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Drayton and Mackenzie

'Will have you hooked' The Times Best Summer Books

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Drayton and Mackenzie

By: Alexander Starritt
Narrated by: Ciaran Saward
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'A big, bustling novel about love, friendship, money, ambition and the 21st century, packed with humour and intelligent observations ... I finished it tear-stained' Sunday Times

'Will have you hooked ... an ode to the enduring power of male friendship' The Times Best Summer Books

For the first time since university, James and Roland's paths through life - one drawn in straight lines, the other squiggled and meandering - began to cross...

James Drayton has always found things too easy. By the time he leaves university, he's still searching for a challenge worthy of his ambitions, one that will fulfil the destiny he thinks awaits him.

Roland Mackenzie, on the other hand, is an impulsive risk-taker, a charismatic drifter with boundless enthusiasm but a knack for derailing his own attempts to get started in life.

When a chance encounter in a pub reunites these old acquaintances, it sets them on an unpredictable course through the upheavals of the 21st century, and triggers an unlikely alliance. Against the backdrop of the financial crash and its aftermath, they strive to create something that outlasts them, something that will matter.

Drayton and Mackenzie is a stunningly ambitious, immediately engaging and ultimately deeply moving novel both about trying to make your mark on the world, and about how a friendship might be the most important thing in life.

THE MUCH-ANTICIPATED NOVEL FROM AN AWARD-WINNING AUTHOR

CAN FRIENDSHIPS CHANGE THE WORLD?©2025 Alexander Starritt Contemporary Fiction Genre Fiction Literary Fiction Friendship
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Simply fantastic. Although some of the story beats are pretty out there, the thing that makes this book is its characters. They’re incredibly real and their relationship is, at times, very relatable. Everyone will find something in Roland and James they can relate to. A strong recommend.

Drayton & Mackenzie

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An unlikely love story that works despite the context. Narrator is excellent. By the end I was very sorry to bid farewell to these characters

Beautiful and human

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I loved this book. Had no idea where the plot would lead to and it certainly kept me guessing all the way though. Laugh out loud moments, and moments that made me cry

Wonderful characters. A great listen on Audible. Perfect narration.

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Sturitt paints an Acutely realistic depiction of a few slices of society in early 21st century through the experiences and relationships of the two most appealing literary characters I’ve encountered since The Goldfinch

A love story for the ages

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Absolutely loved this book. A joy from start to finish and best book I have read this year.

Outstanding Read

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