Train Man

''Brilliant... profoundly affecting. A beautiful story'' - RUTH JONES, author of Never Greener

******

Michael is a broken man. He''s waiting for the 09.46 to Gloucester, so as to reach Crewe for 11.22: the platforms are long at Crewe and he can walk easily into the path of a high-speed train to London. He''s planned it all: a net of tangerines (for when the refreshments trolley is cancelled), and a juice carton, full of whisky.

He longs to silence the voices in his head: ex-partners, colleagues, and the unbearable memories of work and school. What Michael hasn''t factored in, however, is a twelve-minute delay. He''s going to miss his connection - and make a few new ones...

******

''An absorbing novel...set in the comic wonderland of the English rail network'' Daily Mail

''Carefully crafted and with an undertow of melancholy, Train Man is reminiscent of Nick Hornby''s high-concept scenarios'' Guardian

''Mulligan''s prose...delivers a strong human story with impressive skill'' Mail on Sunday