Paris, 1903. Major-General Sir Hector Macdonald, one of the greatest heroes of the British Empire, is facing ruin in a shocking homosexual scandal when he meets the notorious occultist, Aleister Crowley. As they set out into the night on a wild journey through the sinful city, the story of Macdonald's tragedy begins to unfold -- with startling revelations both for the General and the aspiring magician. In a tale that ranges from the battlefields of Sudan to the backstreets of Edinburgh, Jake Arnott brings alive a fascinating, forgotten figure of history, and a world trembling on the brink of a brutal new era. Black magic, Baden-Powell and Islamic revolution are just some of the ingredients in this bold and exhilarating novel, which explores imperialism, sexuality and the very nature of belief with an immediacy that resonates into the present.
Author Biography
Jake Arnott was born in 1961, and lives in London. He worked as a labourer, a mortuary technician, a theatrical agent's assistant, an artist's life model and a sign language interpreter before his debut novel, THE LONG FIRM, was published by Sceptre in 1999 to huge public and critical acclaim. HE KILLS COPPERS and TRUECRIME followed to equal acclaim in 2001 and 2003. Both THE LONG FIRM and HE KILLS COPPERS have been made into widely acclaimed TV dramas. His previous novel, JOHNNY COME HOME, was published by Sceptre in April 2006.
