Lucien

J. R. Thornton

£9.99

The Secret History  meets  Saltburn  in this gripping dark academia thriller about a scholarship student who falls under the spell of his charismatic roommate and is thrust into the shadowy underworld of art forgery.

In stock

Publish Date: 19/03/2026

Description

The son of working-class Czech immigrants, Christopher “Atlas” Novotny is a talented painter who arrives at Harvard on a full scholarship. Raised amid hardship, he is unprepared for the privileged world introduced to him by his freshman roommate,  Lucien  Orsini-Conti.

Born to wealthy European diplomats,  Lucien  plays the part of the confident, sophisticated bon vivant. Where  Lucien  is bold and brash, Atlas is timid and introverted. Growing up a lonely outsider, Atlas is insecure, impressionable, and in awe of his brilliant roommate. But is  Lucien  all that he seems?

Sensing a willing disciple,  Lucien  introduces Atlas to a glittering new world of lavish parties and elite social clubs. When Atlas struggles to afford his new lifestyle,  Lucien  offers a solution, convincing the naïve artist to become a forger, passing off fakes to galleries and dealers.

But  Lucien‘s charismatic facade conceals something darker and more sinister. As  Lucien‘s behavior grows increasingly unstable, Atlas is forced into escalating risks with devastating consequences.  

Additional information

Dimensions 198 × 129 mm
Author

Publisher

Imprint

Cover

Paperback

Pages

304

Language

English

Edition

|Paperback original

Dewey

813.6 (edition:23)

Readership

General – Trade / Code: K