Dead Lucky

Hutchinson brings coffinfuls of black humour and foul-mouthed grisliness to his heartfelt portrait of working-class life in this comic debut novel … It’s [the] vivid, painterly details that leap most memorably from the page … Poetic snapshots of street life manage to capture whole lives in single pieces of clothing. The evocation of gambling’s sickening exhilaration is almost unbearably compulsive, and Hutchinson’s ode to working-class life is serious and tender. His writing about Jamie’s day job, too, is never less than rhapsodically funny. * The Sunday Times *Having grown up in working-class North Manchester, I can vouch for the remarkable accuracy of Dead Lucky. But Connor Hutchinson goes beyond surface naturalism to deliver a story that is both moving and shocking, and profoundly poetic. * Mike Leigh, film director *[A] wild ride - and a thunderingly exciting depiction of what it’s like to join the crowds at Cheltenham Gold Cup … a story of booze, banter, lairy nights out with the lads and increasingly dangerous stakes. * Financial Times - ‘Five devishly good debuts - our pick of first novels’ *It’s dark comedy meets toxic masculinity * The Times, ‘Young writers to watch’ *Summer holidays are a good time to try out new novels, and among the recommended fiction out this month is Connor Hutchinson’s sharp debut, Dead Lucky. In it, Hutchinson tells the story of an embalmer at a funeral home who is drawn into the addictive world of gambling to pay his debts. * The Independent, Books of the Month *Compelling * Daily Mail *A bold, biting exploration of masculinity, working-class struggle and self-destruction - infused with unexpected heart and wicked humour. A wildly original look at what we bury to survive. * The Bookseller, Discover preview - expert pick *A stunningly realistic portrayal of gambling addiction … Dead Lucky announces Hutchinson as a writer to listen to about the love and pain in our society * Ben Halls, author of The Quarry *Here is a gambling novel for our age of stagnant incomes and predatory apps: a boisterous, mordant parable from the backside of Manchester, where hope and delusion mingle inextricably among the boozers and betting shops. With vulgar wisdom and a crackling cant, Hutchinson lures his readers into the flashing heart of the most destructive addiction of them all. * Michael Deagler, author of Early Sobrieties *My kind of book. Utilising a narrative voice that hooks you in from the off, there’s nothing remotely pretentious about this compellingly convincing portrayal of community, ambition, and the perils of addiction. It’s real and raw with a refreshing but scarily accurate relatability; I bet lots of readers will be sucked in by this essential story of our times as much as I was * Ashley Hickson-Lovence, author of Your Show and The 392 *Mancunian to its core and infused with subtle northern poetry, this book feels startlingly real. Jamie Fletcher, an embalmer at a busy funeral home in Openshaw, understands better than most how fleeting life can be. So, when the chance to win big arises, why would he refuse? * Northern Life *An often hilarious, sometimes nail-biting, always tender portrait of tight-knit communities, unsung heroes, everyday kindness and ordinary working people caught up in forces beyond their control. * Kate Brook, author of Not Exactly What I Had in Mind. *

Connor Hutchinson is a writer from Manchester. Through the use of dark humour, his work often centres around the themes of masculinity and the working-class areas he was raised. He is also a portrait painter and works in Publicity for Picador, Macmillan.