Lesley Thomson - A Kind of Vanishing

Skilfully lays the foundations in the earlier chapters for what is to come. Each layer of the plot is carefully interwoven with the thoughts, wishes and desires of the main characters. Years pass culminating in the explosion of a shocking truth. If you enjoy a good thriller with more twists and turns than a corkscrew, I recommend it.’

‘Complex, disturbing and surprising… the sort of book where you simply have to completely rethink what you thought was going to happen – before sleeping with the lights on.’

‘The characterisation is particularly excellent. A sensitively written story, evocatively described, this is also an unusual thriller in that it easily bears a second reading.’

‘There is a touch of Susan Hill or Ruth Rendell in her (Barbara Vine) gothic mode here. Very well written.’

First edition published in 2007

This ebook edition published in 2011 by

Myriad Editions

59 Lansdowne Place

Brighton BN3 1FL

www.MyriadEditions.com

Copyright © Lesley Thomson 2007, 2011

The moral right of the author has been asserted.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means without the written permission of the publisher, nor be otherwise circulated in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published and without a similar condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser.

A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the

British Library.

ISBN: 978–0–9565599–9–9

SHORTLISTED FOR THE GREEN CARNATION PRIZE

‘An ambitious work in which he aims to “give voice to the voiceless”. Fast-moving and sharply written.’ Guardian

‘A thoroughly absorbing and pacy read. A fresh angle on gay life and on the oldest profession.’ Time Out

‘An interestingly equivocal and quietly questioning début.’ FT

ISBN: 978-0-9562515-3-4

Catherine has been enjoying the single life long enough to know a good catch when she sees one. Gorgeous, charismatic, spontaneous – Lee seems almost too perfect to be true. And her friends clearly agree, as each in turn falls under his spell. But there is a darker side to Lee. Driven into the darkest corner of her world, Catherine plans a meticulous escape. Four years later, struggling to overcome her demons, she dares to believe she might be safe from harm. Until one phone call changes everything.

ISBN: 978-0-9562515-7-2

Invisibles spans two cities by the sea and four decades of music, torture and romance. From the streets of Brighton to the bars of Rio, Ed Siegle weaves the rhythms of Brazil and the troubles of his characters into an absorbing story of identity, love and loss. At once familiar and foreign, this sweet, sad and compulsively readable first novel throngs with visceral memory and unbreakable ordinary heroes.

ISBN: 978-0-9565599-1-3

‘An intense study of grief and mental disintegration, a lexical celebration and a psychological conundrum. Royle explores loss and alienation perceptively and inventively.’ Guardian

‘There are moments of delightfully eccentric humour and impressive linguistic experimentalism.’ Observer

‘Playful, clever and perceptive.’ Big Issue

ISBN: 978-0-9562515-4-1

SHORTLISTED FOR THE WRITERS’ GUILD AWARD: BEST FICTION BOOK

‘Lyrical, warm and moving, this impressive début is reminiscent of Laurie Lee.’ Meera Syal

‘Passages made me laugh out loud and others were extremely moving. I silently gave three cheers for Ellis when I reached the end of this book. This is a poetic, moving and evocative read.’ The Bookbag

ISBN: 978-0-9562515-2-7

SELECTED FOR WATERSTONE’S NEW VOICES 2010

‘The prose is masterly, the characters are fully drawn.’ Savidge Reads

‘Breathtaking in its scope and originality. This is a multi-layered read. Thoroughly recommended.’ The Bookbag

‘A charming, unusual and poignant book.’ All About Cricket

ISBN: 978-0-9562515-0-3

‘Imagine Brighton in chaos… Robert Dickinson creates a world that only vaguely resembles our own. This intriguing story brings the issues of political influence, red tape and corruption to the fore – if only by making us relieved that it seems improbable it could come to this.’ Liverpool Daily Post

‘As a satire, it works well, and is completely believable as a “nightmare present” scenario.’ The Bookbag

ISBN: 978-0-9562515-1-0

AS HEARD ON BBC RADIO 4

‘Entertaining and rewarding, it is rich in dialogue and her characters are finely and sensitively drawn. If you like Armistead Maupin, Graham Greene or Barbara Trapido, you will love this.’ bookgroup.info

‘Populated by a cast of miscreants and misfits… a darkly comic delight.’ Choice

‘Fabulous… fictional gold.’ Argus

ISBN: 978-0-9549309-8-1

‘An exquisitely crafted début novel.’ Guardian Unlimited

‘Martine McDonagh writes with a cool, clear confidence about a world brought to its knees. If you like your books dark and more than a little disturbing, this is one for you.’ Mick Jackson

‘A decidedly original tale. Psychologically sophisticated, it demands our attention.’ bookgroup.info

ISBN: 978-0-9549309-2-9

This celebration of Brighton and Brightonians – resident, itinerant and visiting – is a feast of words and pictures specially commissioned from established artists and emerging talents.

‘I loved writing a piece with crazy wonderful Brighton as the theme… a great mix of energy and ideas.’ Jeanette Winterson

‘Give a man a fish and you’ll feed him for a day. Give him The Brighton Book and you will feed him for a lifetime.’ Argus