Description

Book Synopsis

Wry humour and small-town crime, in the acclaimed Lucian Wing series.

Lucian Wing is the sheriff of a backwoods county in Vermont, a hardscrabble place far from the picture-postcard gaze. He is also a man with a problem.

Multiple problems, in fact, including a threatening superior; a wandering wife; a hard-drinking father-in-law; a demented mother; a squad of deputies variously overzealous and moronic; a mysterious vigilante band operating in his jurisdiction; and a formidably bloodthirsty local carnivore...

Wing needs to draw on all his patience, knowledge, and (especially) humor to resolve things. Not least, to honour what one ambiguous ally refers to as Old Number Five.



Trade Review
Praise for Castle Freeman's novels:

‘A small miracle – sharp, sly, moving and full of heart' Nick Cave


‘Part comic romp and part nail-biting thriller ... Castle Freeman writes with both wit and a deep understanding of the human psyche, and he does not cheat us out of a dramatic climax’ Guardian


‘Shares many small-town, big-crime themes with Cormac McCarthy... it is impossible not to appreciate this’ The Times


'Wonderful... every paragraph a gem. Freeman – like Cormac McCarthy, like Annie Proulx – shows us the awkward realness of lives, and does it with humour, with wry perception, with great style' R. J. Ellory


‘Extremely funny... streamlined storytelling, dead-on dialogue and lyrical descriptions of the bleak, woodsy landscape. This is a meticulous New England miniature, with not a word wasted’ Oprah Magazine


‘A fast, memorable read gooey with atmosphere … a gem that sparkles with sly insight and cuts like a knife’ Boston Globe


‘Freeman has a flawless ear for dialogue and a sharp eye for quirky detail … Superb’ People Magazine


‘A brilliant book – laconic, spare, stylish and exciting’ Al Alvarez


‘A small masterpiece of black comedy and suspense … If all novels were this good, Americans would read more’ Kirkus Reviews

Old Number Five

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    £8.54

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    RRP £8.99 – you save £0.45 (5%)

    Order before 4pm tomorrow for delivery by Sat 13 Jun 2026.

    A Paperback / softback by Castle Freeman

    1 in stock

      Trusted by thousands of customers. See 2,385+ Customer Reviews

      View other formats and editions of Old Number Five by Castle Freeman

      Publisher: Duckworth Books
      Publication Date: 05/03/2020
      ISBN13: 9781788422475, 978-1788422475
      ISBN10: 1788422473

      Description

      Book Synopsis

      Wry humour and small-town crime, in the acclaimed Lucian Wing series.

      Lucian Wing is the sheriff of a backwoods county in Vermont, a hardscrabble place far from the picture-postcard gaze. He is also a man with a problem.

      Multiple problems, in fact, including a threatening superior; a wandering wife; a hard-drinking father-in-law; a demented mother; a squad of deputies variously overzealous and moronic; a mysterious vigilante band operating in his jurisdiction; and a formidably bloodthirsty local carnivore...

      Wing needs to draw on all his patience, knowledge, and (especially) humor to resolve things. Not least, to honour what one ambiguous ally refers to as Old Number Five.



      Trade Review
      Praise for Castle Freeman's novels:

      ‘A small miracle – sharp, sly, moving and full of heart' Nick Cave


      ‘Part comic romp and part nail-biting thriller ... Castle Freeman writes with both wit and a deep understanding of the human psyche, and he does not cheat us out of a dramatic climax’ Guardian


      ‘Shares many small-town, big-crime themes with Cormac McCarthy... it is impossible not to appreciate this’ The Times


      'Wonderful... every paragraph a gem. Freeman – like Cormac McCarthy, like Annie Proulx – shows us the awkward realness of lives, and does it with humour, with wry perception, with great style' R. J. Ellory


      ‘Extremely funny... streamlined storytelling, dead-on dialogue and lyrical descriptions of the bleak, woodsy landscape. This is a meticulous New England miniature, with not a word wasted’ Oprah Magazine


      ‘A fast, memorable read gooey with atmosphere … a gem that sparkles with sly insight and cuts like a knife’ Boston Globe


      ‘Freeman has a flawless ear for dialogue and a sharp eye for quirky detail … Superb’ People Magazine


      ‘A brilliant book – laconic, spare, stylish and exciting’ Al Alvarez


      ‘A small masterpiece of black comedy and suspense … If all novels were this good, Americans would read more’ Kirkus Reviews

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