David Francis - Stray Dog Winter

‘This is a wonderful book, the work of a full-fledged talent who deserves to be read widely and well.’

‘Moscow, with its icy splendour and bald brutality, is seductively evoked in the pages of Stray Dog Winter . David Francis has created a credible, parallel universe in which nobody, particularly those with whom his protagonist is the most intimate, is what he or she seems. His hero, Darcy, is vulnerable and unfailingly sympathetic; a gay, antipodean answer to Arkady Renko.’

‘Permeated with a brooding unease, powerfully matched by the palpable cold of winter in Moscow… sinister, suspenseful and beautifully written.’

‘Francis’ gorgeous prose is passionate and pressure filled. His masterful writing delivers a rare kind of delicious suspense, the kind that’s only found in the most riveting of novels.’

‘If Alan Furst and Edmund White were ever to collaborate, the result would be something like Stray Dog Winter . Written with style and intrigue, David Francis’s new novel is a genuine Cold War thriller, and a work of art.’

‘A spare, dark, brilliant book.’

‘Lyrical and lapidary. Arresting and mysterious. A most promising debut.’

‘Loneliness and loss well up like groundwater in this spare, haunting novel. David Francis is a master of elegant understatement.’

‘A compelling dance across a stark and evocative landscape. Each step reveals a new perspective on the characters’ humanity and, at times, their brutality.’

‘One of the best I’ve read lately… It is almost painfully Australian, yet it transcends all ideas of regionalism… Francis’ subtle and spare prose is lyrical and compelling, such beautiful writing I read it all in one go.’

‘There is a beautiful filmic quality to this novel… a testament to Francis’ skill.’

‘ Agapanthus Tango harks to the images of outback Australia by writers such as Tim Winton… a surprisingly easy read.’

‘[ Agapanthus Tango ] is a bowl of ripe cherries: graceful and unaffected… we should be grateful for stories of this scale, crafted by writers of this skill.’

‘A stark, enigmatic novel, as unforgiving and seductive as The Riverina itself.’

David Francis is an Australian lawyer and former international equestrian who lives in Los Angeles. He is the author of the acclaimed novel Agapanthus Tango , which was published in seven countries. David received the Australia Council Literature Fund Fellowship in 2002.

First published in 2008 Copyright © David Francis 2008

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The poem on page ix is reproduced from Untitled Poem by Anna Akhmatova from The Stray Dog Cabaret: A Book of Russian Poems translated by Paul Schmidt, © 2007 by the Estate of Paul Schmidt, used by permission of New York Review Books (NYREV, Inc.).

The ‘Boys In Town’ song lyrics is copyright C.Amphlett/M.McEntee © 1980 EMI Music Publishing Australia Pty Limited (ABN 83 000 040 951) PO Box 35, Pyrmont, NSW 2009, Australia. International copyright secured. All rights reserved. Used by permission.

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National Library of Australia Cataloguing-in-Publication entry:

National Library of Australia Cataloguing-in-Publication entry: Stray dog winter / David Francis. ISBN 978 1 74175 540 4 (pbk.)

Inside back cover photograph by Christoper Lapp Typset in 11.75/16.49 pt Fairfield LH by Bookhouse, Sydney Printed and bound in Australia by Griffin Press 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1