Smoke and Mirrors

The astonishing and impressive first collection of short stories from New York Times bestselling author Neil Gaiman An elderly widow finds the Holy Grail beneath an old fur coat in a second-hand store . . . A stray cat fights and refights a nightly battle to protect his adoptive family from an unimagiable evil . . . A young couple receives a wedding gift that will reveal a chilling alternate history of their marriage . . . Beneath a bridge by the railroad tracks, a frightened little boy bargains for his life with a most persistent troll . . . Such miraculous inventions and more await within Neil Gaiman's first collection of short fiction, a gift of wonder and delight from one of the most unique literary artists of our day. In his capable hands, magic is no mere illusion, but a powerful means to reveal the nature of our humanity obscured in the smoke of our fears and anxieties . . . and reflected in the funhouse mirrors of our dreams.

'A treasure house of story' Stephen King 'A very fine and imaginative writer' Sunday Times 'Fiction to showcase his mastery of pastiche, his eclecticism and his knack for the juxtaposition of incongruous notions' Independent --- An elderly widow finds the Holy Grail beneath an old fur coat. A frightened little boy bargains for his life with a very persistent troll. A stray cat fights and refights a terrible nightly battle to protect his unsuspecting adoptive family from unimaginable evil . . . Anything is possible in Neil Gaiman's rich imagination. These tales and much more await in this extraordinary book - stories to dazzle your senses, haunt your dreams and move you to the depths of your soul. NEIL GAIMAN. WITH STORIES COME POSSIBILITIES. --- *** Includes an interview with the author ***

Brighton, 1950s, mid-winter. Two missing children are found buried under snow in this chilling new case for DI Stephens and Max Mephisto. Max's star turn in Aladdin has been overshadowed by the murder ­­of two local children. With fairy tales in the air, it's not long before the press have found a nickname for the case: 'Hansel and Gretel'. 'An excellent whodunnit, matched by the terrific down-at-heel atmosphere of postwar Brighton' - The Times DI Edgar Stephens has plenty of leads to investigate. The missing girl, Annie, used to write plays and perform them with her friends. Does the clue lie in Annie's unfinished - and rather disturbing - last script? Or might it lie with the eccentric actor types who have assembled for the pantomime? Once again Edgar enlists Max's help in penetrating the shadowy theatrical world that seems to hold the key. But is this all just classic misdirection?

'A treasure house of story' Stephen King 'A very fine and imaginative writer' Sunday Times 'Fiction to showcase his mastery of pastiche, his eclecticism and his knack for the juxtaposition of incongruous notions' Independent --- An elderly widow finds the Holy Grail beneath an old fur coat. A frightened little boy bargains for his life with a very persistent troll. A stray cat fights and refights a terrible nightly battle to protect his unsuspecting adoptive family from unimaginable evil . . . Anything is possible in Neil Gaiman's rich imagination. These tales and much more await in this extraordinary book - stories to dazzle your senses, haunt your dreams and move you to the depths of your soul. NEIL GAIMAN. WITH STORIES COME POSSIBILITIES. --- *** Includes an interview with the author ***

Brighton, 1950s, mid-winter. Two missing children are found buried under snow in this chilling new case for DI Stephens and Max Mephisto. Max's star turn in Aladdin has been overshadowed by the murder ­­of two local children. With fairy tales in the air, it's not long before the press have found a nickname for the case: 'Hansel and Gretel'. 'An excellent whodunnit, matched by the terrific down-at-heel atmosphere of postwar Brighton' - The Times DI Edgar Stephens has plenty of leads to investigate. The missing girl, Annie, used to write plays and perform them with her friends. Does the clue lie in Annie's unfinished - and rather disturbing - last script? Or might it lie with the eccentric actor types who have assembled for the pantomime? Once again Edgar enlists Max's help in penetrating the shadowy theatrical world that seems to hold the key. But is this all just classic misdirection?