Shadow Ticket

£10.99

Milwaukee 1932, the Great Depression going full blast, repeal of Prohibition just around the corner, Al Capone in the federal pen, the private investigation business shifting from labour-management relations to the more domestic kind. Hicks McTaggart, private eye, thinks he’s found job security until he gets sent out on what should be a routine case, locating the heiress of a Wisconsin cheese fortune who’s taken a mind to go wandering. Before he knows it, he finds himself on a liner, eventually ending up in Hungary where there’s no shoreline, a language from some other planet, & enough pastry to see any cop well into retirement – & of course no sign of the heiress he’s supposed to be chasing. By the time Hicks catches up with her he will find himself also entangled with Nazis, Soviet agents, British counterspies, swing musicians, practitioners of the paranormal, & the troubles that come with each of them.

Pre-order

Scheduled for publication on 1st October, 2026
The book will be available on or after this date. If you would like to preorder a copy, we will notify you when it is ready to collect.

SKU: 9781529972030 Category: Tags: , , , Publisher/imprint : Vintage
Page count : 352
Published on 1st October, 2026

Description

A private eye is catapulted on to a continent-hopping journey that proves difficult to escape

‘A masterpiece… A vintage tale of adventure’ Daily Telegraph

‘Swing bands, spies and surreal danger… A wild ride’ i Paper

‘Brilliant fun… Rollicking’ Washington Post

Milwaukee, 1932. Private eye Hicks McTaggart gets sent out on what should be a routine case, locating and bringing back the heiress of a Wisconsin cheese fortune who’s taken a mind to go wandering.

By the time Hicks catches up with her in Hungary he will find himself also entangled with Nazis, Soviet agents, British counterspies, swing musicians, outlaw motorcyclists, and the troubles that come with each of them.

Surrounded by history he can’t see his way around in or out of, the only bright side for Hicks is it’s the dawn of the Big Band Era and he’s a pretty good dancer. Whether this will be enough to allow him to Lindy-hop his way back again to Milwaukee, and the normal world, is another question.

‘Late Pynchon at his finest’ Los Angeles Times

‘So alive, so pleasurable’ Megan Nolan

‘Grabs you by the collar’ New York Times

Additional information

Weight 0.247 kg
Dimensions 19.8 × 12.9 × 2.4 cm
Author

Publisher

Imprint

Cover

Pages

Language

Edition

Dewey

Readership