The Hundred and Ninety-nine Steps [Paperback]

'This is a man who could give Conrad a run at writing the perfect sentence.' --Guardian

'Visits the strangest of places and makes them real.' --Scotsman

'Engrossing . . . the writing is spare and evocative and Siân's slow return to health is powerfully wrought.'
--The Times

"Faber's disconcerting vision, his instinctive feel for pace and suspense, and his vision of an upside-down existence are too unsettling and too finely drawn to be knocked off course." --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

"As well as possessing imaginative gifts, Michel Faber is a writer of unusual skill...Strong satire in the Swiftian tradition, rendered with outstanding narrative power - genuinely horrible and down-right weird." --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

"Faber's approach throughout the novel is unashamedly adventurous and eclectic. If he were a lesser writer, his feverish imagination could have got him into quite a muddle. he successfully avoids this because he has fine judgment and is a consummate showman." --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Sian, troubled by dark dreams and seeking distraction, joins an archaeological dig at Whitby Abbey. The abbey's one hundred and ninety-nine steps link the twenty-first century with the ruins of the past and Sian is swept into a mystery involving a long-hidden murder, a fragile manuscript in a bottle and a cast of most peculiar characters. Equal parts historical thriller, romance and ghost story, this is an ingenious literary page-turner and is completely unforgettable. THIS EDITION ALSO FEATURES MICHEL FABER'S NOVELLA THE COURAGE CONSORT

Michel Faber has written nine books, including the highly acclaimed The Crimson Petal and the White, The Fahrenheit Twins and the Whitbread-shortlisted novel Under the Skin. He has also won a variety of short-story awards, including the Neil Gunn, the Ian St. James and the Macallan. Born in Holland, brought up in Australia, he now lives in the Scottish Highlands.