Patrick's Alphabet

His corpse-strewn first novel derives its title from St Patrick’s habit of inscribing letters on new territory to transform it…the atmosphere of creeping menace kept this heathen reading, simultaneously irked and intrigued – Mark Sanderson * Daily Telegraph *Crafty, sad and haunting * Literary Review *The narrative voice turns it from a dark whodunit into something more intriguing. But Roberts never forgets that his principal responsibility is to keep us hooked - and that he does with aplomb – Barry Forshaw * Daily Express *Suitably disturbing and unsettling, and lingers long in the mind * Daily Mail *A cold, existential tale… One of the terrific things the novel offers is his rendering of a town in the grip of a nameless fear * Observer *An intriguing, gripping and highly unconventional crime novel * Times Literary Supplement *An impressive novel * Herald *Stylistically accomplished – John Dugdale * Sunday Times *

Michael Symmons Roberts was born in Preston, Lancashire. He has published eight collections of poetry and received a number of accolades including the Forward Prize, the Costa Poetry Award and the Whitbread Poetry Prize. His Selected Poems was published in 2016. As a librettist, his work has been performed in concert halls and opera houses around the world, and he is an award-winning broadcaster and dramatist. He is professor of Poetry at Manchester Metropolitan University. A Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature, his Quartet for the End of Time- On Music, Grief and Birdsong was published in 2025.

This item is eligible for free returns within 30 days of delivery. See our returns policy for further details.