'Brilliant... profoundly affecting. A beautiful story' - RUTH JONES, author of Never Greener

******

Michael is a broken man. He's waiting for the 09.46 to Gloucester, so as to reach Crewe for 11.22: the platforms are long at Crewe and he can walk easily into the path of a high-speed train to London. He's planned it all: a net of tangerines (for when the refreshments trolley is cancelled), and a juice carton, full of whisky.

He longs to silence the voices in his head: ex-partners, colleagues, and the unbearable memories of work and school. What Michael hasn't factored in, however, is a twelve-minute delay. He's going to miss his connection - and make a few new ones...

******

'An absorbing novel...set in the comic wonderland of the English rail network' Daily Mail

'Carefully crafted and with an undertow of melancholy, Train Man is reminiscent of Nick Hornby's high-concept scenarios' Guardian

'Mulligan's prose...delivers a strong human story with impressive skill' Mail on Sunday

It's never too late to get back on track

About the Author
Andrew Mulligan was born in 1962 and brought up in London. He worked as a theatre director for ten years before travels in Asia prompted him to retrain as a teacher. Having taught in India, Brazil, Vietnam and the Philippines he returned to the UK and now writes full time. He is best known as a children's author; his novel Trash (2010) has been published in thirty-two languages. He also writes radio plays and film scripts. Train Man is his first adult novel: 'What was the starting point? I'm afraid it was when a colleague did the unthinkable, and all I could think about was what might have saved him.'

Reviews
Brilliant... profoundly affecting. It broke my heart at the awfulness of humankind and the cruelty with which we treat each other, but it also made my heart sing that there is such love and compassion in the world too. A beautiful story. * Ruth Jones, author of Never Greener *
The trajectories of these lone rail travellers, and others they meet, ricochet like snooker balls across this absorbing novel, almost entirely set in the comic wonderland of the English rail network. * Daily Mail *
Mulligan's prose...delivers a strong human story with impressive skill -- Max Davidson * Mail on Sunday *
Imaginative and challenging... Train Man is his [Mulligan's] first foray into adult fiction... Carefully crafted and with an undertow of melancholy, Train Man is reminiscent of Nick Hornby's high-concept scenarios and deceptively light touch with human tragedy -- Suzi Feay * Guardian *
Beautifully written... [and] at times even made me laugh out loud * Institute of Engineering and Technology *



Book Information
ISBN 9781784709754
Author Andrew Mulligan
Format Paperback
Page Count 320
Imprint Vintage
Publisher Vintage Publishing
Weight(grams) 256g
Dimensions(mm) 198mm * 129mm * 129mm