Shadowplay

Discover the enthralling Richard & Judy Book Club pick for winter 2020 from international bestseller Joseph O'Connor.

'Breathtaking... A hugely entertaining book about the grand scope of friendship and love' Sadie Jones, Guardian

London, 1878. Three extraordinary people begin their life together - and the idea for Dracula is born.

Fresh from life in Dublin, Bram Stoker - now manager of the Lyceum Theatre - is wrestling with dark demons in a new city, in a new marriage, and with his own literary aspirations. As he walks the streets at night, streets haunted by the Ripper and the gossip which swirls around his friend Oscar Wilde, he finds new inspiration. Soon, the eerie tale of Dracula begins to emerge.

But Henry Irving, volcanic leading man and impresario, is determined that nothing will get in the way of Bram's dedication to the Lyceum. And both men are growing ever more enchanted by the beauty and boldness of Ellen Terry, the most celebrated actress of her generation.