by RonanBennett (Author)
England in the 1630s: a difficult country in turbulent times. John Brigge is a governor, a man who has kept away from intrigues to work on his farm and be with his wife, now expecting their first child. He is also - secretly - a Catholic. When he is called to settle the murder of a new-born child, Brigge finds himself drawn into matters he wants to avoid. Katherine Shay, an Irishwoman, is accused of killing her baby. Brigge wants to wait for more evidence. The ascendant puritan faction, however, demand her immediate hanging. Brigge suspects their haste has little to do with their talk of justice. What are they hiding? And does he really want to know? In the background, a rebellion is brewing. Only Brigge - and his investigation - can change the tide. Torn between home and the world, haunted by the mystery of Katherine Shay, he must finally make a stand.
Format: Hardcover
Pages: 256
Edition: First Edition. Hardback. Dust Jacket.
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
Published: 06 Sep 2004
ISBN 10: 0747562490
ISBN 13: 9780747562498
Book Overview: Longlisted for the Man Booker prize For fans of The Name of the Rose, John Fowles's A Maggot and the work of Rose Tremain. The Catastrophist has sold over 60,000 copies in paperback
Prizes: Shortlisted for IMPAC Dublin Literary Award 2006.