Alex Challoner shared his thoughts on Mr Polly’s Bonfire Party and wrote: 

“A thriller based within the lofty halls of academia within empire and Hong Kong; the naive and well meaning protagonist is drawn further and further into a complicated web of deceit. A bold debut by Malcolm Jack and hopefully the first of many.” 

Reading Alex’s review is sincerely appreciated. It is gratifying to know that the academic setting and the atmosphere of intrigue resonated so strongly. I’m especially pleased that the protagonist’s journey into an increasingly complex web of deception felt compelling, and that the novel was seen as a confident and promising debut.