'An evocative, endearing, entertaining and thoroughly delicious character portrait and a terrific first novel' - Donal MacIntyre, TV presenter

'A tender, thought-provoking and totally gripping novel from a wonderful storyteller...deserves to be a huge hit!' - Matt Cain, author of The Secret Life of Albert Entwistle

Meet Margaret Small: 75, plain spoken, Whitstable native and a Cilla Black super fan. Shortly after the death of her idol, Margaret begins receiving sums of money in the post, signed simply 'C'.

She is convinced it must be Cilla, but how can it be? To solve the mystery of her benefactor Margaret must go back in her memories almost 70 years, to the time when she was 'vanished' to a long-stay institution for children with learning disabilities.

An absorbing and page-turning mystery with a dual timeline, The Vanishing of Margaret Small takes readers into a fascinating past, and introduces an unforgettable literary heroine.

Perfect for fans of Libby Page and Gail Honeyman.

Praise for The Vanishing of Margaret Small:

'A captivating and charming story' - Imogen Clark

'Funny, sad and uplifting all at once' - Frances Quinn

'A beautiful story of human spirit and its power to thrive against the odds' - Anstey Harris

'A fantastic, feel-good story . . . rich in nostalgia and a joy to read' - Matson Taylor

'Beautifully observed and poignant. An outstanding debut.' Alex Brown

'Compelling and authentic . . . Margaret's story is quiet but her voice is mighty' - Julietta Henderson

About the Author
Neil is a graduate of the Faber Academy 'Writing a Novel' course, taught by Esther Freud and Tim Lott. Originally from Northern Ireland, he now lives in the seaside town of Whitstable in Kent. Neil, who has a Masters degree in English Literature from the University of Kent at Canterbury, began his career working in health journalism and, for many years, worked as part of the PR team for UK learning disability charity Mencap. He currently teaches English part-time at a secondary school in Kent.


Book Information
ISBN 9781471414510
Author Neil Alexander
Format Paperback
Page Count 400
Imprint Embla Books
Publisher Bonnier Books Ltd
Weight(grams) 234g
Dimensions(mm) 198mm * 129mm * 20mm