Sell Us the Rope

‘Original, adept and confident... What can I say, except that I wish I had written it myself?’

Hilary Mantel

‘A deeply satisfying novel. Incisive, inventive, frequently very funny.’

Clare Clark, The Guardian

‘Historical facts furnish May with a cast of legends to bring to life, and he does it with verve and humour.’

John Phipps, The Times

‘A captivating thought-experiment that marks a consolidation of May’s powers as a writer.’

Alasdair Lees, The Telegraph

‘May is superb at summoning the sights and smells of turn of the century London... Intelligent and readable.’

Alex Preston, Financial Times

‘'A terrific reimagining of Stalin’s time in London'’

Ruth Scurr, The Spectator

‘Reveals the texture of history as an all too human bricolage of private resentments, sexual slights and mixed motives.’

Rob Doyle, The Observer

‘Fresh and original: jaunty, cunning, thought-provoking but never solemn.’

Hilary Mantel, The Guardian

‘Takes dark delight in the dangerous world of revolutionary double-dealing.’

Eithne Farry, The Daily Mail

‘A richly varied and very enjoyable novel.’

Allan Massie, The Scotsman

‘May animates it all wonderfully with a stripped back mixture of light and darkness, spiced with dialogue that crackles. A gem.’

NJ McGarrigle, Irish Times

‘A fascinating and immersive imagining of real events that both challenges and illuminates history.’

Benjamin Myers

‘Brilliant... A completely immersive historical novel that crackles with energy and revolutionary fervour.’

Alice O'Keeffe, The Bookseller

‘A pacy, rich and rewarding read.’

Yvette Huddleston, Yorkshire Post

‘Atmostpheric’

Press & Journal

‘Plenty of drama, thrills, love and humour. An immersive read.’

Socialist Worker

‘Electrically-imagined, immersive and compulsively readable, Sell Us the Rope hums with the visceral energy of revolutionary fervour.’

Liz Jensen

‘A seething, febrile world of plots, schisms and revolution.’

Daily Mail

‘Boldly conceived, precisely imagined, beautifully written.’

Michael Stewart

‘Stephen May’s writing is convincing and engaging in this brilliant tale of revolutionary shenanigans in London.’

Suzanne Joinson

‘Brilliant and original — part historical novel, part romantic comedy, and part bildungsroman about a tyrant-in-waiting.’

Marcel Theroux

‘Beautifully written, compelling and insightful, brimming with captivating characters and twisty intrigues.’

Katherine Clements