Available Formats
Paperback
Published: 30th September 2025
Paperback
Published: 10th September 2024
Hardback
Published: 15th October 2024
Silverback
By (Author) Phil Harrison
Little, Brown Book Group
Fleet
10th September 2024
United Kingdom
General
Fiction
823.92
Paperback
192
Width 154mm, Height 232mm, Spine 22mm
240g
Set in contemporary Belfast, Silverback opens with the trial of Robert Rustig, accused of murdering his father, a former loyalist hardman who, once that line of business was over, had taken to cross dressing and performing as his female alter ego in local nightclubs.
James Fechner, a surgeon, is on the jury, and finds himself drawn to Rusting, who is acquitted but perhaps not innocent. After the trial, he inserts himself - in another guise - into Rusting's life, and the two form a close, ambiguous and dark relationship. Silverback is a powerful portrayal of toxic masculinity. The voice is unforgettable - plain, bold, sometimes even playful. The conclusion is as devastating as it is unexpected.Phil Harrison is a writer and filmmaker. His debut novel, The First Day, also set in Belfast, was published in 2017.