Objects of Desire

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Hugo Hunter is the most important gay writer of the 20th century, but he has a secret- he didn't write either of his novels. So, when he accepts a million dollars to produce another masterpiece, how far will Hugo go to come up with a third 'Razor-sharp and deeply unsettling while being endlessly entertaining. A triumph.' JENNIE GODFREY, author of THE LIST OF SUSPICIOUS THINGS 'A delicious, literary feast. A wickedly funny and sharply relevant novel of duplicity and betrayal with a glittering cast of literary greats.' ANNA MAZZOLA, author of THE BOOK OF SECRETS 'A masterful novel, OBJECTS OF DESIRE is utterly irresistible; it's dark and wickedly fun. One of my favourite books of the year so far.' FLORA CARR, author of THE TOWER 'A biting, unflinching study of art and deceit . . . Neil Blackmore has achieved his best work yet.' ANNIE GARTHWAITE, author of CECILY *** Hugo Hunter was the most celebrated gay novelist of the 20th century. He published two masterpieces, securing his place alongside the dazzling literary greats of the 1950s, 60s and 70s, and rubbing shoulders with everyone from Truman Capote to James Baldwin, Gore Vidal and George Orwell. But after decades of fame and excess, just as New York City enters the 1980s and awakes to the coming horror of AIDS, Hugo finds himself running out of money. Out of nowhere, he receives an extraordinary lifeline- an offer from his longtime publisher. Two million dollars, for a memoir and a new novel. The money will solve all his problems - except for one thing. Hugo Hunter is an imposter. He stole both of his novels. Now, how far will he go to produce a third At once dark, moving and deliciously vicious, OBJECTS OF DESIRE traverses the 20th century, featuring an astonishing cast of characters. It is both a colourful glimpse into the lives of the cultural elite, and a tense, gripping story of betrayal, deceit, and literary fraud. *** Praise for Neil Blackmore 'An astounding story . . . I relished every page.' SIR IAN McKELLAN 'One of the most original voices in historical fiction today.' THE TIMES 'Compellingly real.' DAILY MAIL

Reviews

I adored this novel. It is razor-sharp and deeply unsettling while being endlessly entertaining. A triumph. -- Jennie Godfrey, author of THE LIST OF SUSPICIOUS THINGS
A delicious, literary feast. A wickedly funny and sharply relevant novel of duplicity and betrayal with a glittering cast of literary greats. -- Anna Mazzola
A masterful novel, Objects of Desire is utterly irresistible; its dark and wickedly fun. One of my favourite books of the year so far. -- Flora Carr
Blackmore writes with rich intensity, he never fails to excite the senses. -- AJ West
This masterful novel is a biting, unflinching study of art and deceit and of what it means to create, to love and, indeed, to live. In this story, which recreates with vicious wit the 20th-century literary scene, Neil Blackmore has achieved his best work yet. -- Annie Garthwaite
A blisteringly sharp, edgy, and diabolical romp through the gay literary scene of the mid-twentieth century, OBJECTS OF DESIRE pulls no punches in its portrayal of cultural darlings, nor in its dark insights into the human heart. Hugo Hunter is one of the best antiheroes I've read in ages, as mercenary as Tom Ripley and as seductive as Dorian Gray. Blackmore's settings - whether it be postwar London, 1960s Hollywood or AIDS-era New York - are so fully realized that I often found myself losing my grip on where real history ended and the fiction began. This book is a true tour de force - I'm so very glad it exists, although in solidarity with its protagonist, I can't help but be deeply jealous that I didn't write it. -- Hesse Phillips
Objects of Desires big soundtrack is all betrayal, plot twists and rivalry but its power lies in Blackmores quiet glimpses of grief and the destructive, deep sadness of shame -- Anthony Shapland, author of A Room Above a Shop
A vicious, gossipy delight fans of Yellowface and The Plot will relish this savage, poignant story of lies, identity and ambition. -- Francesca De Tores

Author Bio

Neil Blackmore is the author of five novels. His work has been acclaimed for its radical redrawing of the historical fiction form and the parameters of queer historical fiction. His third novel, The Intoxicating Mr Lavelle, was shortlisted for the Polari Prize for LGBTQ+ Fiction, and he has been celebrated as 'one of the most original voices in historical fiction today' (The Times). He lives in London.