The Man on the Endless Stair - by Chris Barkley (Hardcover)

Book Synopsis

In this vivid, brilliantly realized new mystery, a bestselling author entrusts an old friend with finishing his final novel, but when he arrives at the remote Scottish island to hear the final wishes, the writer is found murdered and the manuscript has vanished . . .

When troubled but talented young author Euan meets decorated novelist Malcolm Furnivall, he feels his luck has finally changed. Malcolm takes Euan as a protégé, vouching for him in the rarefied literary scene in the 1950s. But lately, Malcolm has not been himself. Consumed by his work, he cuts an increasingly isolated figure and has become convinced that something terrible will befall him. He summons his loved ones to his secluded island in the Hebrides and--to everyone's surprise--entrusts Euan with the task of completing his masterpiece.

Malcolm's suspicions soon prove well-founded; he is discovered brutally murdered in his study, and his invaluable unfinished novel has vanished. Cut off from the mainland, with the killer on the loose and the island's inhabitants circling, Euan feels both his mentor's legacy and his only chance at greatness slipping away. He must venture deep into Malcolm's labyrinthine mansion to find the manuscript before it falls into the wrong hands.

But what he doesn't yet know is that the closer he comes to solving the mystery, the tighter he will bind himself to a fate more dangerous than anything he's yet imagined.

Review Quotes

"The conclusion is a humdinger, a mind-blowing fever dream that will leave readers' heads spinning. The Man on the Endless Stair is a decidedly apt title: Barkley's novel will leave readers feeling as if they're inside one of M.C. Escher's illusionary paintings."--Bookpage

"An ambitious debut. Barkley's tale overflows with suspects, motives, and red herrings, but a late-breaking, metafictional plot twist sets the novel apart from its peers. Mystery fans whose tastes lie off the beaten path will be excited to see what he does next."--Publishers Weekly

"This debut novel reads like an homage to the conventions of British Golden Age mysteries. Barkley showcases an Agatha Christie-like situation."--Booklist

"A scintillating debut novel. It slow-creeps to a truly revelatory climax, one that manages to be emotionally satisfying, thrilling in terms of plot, and mind-bending in its implications."--Big Issue

"A thoroughly engaging and enjoyable read. The genre itself is warped in a truly innovative way."--Ken Lussey, Undiscovered Scotland

"An exceptional debut novel. Chris brings his sharp deft writing, addressing heavy matters with impressively balanced wit. The novel is an astute observation of people and family. My goodness, the reveal will arrest you. Here is a book to read and return to."--Theresa Lola, author of Ceremony for the Nameless

"Stylish, assured writing, and a story that wonderfully engages both heart and head. An accomplished, classy debut."--Doug Johnstone, author of The Opposite of Lonely and Living is a Problem

About the Author

Chris Barkley was appointed Writer in Residence by the Edinburgh Book Festival in 2022. He has won the Oxford University Kellogg Writing Competition, as well as the Bedford International Writing Prize. He has been shortlisted for the Cambridge Short Story Prize and has had prose published in TSS, National Flash Fiction, Darling Axe, and the Writers of the Future 35th Anthology. The Man on the Endless Stair is his first novel. He lives in Edinburgh.