Nightshade

Nightshade is a glorious novel... full of twisted sexuality, art and power, about what it means to commit yourself entirely to the artistic life. The book's ending is unforgettable. -- Alex Preston * Observer *
Brilliant and biting. -- Harriet Fitch Little * Financial Times *
The drama of creation, of impending triumph or failure, and the expert rendering of the artistic process, all lift the novel to a new level...McAfee’s prose is lyrical yet sharp… the novel fascinates…and Nightshade’s questions continue to intrigue. -- Joanna Briscoe * Guardian *
McAfee’s engaging novel combines a dark plot with a zestful skewering of the contemporary art world. -- Anthony Gardner * Mail on Sunday *
Eve is a fascinating, plausible creation, both alluring and monstrous in her all-consuming self-regard. * Metro *
[A] pacy tale of marital breakdown on the London art scene… Eve is an engagingly spiky anti-heroine. -- Anthony Cummins * Daily Mail *
Annalena McAfee brings a woman’s art to such vivid life that the reader is drawn thrillingly into its creation. Art is no mere device in this novel, it is its beating heart. A lush and original novel. -- Polly Clark
Beautifully written, engrossing and provides insights into both the contemporary art scene and the individual artistic process. I loved each and every brushstroke -- Ian Rankin * Guardian, *Summer Reads of 2021* *