Hardback
Published: 19/05/2022
ISBN: 9781914148095
Length: 320
RRP: £14.99
Paperback
Published: 01/05/2023
ISBN: 9781914148231
Length: 320
RRP: £9.99
Tucked away in a near-derelict library in the centre of London, The House of Marvellous Books is a publishing house on the brink of financial disaster. With assistant Ursula asleep at her desk, head publisher Gerard going health and safety mad, and chief editor Drusilla focused on finding a supposedly priceless but famously missing manuscript, there is hardly anyone left to steer the ship.
Young Mortimer Blakeley-Smith, junior editor, charts the descent of the House in his logbook as it lurches from one failure to the next. Will mysterious Russian buyers, lurking in the wings, finally sink the ship? Or will Drusilla find the legendary Daybreak Manuscript and save the day?
Buy Now
‘I absolutely adored the charming and very funny The House Of Marvellous Books and its cast of eccentric, maddening characters. This is a must-read for anyone who loves books and I can’t wait to gift it to everyone I know. It deserves to be a massive word-of-mouth bestseller.’ — Sarra Manning, author of Rescue Me
‘With an undercurrent of melancholic optimism, and an amusing cast of eccentric individuals who rather resemble a thrown together, dysfunctional family, this will charm and entertain fans of wry, dry humour.’ — LoveReading
‘With richly textured prose ripe with delightful irony, Marshall has produced a quirky and hugely enjoyable read taking the reader into the world of publishing with all its eccentricities. With a flurry of colourful and well-drawn characters, this is a joyride of a novel which will have its readers smiling throughout.’ — Jac Shreeves-Lee, author of Broadwater
‘Fiona Vigo Marshall’s bookish jeu d’esprit, in which the hapless Mortimer charts the decline of a once-great publishing house in his diary, is hugely entertaining. In a book full of funny lines, set pieces and memorable characters, the House itself is a marvellous concoction. You can smell the medieval timbers and the leather and vellum of its venerable book collection as you read.’ — Gill Darling, author of Erringby
‘A must-read, rib-tickling, uproarious satire – and a quest for the one book that will make all the difference.’ — Professor Peter Tyrer, author of The Watermeadow Mystery and Poleaxed