Hot Stew
a riotous novel about sex and money in Soho, from the Booker-shortlisted author of Elmet
Format:Hardback
Publisher:John Murray Press
Published:18th Mar '21
Should be back in stock very soon
In Hot Stew, a vibrant tale set in Soho, diverse characters navigate the complexities of life, love, and survival amidst gentrification and personal struggles.
Set against the vibrant backdrop of Soho, Hot Stew is a bold and humorous exploration of the intertwining lives of its eclectic inhabitants. The story introduces readers to a diverse cast, including sex workers, a billionaire Russian oligarch, and a nearly washed-up actor, all navigating the complexities of desire, wealth, and survival in a city that never sleeps. The novel paints a vivid picture of Soho's pulsating energy, where tourists mingle with the lost, and life unfolds in a chaotic yet captivating manner.
At the heart of Hot Stew lies a fierce struggle for survival. Precious and Tabitha, who call the top floors of a large townhouse home, find their lives upended when their billionaire landlord, Agatha, decides to evict them to make way for luxury developments. The stakes are high, and the women are determined to fight for their right to stay in the only place they know as home. As the narrative unfolds, readers witness the resilience and camaraderie among the characters as they confront the challenges posed by gentrification and societal change.
With sharp wit and keen insight, Hot Stew delves into themes of class disparity, the human condition, and the often-overlooked stories of those living on the fringes of society. The novel is not just a tale of survival but also a celebration of the vibrant tapestry of life in Soho, capturing the essence of a community that refuses to be silenced or erased.
Ambitious, clever, brilliant and very funny . . . If Elmet announced the arrival of a bright new voice in British literature, Hot Stew confirms Mozley as a writer of extraordinary empathic gifts * Observer *
A dazzling Dickensian tale * Guardian, Book of the Day *
A complex mosaic of urban life * The Times *
A rollicking tale * Alex Preston, Observer *
There's no evidence of difficult second-novel syndrome here . . . a pure nostalgia trip * Daily Mail *
A gripping novel bursting with life. The second novel by the Booker-shortlisted novelist is a real treat * Sunday Times *
Ambitious, scathing and damn good fun * TLS *
A sprawling novel of London life packed with picaresque characters * Evening Standard *
Where the mystical, elemental qualities of Elmet earned it comparisons with Lawrence and Hardy, her second novel is a sprawling urban comedy more likely to recall Ben Jonson or Dickens * Daily Telegraph *
Mozley's prose is precise, controlled, unshowy, deceptively readable * Herald *
Despite so many characters, the novel doesn't flail, it succeeds as a force . . . to direct so many through a labyrinthine story in just over 300 pages is a kind of mastery * Irish Times *
A lively, pacy read that gives more than a nod to Dickens and is all the better for it * Sunday Independent Review *
A lively, pacy read * Irish Independent *
Mozley's Soho is a village populated by a cast of characters as vivid and memorable as any imagined by Dickens * Louise Kennedy *
Hot Stew reads like a great night out in a city that never sleeps * Jan Carson *
Her new stew is such a steaming, fuming mix of life, lust and London that in the end you feel like you've eaten all of Soho * Hallgrímur Helgason, author of The Woman at 1000 Degrees *
Affecting and bitterly comic prose . . . [and a ] rollicking, heady vivacity * Big Issue *
- Long-listed for Dylan Thomas Prize 2022 (UK)
ISBN: 9781529327205
Dimensions: 238mm x 164mm x 34mm
Weight: 535g
320 pages