The Mermaid and Mrs Hancock (Hardback)

'The Mermaid and Mrs Hancock is superb.' - The Times

'...rich and inventive…extremely enjoyable.' - The Sunday Times

'...a fantastical and thoroughly enjoyable reading treat.' - Daily Mail

'Like the recent historical-fiction hits Franics Spufford's Golden Hill, Sarah Perry's The Essex Serpent and Jessie Burton's The Miniaturist, this is a novel pungent in historical detail.' - Sunday Times

'Imogen Hermes Gowar nails the 18th century as convincingly as Francis Spufford in Golden Hill, but with supernatural elements that bring to mind Susannah Clarke and Sarah Perry.' - Alex Preston, The Observer

'Imogen Hermes Gowar is a soon-to-be literary star.' - Sunday Times

'This ambitious debut has many virtues: the writing is rich, opulent, at times witty, and Gowar captures the decadent, febrile atmosphere of late-18th-century London in impressive detail.' - Simon Humphreys, The Mail on Sunday 

'A wonderfully written and richly descriptive novel, its brilliantly drawn characters driven by heady and dangerous desires.' - The Express

'Pure storytelling pleasure.' - Metro

'A story of curiosity and obsession, this is full of rich detail and is a book to get lost in.' - Stylist 

'The bustling, bawdy world of 18th-century London [is] expertly evoked in Imogen Hermes Gowar's The Mermaid and Mrs Hancock. This is undoubtedly the start of a major career for this young writer."  - Vogue 

'An epic and intricately researched historical novel evokes 1780s London - an era of spectacle, Soho courtesans, lavish parties and dark secrets.' - Elle

'A brilliantly plotted story of mermaids, madams and intrigue in 1780s London and I wouldn't be surprised to see it become The Essex Serpent of 2018.' - The Pool

'A wonderful romp through Georgian London.' - Independent 

'A gloriously assured debut, set in a beautifully drawn London... A story of obsession and destruction, hope and heart, which beguiles as much as the mermaid herself.' - Red Magazine

'If you liked The Miniaturist, try The Mermaid and Mrs Hancock by Imogen Hermes Gowar. Transport yourself with a sumptuous mystery story.' - BBC

"Beautiful courtesans, destructive mermaids, mercenary madams, raucous sailors; there's little Imogen Hermes Gowar doesn't throw at her extraordinary debut novel. And thanks to her deft, skilfully weaved plot and gorgeous writing, it all comes together beautifully." - iBooks 2018 Hotlist