Longlisted for the Walter Scott Prize for Historical Fiction, this story set in the cold winter of 1947 follows the revelatory aftermath of a prominent stage actor's abrupt demise, and explores the theme of fascism's secretive survival into the post-war world.

Patrick McGrath is the author of two short story collections and nine novels, including the international bestseller, Asylum. He is also the author of Writing Madness, a collection of his short fiction and selected non-fiction. His novel Trauma was shortlisted for the Costa Novel Award and Spider was filmed by David Cronenberg from McGrath's adaptation. He co-edited an influential anthology of short fiction, The New Gothic, and recent non-fiction includes introductions to The Monk, Moby Dick and Barnaby Rudge. Patrick McGrath lives in Manhattan and London.