Black Venus

'James MacManus's Black Venus is a vivid re-creation of bohemian Paris in the middle of the 19th century... an engrossing, moving portrait of doomed love and genius'

'A vivid portrait of Paris during a turbulent period in its history, as well as an insightful exploration of the often self-destructive nature of genius'

'Poet Charles Baudelaire falls in love with cabaret singer Jeanne Duval, inspiring him to write Les Fleurs du Mal, for which he is tried for obscenity. The ensuing drama is vividly recreated'

'This novel is a vivid recreation of a lost world; the Paris of La Boheme and George Du Maurier's Trilby, all cafes, ateliers and wild romance.'

'Black Venus is atmospheric and dramatic, with vivid period detail and, at its heart, doomed lovers who can neither live together nor be apart.'

'Beautifully capturing bohemian Paris in the late nineteenth century ... MacManus ... creates a gritty and engrossing world in this beautifully crafted narrative, which will leave readers swooning - and reaching for their favourite recording of La Boheme.'

James MacManus is the managing director of The Times Literary Supplement. After studying at St Andrews University he began his career in journalism at the Daily Express in Manchester. Joining the Guardian in 1972, he later became Paris, and then Africa and Middle East Correspondent. His acclaimed debut work, Ocean Devil (2008), about the life of a young English adventurer in China was made into a film starring Jonathan Rhys Meyers, The Children of the Silk Road. James' first novel, On the Broken Shore, was published in 2010. This was followed by Black Venus (2013) the story of the French poet Charles Baudelaire and his mistress Jeanne Duval, now in paperback. He lives quietly in Dulwich, London.