The book begins with a chase through the streets of Calcutta in May 1916. Lieutenant Peake pauses for breath outside the ruins of the Jheeter's Gate station knowing that he only has a few hours to live. Inside his overcoat he is sheltering two newborn babies - twins, a boy and a girl.
Pursued by his would-be assassins, Peake runs at full tilt to the house of Aryami Bose, to whom he entrusts the children. In 1932 we meet the boy, Ben, and his group of friends the night before they are due to leave St Patricks orphanage. They have formed a secret club, The Chowbar Society, that meets each week at midnight in the old ruin they have christened The Midnight Palace.
Their final meeting is due that evening but then Aryami Bose turns up at the orphanage with Sheere, Ben's sister, and tells them the story of the parents they never knew. Their father was an engineer and writer who died in tragic circumstances at the inauguration of Jheeter's Gate station. But as the novel unfolds, there is more to this story than meets the eye and they are lured by a shadowy figure from the past into a final showdown in the ruins.
About the Author
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Carlos Ruiz Zafon is the author of six novels, including the international phenomenon The Shadow of the Wind, and The Angel's Game. His work has been published in more than forty different languages, and honoured with numerous international awards. He divides his time between Barcelona, Spain, and Los Angeles, California.
Industry Reviews
Murders most foul, chilling crimes and dark deeds... Carlos Ruiz Zafon, author of The Shadow of the Wind, locates his ghost story in The Midnight Palace VOGUE - May 2011 'Set in 1930s Calcutta, this supernatural thriller is gripping and at times scary, but makes for a compelling read." Four Stars WOMAN'S OWN - 30 May 2011 Zafon's young adult fiction was published in Spain long before he became an international sensation, and its fascinating to see, in his second book, premonitory glimpses of The Shadow of the Wind. ..Zafon makes it look so easy but he's in a class of his own. -- Suzi Feay FINANCIAL TIMES - 12 May 2011 Magical mystery about a pair of orphaned twins separated at birth... Why read it? Because you loved the imagination, magic and fantasy of Zafon's blockbuster debut, The Shadow of the Wind. -- 15 Books You Must Read This Summer! ESSENTIALS - July 2011 In a tale of a secret society, a labyrinthine railway station and a shadowy figure from the past, their story and denouement has the hallmarks of the fine writing in the author's best-selling Shadow of the Wind. Choice - July 2011 a cracking mystery... A thoroughly ripping yarn. -- Kate Saunders THE TIMES - 26 June 2011 A beach must-have PRIDE magazine - July 2011 'this is one book that knows how to keep a reader hooked... Exotic terror tale from a master story-teller.' Four stars FLIPSIDE - July 2011 A tremendously atmospheric supernatural thriller and will particularly appeal to those who like a good ghost story told in nineteenth century style by a protagonist narrator looking back years later. THE BOOKBAG.CO.UK His Calcutta has many of the mystical elements that many writers associate with the city but it also shows the political strain of a city subject to years of hostile colonization and ready to break free. Just as importantly Zafon delivers moments of genuine horrors as well as expert plot twists that move the story along. PUBLISHERS WEEKLY This novel's plot is as dark and threatening as the Calcutta night that envelops the opening scenes... The Midnight Palace should not be overlooked by adults in search of literary excellence. USA TODAY - 18 May 2011 ...if you have a taste for mystery, for the supernatural, for characters of mythic strength, loyalty and heroism... then pick this book up and revel in it. ARMADILLO It's fast-moving and never hesitates, and it quickly sketches the eight young people who inhabit its pages as quirky and likeable individuals, from the taciturn artist, Michael, to the fiery and intelligent Isobel. It's also a story about stories: tales from the past are woven into the narrative in an elegant way, with the whole book framed by the narrative of the last surviving member of the group. THE GUARDIAN This dark book is not for the easily scared, but great for thrill-seekers! WOMAN'S WAY
