A Stranger City

'Reminding us of the depth and strength of the communities that are our beloved London. Thank you' Philippe Sands When a dead body is found in the Thames, caught in the chains of HMS Belfast, it begins a search for a missing woman. 'There's a Dickensian quality to the opening scene . . . yet it's one of the most bitingly contemporary publications of the year - a shifting, polyphonic narrative' Hephzibah Anderson, Mail on Sunday A policeman, a documentary film-maker and an Irish nurse named Chrissie all respond to the death of the unknown woman in their own ways. London is a place of random meetings, shifting relationships - and some, like Chrissie, intersect with many. 'There is a richness in this novel, found in a migrant experience that is deeply embedded rather than distinct from its environment. Everyone has a complex heritage; even comfortable, integrated lives seem precarious . . . It's as much a novel of feelings as ideas, and this is what makes it a compelling read' Jake Arnott, Guardian The wonderful Linda Grant weaves a tale around ideas of home; how London can be a place of exile or expulsion, how home can be a physical place or an idea, how all our lives intersect. 'The novel is fleet-footed . . . Londoners of all ages, backgrounds and hues throng the novel . . . the way even the minor characters flare into life gives the novel richness and depth . . . a novel fit for shifting, uncertain times' Suzi Feay, Financial Times