The Dancing Face cover art

The Dancing Face

A collection of rediscovered works celebrating Black Britain curated by Booker Prize-winner Bernardine Evaristo

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The Dancing Face

By: Mike Phillips, Bernardine Evaristo - introduction
Narrated by: Ben Arogundade, Bernardine Evaristo
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About this listen

Brought to you by Penguin.

A sensational, original thriller that examines the powerful link between identity, sacrifice and possession, and questions our compulsive need to chase after ambitions that leave devastation in their wake

University lecturer Gus knows that stealing the priceless Benin mask, The Dancing Face, from a museum at the heart of the British establishment will gain an avalanche of attention.
Which is exactly what he wants.

But such a risky theft will also inevitably capture the attention of characters with more money, more power, and fewer morals.

Naively entangling his loved ones in his increasingly dangerous pursuit of righteous reparation, is Gus prepared for what it will cost him?

'This book is brutal, deep, cunning and unbearably beautiful' Independent

Selected by Booker Prize-winning author Bernardine Evaristo, this series rediscovers and celebrates pioneering books depicting black Britain that remap the nation.

© Mike Phillips 2021 (P) Penguin Audio 2021

 Crime Thrillers Genre Fiction Literary Fiction Thriller Thriller & Suspense Fiction Crime Suspense

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Critic reviews

The Dancing Face has the page-turning quality of all good crime novels . . . The characters in The Dancing Face, as well as the relationships that link them, are extremely well fleshed-out . . . The ability to expose the many different aspects of political issues in a digestible way is one of the beauties of fiction, and Phillips makes use of it masterfully in The Dancing Face
Mike Phillips could be placed between David Caute and Jeffrey Archer as a skilled creator of street-level relationships that revolve around crime
All stars
Most relevant
Happy to read this sensational book. Powerful and original. Concise and witty. I loved it.

A thrilling story. Vigorous writing.

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