The Lost Future of Pepperharrow

Escape into the enchanting world of The Watchmaker of Filigree Street. This extraordinary sequel transports readers to Japan, where time, destiny and love collide to electrifying effect

'A Japan that never was, a future lost, ghosts that are not dead ... not even a partial list of ingredients can do justice to this wonderful cake of a book ... A time-defying thriller' ROBIN HOBB

For Thaniel Steepleton, an unexpected posting to Tokyo can’t come at a better moment. The London fog has made him ill and doctor’s orders are to get out.

His brief is strange: the staff at the British Legation have been seeing ghosts, and his first task is to find out what’s going on. But staying with his closest friend Keita Mori in Yokohama, Thaniel starts to experience ghostly happenings himself. For reasons he won’t say, Mori is frightened. Then he vanishes.

Meanwhile, something strange is happening in a frozen labour camp in northern Japan. Takiko Pepperharrow, an old friend of Mori’s, must investigate.

As ghosts appear across Tokyo and the weather turns bizarrely electrical, Thaniel grows convinced that it all has something to do with Mori’s disappearance – and that Mori might be in far more trouble than any of them first thought.

“With Pepperharrow, I think Natasha has outdone herself. The characters have reached iconic status already, and it's so rare to find an author who marries such a sparkling imagination with the storytelling flair of a maestro thriller writer - this was her most unputdownable novel yet and I loved it”

Inventive, immersive and entirely unputdownable. -- Eithne Farry Daily Mail
Wildly inventive, full of eeriness and magic, and fiendishly intricate plots The Times
Pulley combines H Rider Haggard-style historical adventure with bizarre fantasy, but also excels at portraying the emotionally charged interplay of her charming cast Guardian
A romantic, inventive, wonderfully immersive read Sunday Express
As intricate as an origami sculpture Spectator
With Pepperharrow, I think Natasha has outdone herself. The characters have reached iconic status already, and it’s so rare to find an author who marries such a sparkling imagination with the storytelling flair of a maestro thriller writer – this was her most unputdownable novel yet and I loved it -- Claire Evans, author of The Fourteenth Letter
A Japan that never was, a future lost, ghosts that are not dead, random numbers, clairvoyant Samurai ... not even a partial list of ingredients can do justice to this wonderful cake of a book. Mori may know what to expect, but the reader will not! A lovely blending of steam punk ether science, Japanese historical figures, and a time-defying thriller. -- Robin Hobb
Pulley’s intricate plot, vibrant setting, entrancing magic, and dynamic ensemble of characters make for an un-put-downable historical fantasy. New readers will be pulled in and series fans will be delighted by this tour de force Publisher's Weekly
Plotted as intricately as clockwork, this weaves together historical political warfare with electromagnetic science research and magical clairvoyance. The characters are what really makes this sing, though ... I love them all, and would happily read a whole series of their adventures -- Lauren James
Praise for The Watchmaker of Filigree Street: ‘Ten out of ten Spectator
Charming … Elegant plotting, lashings of invention and jump-off-the-page characterisation Guardian
Intricate, charming and altogether surprising New York Times
Excellent Independent on Sunday
Historical fiction, magic realism and elements of gothic fiction combine in this ambitious debut Irish Times
Delightful, relentlessly charming and deeply moving … Remarkable Los Angeles Times

Natasha Pulley’s first novel The Watchmaker of Filigree Street was an international bestseller, won a Betty Trask Award and was shortlisted for the Authors’ Club Best First Novel Award. The Bedlam Stacks was shortlisted for the Royal Society of Literature’s Encore Award and longlisted for the Walter Scott Prize. She lives in Bath.

@natasha_pulley

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