The Sixth Lamentation

Now with a new jacket and ISBN

What should you do if the world has turned against you? When Father Anselm is asked this question by an old man at Larkwood Priory, his response, to claim sanctuary, is to have greater resonance than he could ever have imagined. For that evening the old man returns, demanding the protection of the church. His name is Eduard Schwermann and he is wanted by the police as a suspected war criminal.

With her life running out, Agnes Aubret feels it is time to unburden to her granddaughter Lucy the secrets she has been carrying for so long. Fifty years earlier, Agnes had been living in Occupied Paris, a member of a small group risking their lives to smuggle Jewish children to safety - until they were exposed by a young SS Officer: Eduard Schwermann.

As Anselm attempts to uncover Schwermann's past, and as Lucy's search into her grandmother's history continues, their investigations dovetail to reveal a remarkable story. 'Brodrick keeps the story going at a cracking pace, flitting back and forth between its various elements, characters and eras with timing so expert the reader is compelled to keep turning the pages' Time Out

Runner-up for McKitterick Prize 2004 (UK)
Short-listed for Nibbies 2005 (UK)
Long-listed for Theakston's Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year 2005 (UK)

“'Worthy of le Carre at his best' Allan Massie, Scotsman 'Wonderful - the engrossing essence of this novel is the morality of the individual' Gitta Sereny, Times * 'Such a combination of narrative mastery, psychological insight and moral vision suggests a John le Carre in the making' Francis King, Telegraph”

Brodrick writes well about age and memory, buried pasts and the consequences of opening them up. - GUARDIAN

The backdrop of the priory is evoked with exceptional skill and insight. He is also a dab hand at plotting. The twists and turns of this tale of betrayal and retribution are labyrinthine and never allow you to dedicate anything less than total attention to the detail...As a page-turner, THE SIXTH LAMENTATION is a triumph. - INDEPENDENT MAGAZINE

William Brodrick's highly intelligent first novel is an original exploration of law, theology and the past. - SUNDAY TELEGRAPH

He writes with a wisdom and poignancy that makes this a compelling novel. - SUNDAY HERALD

This is a remarkable and deep novel, with several interweaving themes and a cast of utterly convincing characters... a haunting and compelling story which lingers in the mind long after the last page had been turned. This enthralled reader went back to the beginning to read it again. - OLDIE

Subtle, diffuse, morally convoluted and impossible to put aside, this is a wonderful thriller. - DAILY TELEGRAPH

A tightly plotted story of love, betrayal, conscience - and the long shadows left by war. - IRISH INDEPENDENT

William Brodrick was in religious life but left before his final vows. He worked with homeless people and then became a barrister. This is his first novel and Agnes's story is loosely based on a journal written by his mother.

Now with a new jacket and ISBNWhat should you do if the world has turned against you? When Father Anselm is asked this question by an old man at Larkwood Priory, his response, to claim sanctuary, is to have greater resonance than he could ever have imagined. For that evening the old man returns, demanding the protection of the church. His name is Eduard Schwermann and he is wanted by the police as a suspected war criminal.With her life running out, Agnes Aubret feels it is time to unburden to her granddaughter Lucy the secrets she has been carrying for so long. Fifty years earlier, Agnes had been living in Occupied Paris, a member of a small group risking their lives to smuggle Jewish children to safety - until they were exposed by a young SS Officer: Eduard Schwermann.As Anselm attempts to uncover Schwermann's past, and as Lucy's search into her grandmother's history continues, their investigations dovetail to reveal a remarkable story. 'Brodrick keeps the story going at a cracking pace, flitting back and forth between its various elements, characters and eras with timing so expert the reader is compelled to keep turning the pages' Time Out

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