‘The first page of my sister’s diary was a picture of Frances Farmer, facing a drawing of Ophelia. My sister’s psychic accomplices were all tragic figures…’
Emma Imrie was a Plath-obsessed, self-taught teenage musician dreaming of fame, from a remote village on the Isle of Wight. She found it too, briefly becoming a star of the nineties Camden music scene. But then she died in mysterious circumstances.
In the aftermath of Emma’s death, her younger brother, Jeff, is forced by their parents to stay at the opulent home of childhood friends on the island.
During a wild summer of beach parties and music, Jeff faces up to the challenges that come with young love, youthful ambition and unresolved grief. His sister's prodigious advice from beyond the grave becomes the only weapon he has against an indifferent world.
As well as the only place where the answers he craves might exist…
Genre: Mystery
Emma Imrie was a Plath-obsessed, self-taught teenage musician dreaming of fame, from a remote village on the Isle of Wight. She found it too, briefly becoming a star of the nineties Camden music scene. But then she died in mysterious circumstances.
In the aftermath of Emma’s death, her younger brother, Jeff, is forced by their parents to stay at the opulent home of childhood friends on the island.
During a wild summer of beach parties and music, Jeff faces up to the challenges that come with young love, youthful ambition and unresolved grief. His sister's prodigious advice from beyond the grave becomes the only weapon he has against an indifferent world.
As well as the only place where the answers he craves might exist…
Genre: Mystery
Praise for this book
"An excellent summer read. Mankowski entrances you with the vivid world of 1990s Camden as he weaves an adept story full of emotion and compelling characters. He tells a tale of an unbreakable sibling bond with a fluid style and a caring voice." - Anna Caltabiano
"Powerfully voices the concerns of a generation...a book with tenderness and sensitivity. Mankowski has written from a female perspective in a way that is touching, heartfelt and convincing. He is a consistently thoughtful, readable and rewarding novelist. His prose moves seamlessly between pensive introspection and meticulous observation, lyricism and drama." - Andrew Crumey
"A great read. Set against the vibrant backdrop of the 1990s London music scene, 'Dead Rock Stars' is a mesmerising study of grief as well as a coming of age novel. I found myself immersed in the narratives of Jeff and Emma and marvelled at how the author captured both voices with such authenticity, particularly that of the self-destructive young woman." - Ruth Dugdall
"In Emma Imrie, Mankowski has created a genuine and heartfelt voice which never veers into cliche even when exploring the many layers of feminine angst, ambition and exploitation." - Hanna Jameson
"Powerfully voices the concerns of a generation...a book with tenderness and sensitivity. Mankowski has written from a female perspective in a way that is touching, heartfelt and convincing. He is a consistently thoughtful, readable and rewarding novelist. His prose moves seamlessly between pensive introspection and meticulous observation, lyricism and drama." - Andrew Crumey
"A great read. Set against the vibrant backdrop of the 1990s London music scene, 'Dead Rock Stars' is a mesmerising study of grief as well as a coming of age novel. I found myself immersed in the narratives of Jeff and Emma and marvelled at how the author captured both voices with such authenticity, particularly that of the self-destructive young woman." - Ruth Dugdall
"In Emma Imrie, Mankowski has created a genuine and heartfelt voice which never veers into cliche even when exploring the many layers of feminine angst, ambition and exploitation." - Hanna Jameson
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