With gorgeous prose, European glamour, and an expansive wanderlust, Christine Mangan's The Continental Affair is a fast-paced, Agatha Christie-esque caper packed full of romance and suspense.

Meet Henri and Louise. Two strangers, traveling alone, on the train from Belgrade to Istanbul. Except this isn't the first time they have met.

It's the 1960s and Louise is running. From her past in England, from the owners of the money she has stolen — and from Henri, the person who has been sent to collect it. Across the Continent — from Granada to Paris, from Belgrade to Istanbul — Henri follows, desperate to leave behind his own troubles. The memories of his past life as a gendarme in Algeria that keep resurfacing. His inability to reconcile the growing responsibilities of his current criminal path with this former self.

But Henri soon realizes that Louise is no ordinary mark. As the train hurtles toward its final destination, Henri and Louise must decide what the future will hold — and whether it involves one another.

With gorgeous prose, European glamour, and an expansive wanderlust, Christine Mangan's The Continental Affair is a fast-paced, Agatha Christie-esque caper packed full of romance and suspense. 'Reads as if Jean Rhys and Patricia Highsmith collaborated on a script for Alfred Hitchcock; it is an elegant, delirious fever dream of a book.’ The Irish Times Meet Henri and Louise. Two strangers, travelling alone, on the train from Belgrade to Istanbul. Except this isn't the first time they have met. It's the 1960s, and Louise is running. From her past in England, from the owners of the money she has stolen―and from Henri, the person who has been sent to collect it. Across the Continent―from Granada to Paris, from Belgrade to Istanbul―Henri follows. He's desperate to leave behind his own troubles and the memories of his past life as a gendarme in Algeria. But Henri soon realises that Louise is no ordinary traveller. As the train hurtles toward its final destination, Henri and Louise must decide what the future will hold―and whether it involves one another. Stylish and atmospheric, The Continental Affair takes you on an unforgettable journey through the twisty, glamorous world of 1960s Europe. What reviewers and readers say about Christine Mangan: 'Assured and atmospheric' (Tangerine) Guardian 'Girl on a Train meets The Talented Mr Ripley under the Moroccan sun. Unputdownable' (Tangerine) The Times 'A plot as twisty as the streets of its dazzling Tangier setting' (Tangerine) Daily Mail 'A lush, malice-infused mystery' (Palace of the Drowned) The New York Times 'Atmospheric, twisting, and full of mystery,' (Palace of the Drowned) Refinery29 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'I wanted to savour every moment. Perfectly done.' Bertha ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'Gripping and effortlessly done.' Ruth ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'I could just feel the heat, picture the beautiful Alhambra and smell the coffees. Stylish.' Mel ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'This is the third Christine Mangan book that I've read and it's definitely my favourite.' Charlotte

In Venice, Frances Croy is working to leave the previous year behind: another novel published to little success, a scathing review she can't quite manage to forget, and, most of all, the real reason behind her self-imposed exile from London: the incident at the Savoy. Sequestered within an aging palazzo, Frankie finds comfort in the emptiness of Venice in winter, in the absence of others. And then Gilly appears. A young woman claiming a connection from back home, one that Frankie can't quite seem to recall, Gilly seems determined for the two women to become fast friends. But there's something about her that continues to give Frankie pause, that makes her wonder just how much of what Gilly tells her is actually the truth. Those around Frankie are quick to dismiss her concerns, citing what took place that night at the Savoy. So too do they dismiss Frankie's claims that someone is occupying the other half of the palazzo, which has supposedly stood empty since after the war. But Frankie has seen the lights across the way, has heard the footsteps too-and what's more, knows she isn't mad. Set in the days before and after the 1966 flood - the worst ever experienced by the city of Venice - the trajectory of the disaster that forever altered the city mirrors Frankie's own inner turmoil as she struggles to make sense of what is and is not the truth, ultimately culminating in a tragedy that leaves her questioning her own role and responsibility - as well as her sanity.

'Girl on a Train meets The Talented Mr Ripley under the Moroccan sun. Unputdownable' The Times The perfect read for fans of Daphne du Maurier and Patricia Highsmith, set in 1950s Morocco, Tangerine is a gripping psychological literary thriller. The last person Alice Shipley expected to see since arriving in Tangier with her new husband was Lucy Mason. After the horrific accident at Bennington, the two friends - once inseparable roommates - haven't spoken in over a year. But Lucy is standing there, trying to make things right. Perhaps Alice should be happy. She has not adjusted to life in Morocco, too afraid to venture out into the bustling medinas and oppressive heat. Lucy, always fearless and independent, helps Alice emerge from her flat and explore the country. But soon a familiar feeling starts to overtake Alice - she feels controlled and stifled by Lucy at every turn. Then Alice's husband, John, goes missing, and Alice starts to question everything around her: her relationship with her enigmatic friend, her decision to ever come to Tangier, and her very own state of mind. Tangerine is an extraordinary debut, so tightly wound, so evocative of 1950s Tangier, and so cleverly plotted that it will leave you absolutely breathless.

With gorgeous prose, European glamour, and an expansive wanderlust, Christine Mangan's The Continental Affair is a daring literary caper that is quick on its feet and delightfully surprising. Meet Henri and Louise. Two strangers, traveling alone, on the train from Belgrade to Istanbul. Except this isn't the first time they have met. It's the 1960s and Louise is running. From her past in England, from the owners of the money she has stolen--and from Henri, the person who has been sent to collect it. Across the Continent--from Granada to Paris, from Belgrade to Istanbul--Henri follows, desperate to leave behind his own troubles. The memories of his past life as a gendarme in Algeria that keep resurfacing. His inability to reconcile the growing responsibilities of his current criminal path with this former self. But Henri soon realizes that Louise is no ordinary mark. As the train hurtles toward its final destination, Henri and Louise must decide what the future will hold--and whether it involves one another.

From the author of the critically acclaimed Tangerine. "When you learn the truth at the end, you'll want to go back and rethink everything you read before" - New York Times "A delightfully seductive dance of yearning and suspicion, where the old is always on notice that it must at some point make way for the new" - i newspaper In Venice, Frances Croy is working to leave the previous year behind: another novel published to little success, a scathing review she can't quite manage to forget, and, most of all, the real reason behind her self-imposed exile from London: the incident at the Savoy. Sequestered within an aging palazzo, Frankie finds comfort in the emptiness of Venice in winter, in the absence of others. And then Gilly appears. A young woman claiming a connection from back home, one that Frankie can't quite seem to recall, Gilly seems determined for the two women to become fast friends. But there's something about her that continues to give Frankie pause, that makes her wonder just how much of what Gilly tells her is actually the truth. Those around Frankie are quick to dismiss her concerns, citing what took place that night at the Savoy. So too do they dismiss Frankie's claims that someone is occupying the other half of the palazzo, which has supposedly stood empty since after the war. But Frankie has seen the lights across the way, has heard the footsteps too-and what's more, knows she isn't mad. Set in the days before and after the 1966 flood - the worst ever experienced by the city of Venice - the trajectory of the disaster that forever altered the city mirrors Frankie's own inner turmoil as she struggles to make sense of what is and is not the truth . . . "In her taut and mesmerizing follow up to Tangerine, the preternaturally gifted Christine Mangan plunges us into another exotic and bewitchingly rendered locale . . .Voluptuously atmospheric and surefooted at every turn, Palace of the Drowned more than delivers on the promise of Mangan's debut, and firmly establishes her as a writer of consequence" - Paula McLain, author of The Paris Wife