Description
Book SynopsisA stunning debut crime novel for fans of Robert Harris, Philip Kerr and C.J. Sansom's Dominion.
Trade ReviewAn outstanding debut . . . Donald combines historical events and fictional characters to
superb effect, in a novel that
deserves to win prizes. * The Sunday Times, Crime Book of the Month *
The combination of thriller plot with pervasive moral uncertainty
reminded me at times of le Carre. Historically fascinating, too. All in all, this is
one of the finest debuts I've read for a while. -- Andrew Taylor, author of Ashes of London
Remarkably accomplished . . . the
most appealing, original protagonist I've read for some time . . . Donald's depiction of the city's thickening gloom is splendidly evocative . . .
A very impressive debut' -- Alison Flood * Observer *
Dominick Donald's portrayal of the difficulties and dangers faced by Londoners is
superb . . . Breathe is
a hugely impressive debut. * The Times *
Dominick Donald is
an exceptional writer. His depiction of post-war London is beautifully detailed, as are his descriptions of the lethal fogs that left the city gasping for breath. On top of that he has peopled his
nail-biting story with a rich variety of characters, many of them coppers, who might easily have stepped out of a Dickens novel.
Gripping to the last page, it's a mystery unlike any other I've read. -- Rennie Airth
A brilliant book, an extraordinary mix of fiction and fact so real it will make your skin crawl. The sights, sounds, grit and desperation of postwar London hang over every step into the poisonous mysteries of the fog. Close the windows, pull up the duvet and keep the light on. -- Tom Harper
Atmospheric and intriguing * Country & Town House *
This
subtly woven mixture of fiction and fact, which partly draws on the notorious case of 10 Rillington Place and the serial killer Reg Christie,
casts a magical spell, and even includes a moving love story. It is
a stunning debut from a former academic, security expert and journalist.
You can smell the fog and feel the breath being sucked out of your body as you struggle to understand what is happening in the darkness * Daily Mail *
Dominick Donald
sustains the tension beautifully over the course of this long book, depicting his smoggy setting so well that your eyes sting while
your pulse races. * Sunday Express *
Gripping * Guardian *
This debut
will keep you absorbed for nights on end . . . Dominick Donald combines tangy depiction of ration-era London with a
strong historical context, featuring among many
vividly realised scenes, a chase through the Underground that will haunt your commute for weeks. * Metro *
Dominick Donald's novel is a
remarkably convincing re-creation of a London that, although well within living memory, has vanished forever.
Rich in detail and dialogue that successfully resurrect the period, it's
a thriller that holds the reader's attention -- Nick Rennison * BBC History Magazine *
Dominick Donald creates
a splendidly honest, but wily and perceptive hero in the burly Korean War veteran Dick Bourton, and
a resourceful heroine to match him... Donald writes his most
thrilling passages in staccato lists of impressions that the narrator Martin Ellis makes rat-a-tat on the ear . . .
Compulsive listening * The Times *
What makes Donald's story so
compelling is the combination of historical events and fictional characters to s
uperb effect in a thriller plot with an aura of pervasive moral uncertainty . . .
Breathe is an
outstanding debut - one of the finest I've read in a long while. * Crime Review *
Will have you groping through the Great Smog of 1952 in search of a murderer * Time Out's pick of London novels *
