LoveReading Says
LoveReading Says
August 2013 Book of the Month.
A cleverly constructed literary thriller exploring the, sometimes, dark memories of childhood that can direct our actions in adult life. A screenwriter on his uppers is thrown a lifeline by a mysterious billionaire who turns out to be an old school friend. Quickly drawn into an intoxicating group of hangers-on, his life looks to be coming back on track - but as events unfold he begins to question his school friend's motives.
A excellent read well suited to fans of William Boyd.
In addition to our Lovereading expert opinion for The Long Shadow a small number of Lovereading members were lucky enough to be invited to review this title - 'Scary and tense, exciting, humorous, romantic and never letting the reader know what to believe and what to question, this is a great read.' - Peter Land. Scroll down to read more reviews.
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About The Long Shadow
Ben Makepeace, a screenwriter, is recently divorced, with a young son to care for. So when he's invited up to Stoneham Park in Oxfordshire to meet someone who wants to bankroll his latest script, he jumps at the chance. Victor Sheldon is a hedge fund billionaire yet when Ben meets him he's bemused, for Victor is none other than old schoolfriend Daniel, last seen some twenty-five years ago.
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The Long Shadow Synopsis
Ben Makepeace, a screenwriter, is recently divorced, with a young son to care for. So when he's invited up to Stoneham Park in Oxfordshire to meet someone who wants to bankroll his latest script, he jumps at the chance. Victor Sheldon is a hedge fund billionaire yet when Ben meets him he's bemused, for Victor is none other than old schoolfriend Daniel, last seen some twenty-five years ago.
Victor is eager to introduce him to the various occupants of his Palladian home and Ben can't quite believe the great stroke of good fortune. But history can cast a long shadow, and soon Ben finds himself caught up in a vicious endgame with roots buried deep in the past of his childhood.
About This Edition
| ISBN: |
9780755392315 |
| Publication date: |
18th July 2013 |
| Author: |
Mark Mills |
| Publisher: |
Headline Review an imprint of Headline Publishing Group |
| Format: |
Hardback |
| Pagination: |
453 pages |
| Primary Genre |
Modern and Contemporary Fiction
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| Other Genres: |
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| Recommendations: |
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Press Reviews
Mark Mills Press Reviews
We have asked a select number of members and browsers to review The Long Shadow. You can read their reviews below.
Julie Bickerdyke - 'This is a well written, gripping story that holds your attention and doesn't disappoint.' Click here to read the full review.
Peter Land - 'Scary and tense, exciting, humorous, romantic and never letting the reader know what to believe and what to question, this is a great read.' Click here to read the full review.
Fiona Maclean - 'I’d recommend this book for holiday reading plus. It’s not hard to pick up – and the storyline is light enough to follow easily. But, it’s got enough intrigue and plot to be worthy of a more careful second reading – which is exactly what I will be doing.' Click here to read the full review.
Catherine Larner - 'This is a true page-turner of a summer read. The reader delights, with Ben, in the novelty of the extravagant lifestyle but all too soon realizes that nothing in life is free.' Click here to read the full review.
Les Warriner - 'An enthralling tale, which hinges as much on the past as it does on the present...The web of intrigue is brilliantly spun with both Ben and the reader driven between highs and lows - is it all too good to be true? Like me, you will have to wait to the end to discover whether there is a fairy tale ending, but it is well worth the wait.' Click here to read the full review.
Gill Wilmott - 'This is a agreeably interwoven story of past and present, and how one can come back to haunt the other...The whole book could be described as an example of the saying quoted by a minor character about two third through the book, “If something seems too good to be true, it usually is”. Click here to read the full review.
Victoria Sharman - 'I’m not sure about this book; it was an easy read and not too challenging but also a little weak and needed excitement to grab you.' Click here to read the full review.
Sam Lewis - 'A wonderful story on how someone can bear a grudge, and how a person’s childhood can have such an effect on later life.' Click here to read the full review.
Debbie Patrick - 'A good, well written, interesting book that is well worth the effort & time to read.' Click here to read the full review.
Jillian McFrederick - 'A good read, I would recommend this. As a holiday read it has a good mix of intrigue romance and danger, coupled with a style that flows and is easy to follow.' Click here to read the full review.
Michelle McKernan - 'A brilliant book in so many ways...I would definitely recommend this to anyone who enjoys character-based books and those interested in how things from our past can creep up on us when we least expect it.' Click here to read the full review.
Ruth Paterson - 'I found this ode to early friendships and how the shadow can shape our future, to be well worth a read.' Click here to read the full review.
Author
About Mark Mills
Mark Mills graduated from Cambridge University in 1986. He has lived in both Italy and France, and has written for the screen. His first novel, The Whaleboat House, won the 2004 Crime Writers' Association Award for Best Novel by a debut author. His second, The Savage Garden, was a Richard and Judy Summer Read and a No. 1 bestseller. Under the name Mark B. Mills, he has written the comic novel, Waiting for Doggo. He lives near Oxford with his wife and two children.
Photograph © Willow and Pea Portraits
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