When troubled but talented young author Euan meets decorated novelist Malcolm Furnivall, he feels his luck has finally changed. Malcolm takes Euan as a protégé, inviting him to spend time on his secluded island in the Hebrides, nurturing his skills, and vouching for him in the rarefied literary scene of the 1950s.

But lately, Malcolm has not been himself. He cuts an increasingly isolated figure, consumed by his work, and has become convinced that something strange and terrible will befall him. Sensing the end, he summons his loved ones and—to everyone’s surprise—entrusts Euan with the task of completing his masterpiece.

Malcom’s suspicions soon prove well-founded; he is discovered brutally murdered in his study, and his invaluable unfinished novel has vanished. Cut off from the mainland, with the killer on the loose and the island’s inhabitants circling, Euan feels both his mentor’s legacy and his only chance at greatness slipping away—he must venture deep into Malcolm’s labyrinthine mansion to find the manuscript before it falls into the wrong hands.

But what he doesn’t yet know is that the closer he comes to solving the mystery, the tighter he will bind himself to a fate sealed in time…

Praise for The Man on the Endless Stair:

‘Mysteries govern Chris Barkley’s writing, but they are not the mysteries of thrillers or concept novels. They are not in the uncanny descriptions of places, the spirals of his plots, the sense in which his characters are at once recognisable and remote; nor are they in the style, which is sometimes urbane and sometimes philosophical. They are in the root reason any story exists at all: something is out of balance, not right, and only a journey of the imagination can tell us why.’ -Will Eaves, author of Murmur, winner of the 2019 Wellcome Book Prize.

‘Blown away by this. The isolation and claustrophobia creeps off the page. Compelling, dark and complex. Extraordinary.’ -Rachel Wolf, author of Five Nights and Sun Trap.

‘His first novel is an eerie, deeply atmospheric tale of hidden treasure and trauma.’ –The Times.

‘An exceptional debut novel… sharp deft writing, addressing heavy matters with impressively balanced wit… Here is a book to read and return to.’ -Theresa Lola, author of Ceremony for the Nameless.

‘Stylish, assured writing, and a story that wonderfully engages both heart and head. An accomplished, classy debut.’ -Doug Johnstone, bestselling author of Black Hearts and The Space Between Us.

‘A thoroughly engaging and enjoyable read… the genre itself is warped in a truly innovative way’ -Ken Lussey, Undiscovered Scotland.

‘Cleverly plotted and elegantly crafted‘ –The Sunday Post.

‘An intoxicating mystery and a clever study of familial relationships.’ –Scottish Field.

‘A locked-room mystery with a twist… a unique mystery within the genre.’ –LoveReading.

Find The Man on the Endless Stair at Amazon.