Mr Bones: 20 Stories

A family watches in horror as their patriarch transforms into the singing, wise-cracking lead of an old-timey minstrel show. A renowned art collector relishes in publically destroying his most valuable pieces. Two boys stand by helplessly as their father stages an all-consuming war on the raccoons living in the woods around their house. A young artist devotes himself to a wealthy, malicious gossip, knowing that it's just a matter of time before she turns on him.

In this new collection of short stories, set in locations ranging from Uganda and Quebec to London and New York, acclaimed author Paul Theroux explores the tenuous leadership of the elite and the surprising revenge of the overlooked. He shows us humanity possessed, consumed by its own desire and compulsion, always with his carefully honed eye for detail and the subtle idiosyncrasies that bring his characters to life. Richly imaginative and sharp as a knife, deliciously dark and as entertaining as they are unsettling, the stories in Mr Bones are a dazzling new display of Paul Theroux's talents.