The Infamous Gilberts

Vivid, poignant, infuriating, hilarious and tragic: the most rewarding and beautiful novel I've read in ages * Barbara Trapido * A family saga like no other. Gloriously off-beat, darkly comedic and totally bewitching. A bravura performance * Sarah Winman, author of Still Life * Completely captivating: I absolutely loved it. A compelling, ingenious, mischievous blend of tragedy, comedy and intrigue * Nina Stibbe * Eccentric and deliciously addictive ... a gorgeous portrayal of a family caught in a privileged world that no longer exists * Rachel Joyce * An absolute gem * Sunday Times Style * Funny, and silly, and brilliantly crazy, and so poignant it made me cry. One of the best books - if not the best - I've read this year * Claire Fuller, author of Unsettled Ground * Exquisite, unsettling and utterly unique * Jessica Stanley, author of Consider Yourself Kissed * Dazzlingly original and told with wit, heart and humanity, it's the kind of novel you cannot bear to put down until you know the fate of every character * Joanna Miller, author of The Eights * If Shirley Jackson moved The Addams Family to the English countryside, something like this dark, tongue-in-cheek epic might result… This distinctive debut introduces a wickedly weird new talent * Kirkus Review * Tomaski has said that “with the publication of this book, 30 years of relentless, excruciating failure come to an end”. Her debut takes the form of a house tour around Thornwalk, the gothic mansion home to the last of the eccentric Wynford Gilberts, and soon to be handed over to a luxury hotel chain. Our tour guide, Maximus, narrates the family’s turbulent history through the house’s many quirks * The Guardian: 10 debut novels to look out for in 2026 *