'A terrific read!' Jane Cholmeley, author of A Bookshop of One's Own

Travelling from Shakespeare and Company in Paris to Gay’s the Word in London to the Oscar Wilde Memorial Bookshop in New York, A.J. West has written the first history of these remarkable spaces. Tracing their evolution from under-the-counter operations to beloved out-and-proud institutions, West reveals how they stood at the vanguard of LGBTQ+ rights, offering support through the AIDS crisis and bringing the fight to Section 28.

How Queer Bookshops Changed the World celebrates cherished shops past and present, the ground-breaking books they championed when others wouldn’t, and the booksellers who demonstrated courage and community through it all.

'I have savoured every chapter, practically every sentence.' James Cahill, author of Tiepolo Blue

'Perfectly captured and inspirational.' Robin Ince, co-host of BBC Radio 4's The Infinite Monkey Cage

'A crucial history of love, struggle, solidarity and liberation.' Jake Arnott, author of The Long Firm

‘Heartbreaking, beautiful, lyrical. I was captivated from the start ? you won’t want to put it down’ – Catriona Ward
‘A thriller and a vivid exploration of a largely forgotten aspect of London’s past, this is as compelling as West’s debut’ – The Times
‘This deeply affecting novel is an unforgettable combination of historical thriller, love story and heartbreaking tragedy’ – Heat magazine
‘Stunning and powerful – an atmospheric thriller that is both heartfelt and meticulously researched. You’ll never forget Thomas True’ – Janice Hallett

***WINNER OF THE HWA DEBUT CROWN***
***THE TOP 10 Sunday Times BESTSELLER***  

The  only  sin is betrayal?

It is the year 1715, and Thomas True has arrived on old London Bridge with a dangerous secret. One night, lost amongst the squalor of London’s hidden back streets, he finds himself drawn into the outrageous underworld of the molly houses. Meanwhile, carpenter Gabriel Griffin struggles to hide his double life as Lotty, the molly’s stoic guard. When a young man is found murdered, he realizes there is a rat amongst them, betraying their secrets to a pair of murderous Justices. Can Gabriel unmask the traitor before they hang? Can he save hapless Thomas from peril, and their own forbidden love?

Set amidst the buried streets of Georgian London,  The Betrayal of Thomas True  is a brutal and devastating thriller, where love must overcome evil, and the only true sin is betrayal?  

Belfast, 1914. Two years after the sinking of the Titanic, high society has become obsessed with spiritualism, attending séances in the hope they might reach their departed loved ones.

William Jackson Crawford is a man of science and a sceptic, but one night with everyone sitting around the circle, voices come to him – seemingly from beyond the veil – placing doubt in his heart and a seed of obsession in his mind. Could the spirits truly be communicating with him or is this one of Kathleen’s parlour tricks gone too far?

Based on the true story of Professor William Jackson Crawford and famed medium Kathleen Goligher, and with a cast of characters including Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and Harry Houdini, The Spirit Engineer conjures a haunted, twisted tale of power, paranoia and one ultimate, inescapable truth…

PRAISE FOR THE SPIRIT ENGINEER

‘I adored this book. Haunting, witty and deeply moving, The Spirit Engineer is surely set to become a gothic classic. I was instantly drawn into the mystery and swept along by the shocking twists and turns. A beautifully written novel.‘ JODIE WHITTAKER, ACTOR

‘A.J. West has history at his fingertips and writes brilliantly – so clever it makes your head spin! The Spirit Engineer is a work of true invention and drama that moves at a cracking  pace from the very first page and keeps you guessing. A compelling and daring book.’  JEREMY VINE, BROADCASTER

‘Set in a historical moment where science and spiritualism meet, The Spirit Engineer is an ingeniously plotted debut novel.’  SARAH BURTON, AUTHOR OF THE STRANGE ADVENTURES OF H

‘A marvellous and menacing gothic chiller, filled with secrets and soaked in atmosphere, in which the ghouls and fiends are not of the other world, but this one…’ NEIL BLACKMORE, AUTHOR OF THE INTOXICATING MR LAVELLE  

‘A spooky tale of frustrated ambition, hidden loyalties, and desperation, told with wit, charm and devastating twists. A gothic novel that also manages to make you laugh, even if you shouldn’t.’ JONATHAN HARVEY, PLAYWRIGHT

‘With a skilful misdirection that any Edwardian spirit medium would be proud to demonstrate, A.J. West soon turns the screw in this fascinating novel? Obsession builds until the stunning climax of the final shocking séance and its awful repercussions. Was William rights to be convinced? Did he prove ghosts exist?’ ESSIE FOX, AUTHOR OF THE SOMNAMBULIST

‘A gripping, gothic story anchored in the political and spiritual chaos of Edwardian Belfast. Part horror, part history, The Spirit Engineer is a chilling and thought-provoking tale of exploitation, faith, deception, fraud, séances, hubris, and prejudice? accomplished and  page-turning. Fans of Penny Dreadful and The Nevers will love it.’  GARETH RUSSELL, HISTORIAN AND AUTHOR OF  THE SHIP OF DREAMS: THE SINKING OF THE TITANIC AND THE END OF EDWARDIAN BELFAST