Hunters in the Dark

The Ballad of a Small Player: A modern Graham Greene.... into this relatively quiet period for British fiction, someone remarkable and unexpected has emerged fully armed with a formidable, masterly grip on the British novel. At precisely the point where most novelists start to show signs of flagging, Osborne has hit his creative, fictional stride...and has arrived as a thrilling, exceptional talent in British fiction's landscape. - Robert Collins, Sunday Times

Damn. Another writer I have to care about… dark, brilliant and about as ignorable as a switchblade. - New York Times

The Ballad of a Small Player: Shares the exoticism and East-West disconnect of The Quiet American, the unresolved supernaturalism of The Heart of the Matter and Loser Takes All's bittersweet relationship with the gaming tables. If Osborne's book is a love letter to gambling, it's the kind written at 3am to an indifferent ex after an evening at the bar -- an ode to self-destruction. A brisk, electrifying read. - Adrian Turpin, Literary Review

No mere imitation but a contribution to the shelf on which The Sheltering Sky and The Bonfire of the Vanities also sit, The Forgiven explores the clash of two cultures, each of which feels superior to the other. Osborne's writing is uncomfortably well observed; his story is sickeningly, addictively headlong. - Lionel Shriver

A sinister and streamlined entertainment in the tradition of Paul Bowles, Evelyn Waugh and the early Ian McEwan… This is a lean book that moves like a panther. Osborne has a keen and sometimes cruel eye for humans and their manners and morals, and for the natural world. Surprising and dark and excellent. - New York Times

Quentin Tarantino meets The Talented Mr. Ripley and The Quiet American: This is Osborne’s most gripping and plot-driven novel to date, and carries many of his signature themes. Building brilliantly from his last two novels, this is his best work yet.

STRONG NEW LOOK for frontlist and backlist titles: Hunters will be the first novel to showcase a brand new 'look' for Osborne's fiction -- each will showcase the strong sense of place inherent to Osborne's work.

Regularly compared to Evelyn Waugh, Ian McEwan and Paul Bowles, this new novel puts Osborne on a par with Damon Galgut and Edward St. Aubyn.

Author visit in late November will provide an opportunity for Osborne to meet with his growing fan base: among them booksellers, trade customers, independent bookshops and literary editors.