The Bellwether Revivals

*Shortlisted for the Commonwealth Writers Prize*

 
From a rising literary star, a thrilling debut novel of psychological suspense set among the colleges of Cambridge

When bright and bookish Oscar Lowe follows the haunting sound of an organ into the chapel of Kings College, Cambridge, one day, his whole world changes. He meets a beautiful and seductive medical student, Iris Bellwether, and her charismatic and troubled brother Eden. Oscar is seduced by their life of scholarship and privilege, but when Eden convinces Iris and her close-knit group of friends to participate in a series of disturbing experiments, Oscar fears he has entered into something from which he cannot escape. Reminiscent of Donna Tartt’s The Secret History, The Bellwether Revivals is a gripping exploration of the line between genius and madness that will hold readers spellbound until its breathtaking conclusion.

*Praise for THE BELLWETHER REVIVALS*

“Praise be, a brilliant debut novel reminiscent of the moral explorations of Iris Murdoch and Zadie Smith but younger in temperament, more directly passionate and theatrical.”—Three Guys One Book

“A superb storyteller, Wood writes a chilling state-of-the-art novel set in the modern-day academic world of Cambridge and revolving around the healing power of music, the effects of existential madness, and the collateral damage of a thwarted love affair. In The Bellwether Revivals, the tension is always near the surface, providing an increasing sense of menace to the everyday lives of the characters.”—CurledUp.com

“Some writers weave magic with words. Some are able to breathe into being, between the black and white lines of their novels, manifestations of wonder. And when this magical birth is done by hands debuting in publishing, the feat itself because something that verges on the miraculous. Benjamin Wood has accomplished such a task with his novel The Bellwether Revivals.”—LitStack.com

Included in the Barnes & Noble “Discover Great New Writers” selection for summer 2012