Entertaining and very nasty, this calculatedly intellectual comedy succeeds well as an unheroic quest starring Philippe, an interesting monster of disarming modesty.' The Listener 'Robert Irwin's third novel confirms that, whatever his other main concerns may be, he has thoroughly mastered the art of telling a story. In a plot which snakes and twists, the reader cannot let his concentration drop for a moment... At times the death-defying narrow escapes are firmly in the tradition of James Bond... as well as being a rattling good yarn, this is a study of moral bankruptcy of those who pursue abstractions through violence..very successful.' The Times Literary Supplement 'It is a gruesome black comedy, whose blackness is so intense as to be almost unreadable – if it weren't so well written.' Time Out 'What separates Irwin's story from the usual spy thrillers is not only his wit and satire but also his verbal pyrotechnics.' The Washington Post 'The two dozen authors collected here span the 19th century, from La Harpe in the aftermath of the Revolution to Huysmans' fin de siecle decadence. Poe, Hoffmann and the English Gothic novel all fed the imagination of the French fantasists, who frequently added a touch of Gallic wit to the heady brew of vampirism, ghostly gore and sexual misbehaving. Hale provides a scholarly introduction to this highly enjoyable selection of strange tales.' Scotland on Sunday