Venus, Vanishing

The world of 1930's Berlin becomes a lethal game of survival for two women consumed by desire and art, in a debut perfect for readers of Yael Van Der Wouden and Sarah Waters.

'Extraordinary. I didn't want it to end' - Doireann Ní Ghríofa, author of A Ghost in the Throat
'A gripping, gorgeously written debut that I couldn't put down' - Joanna Quinn, author of The Whalebone Theatre

Venus, Vanishing is the blisteringly passionate and page-turning debut novel from Rebecca Birrell, of desire, art, and the stories lost to the darkness of history – for readers of Sarah Waters, Yael van der Wouden, and Alice Winn.

Berlin, 1928. Hannah is new to the pleasures and freedoms of the city. An artist, a runaway, she is building a new life, loving without boundaries and sketching with a cutting edge.

But soon the party is coming to an end. A consuming affair with her patron, Elke - the imperious wife of a powerful man - is reckless, yet life changing, and threatens to do more than ruin both of their reputations.

Her work appears around the city, tampered with, and under another's name. People are disappearing. The shadows of something unspeakable are growing darker. Her art could be the thing that secures her survival – or will deny her any chance of escape.

'This book offers us a radiant vision of art against evil, of the endurance of love, ambition and vitality amidst the worst of atrocities and betrayal. This is a bold, moving novel' - Megan Hunter, author of Days of Light