the path of an oncoming bus.

As Angela lies in a coma, Josh – magnetically drawn to her and unable to shake the effects of their brief but powerful encounter – pretends that he is her boyfriend, inextricably binding their fates. But as his obsession grows, so does the danger of his situation. With his life continuing to unravel, he begins to question his own sanity until the shocking discovery of Angela's real identity finally reveals the chilling truth about himself.

The Half Life of Joshua Jones is a striking blend of psychological drama and romantic fairy tale, full of dark humour, mystery and wonder that will grip you from first page to last.

Danny Scheinmann was born in Manchester. He studied Law at the London School of Economics and Theatre Studies at the University of Strasbourg, where he was introduced to the Hindu epic, The Mahabharata, which would spur his lifetime obsession with storytelling. After a brief foray in to journalism, he set up a storytelling theatre company, which led to more conventional theatre, TV and film, including The West Wittering Affair and The Divorce. He was part of the David Glass Ensemble's Lost Child project, which created theatre with children in Manila, Bogota and Pnomh Penh. His debut novel Random Acts of Heroic Love was a UK bestseller and has been published in 21 countries.