A Portrait of the Arsonist as a Young Man

'A stylish and assured debut…murderously explosive' The Big Issue.

When a publishing house is razed to the ground and an immigrant dies in the blaze, no one suspects charming young bookseller, Ben Tippet. He's just a harmless wannabe…isn't he? But beneath his charismatic façade there lurks a compulsive liar with a borderline personality disorder.

Betrayed by his novelist lover (Alex Fortune), but confident in an alibi from his ex-girlfriend (Imogen Wood), Ben begins his outrageous memoirs: tales of a religious childhood, domineering mother and disabled father, family secrets and lies; not least a life-changing, family-shattering revelation by his transsexual uncle on Ben's sixteenth birthday.

Life behind bars grows precarious and despite protection from prison warden, Red Buchanan, Ben is vulnerable to the violence of psycho inmate, Manston. With the jury still out, Ben delves deeper into his psyche, exploring his innermost desires, dreams and fears, inviting you to be his thirteenth juror: What exactly is he guilty of'?

Scratch the surface of this candid self-portrait and a bolder canvas shines through; the landscape of a narcissistic society hooked on fame, fortune and sex.

With the trial nearly over, two devastating events shake Ben's world, making him realise for the first time that he stands to lose more than just freedom. Tragically, he now understands the difference between right and wrong… doesn't he?

In this stylish and surprising morality tale, Patricia Highsmith meets Dennis Potter (the talented Mr. Tippet meets a singing detective) and Ben welcomes you to the party, asking: Aren't we all narcissists now?

Praise for this and other fiction by A.F.McGuinness:

- 'Sharp-eyed, poignant, convincing, finely focused, impressive dark comedy' Alison Macleod, Booker-longlisted for Unexploded.

- 'A distinctive voice' Bookbag.

- 'Superb' Phil Whitaker, Freak of Nature.

- 'Witty and intriguing' Scott Pack, The Friday Project.