The Coral Thief
NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY THE WASHINGTON POST
Paris, 1815. Napoleon has just surrendered at Waterloo and is on his way to the island of St. Helena to begin his exile.
Meanwhile, Daniel Connor, a young medical student from Edinburgh, has just arrived in Paris to study anatomy at the Jardin des Plantes - only to realise that his letters of introduction and a gift of precious coral specimens, on which his tenure depends, have been stolen by the beautiful woman with whom he shared a stagecoach…
In the fervour and tumult of post revolutionary Paris, nothing is quite as it seems. In trying to recover his lost valuables, Daniel discovers that his beautiful adversary is in fact a philosopher-thief who lives in a shadowy world of outlaws and émigrés. As Daniel embarks on a passionate love affair with the coral thief, he is drawn to join her salon of thieves to execute one last breathtakingly bold robbery.
Praise for The Coral Thief
‘A powerful offering from an immensely talented writer…Vividly atmospheric, propulsive, and intricately plotted, this is a surefire page turner with literary heft and wide appeal.’
- Publishers Weekly, starred review
‘Stott skillfully combines an intriguing love story, complex scientific concepts, and a beautifully realized historical setting…Riveting on all fronts, from its suspenseful plot to its elegant presentation of evolutionary theory.’
- Booklist
‘Stott once again juxtaposes science with a tale of love, mystery and intrigue, setting this volatile mix against a backdrop of critical events in post-Revolutionary France… Skillfully embeds early 19th-century culture, history, and attitudes into a story that flows like the Seine and floods the senses.’
- Kirkus Reviews
‘An intellectual thriller, a book of penetrating humanity and a vivid evocation of Paris in the wake of Bonaparte’s defeat. Most of all, it is a novel about the struggle to define the history of the world through evolution.’
- Kate Williams, author of Becoming Queen
‘Original and evocative.'
– Daily Telegraph
'An enthralling exploration.'
– Guardian
'Full of twists and turns.'
– Scotsman
‘A fast-paced thriller.'
– Independent
Behind the book: The Coral Thief
Jane Garvey of BBC Radio Four's Women's Hour interviews Rebecca about the novel
Science, They Wrote - a fascinating Lablit website interview with seven writers of historical novels with science at their heart: Tracey Chevalier, Rebecca Stott, Ann Lingard, Pippa Goldschmidt, Jennifer Cryer, Jennifer Rohn, Rebecca Nesbit. Each writer talks about how they write, research and compose