The Hopkins Conundrum

"I love this novel. It pulls off the three-card trick of being entertaining, genuinely touching, and a fascinating insight into Gerard Manley Hopkins' poetry" - Harriett Gilbert; "A deft fusion of genuinely funny writing and deeply poignant drama bound artfully around the vividly imagined character of Gerard Manley Hopkins, who is long overdue a revival and deservedly takes centre-stage" - Jennifer Selway, Daily Express "Wonderfully enjoyable: a masterful mash-up of contemporary literary satire and poetic erudition which had me laughing out loud and then reaching for the collected works of a now neglected Victorian poet. Prepare to be delighted" - Liz Trenow; "A splendid mix of literary detection, historical description and contemporary romance. Edge's witty debunking of the Vatican conspiracy genre will appeal equally to fans and detractors of Dan Brown" - Michael Arditti; "A compelling and captivating debut" - Laurie Graham

The Hopkins Conundrum blends the real stories of Gerard Manley Hopkins and the ship-wrecked nuns of his most famous poem, The Wreck of the Deutschland, while casting a wry eye on The Da Vinci Code industry in a highly original mix of fiction, literary biography and satirical commentary.Tim Cleverley inherits a failing pub in Wales, which he plans to rescue by enlisting an American pulp novelist to concoct an entirely fabricated "mystery" about Gerald Manley Hopkins, who composed "The Wreck of the Deutschland" nearby. Blending the real stories of Hopkins and the shipwrecked nuns he wrote about with a contemporary love story, while casting a wry eye on the Dan Brown industry, The Hopkins Conundrum is a highly original mix of commercial fiction, literary biography, and satirical commentary.