A Good Deliverance

''The most enthralling kind of historical fiction.'' HILARY MANTEL

''Fresh, wholly original . . . a delight.'' THE TIMES
''Vivid and amusing.'' SPECTATOR
''Very enjoyable.'' BIG ISSUE

From the author of the Kingmaker series, an epic and intimate tale of adventure, myth and the creation of one of literature-s greatest stories.

Warwick, 1468. One drowsy summer afternoon, Sir Thomas Malory - politician, courtier, outlaw, renowned author of Le Morte D-Arthur - is seized from his garden and dragged to Newgate Prison for reasons unknown.

Shivering in his foul-smelling, filthy old cell, Malory mourns his misspent life as he awaits the execution bell. But when the locking bar lifts, he is greeted by a boy of about twelve winters: the gaoler-s son. Giddy with relief, Malory seizes the opportunity to recount his deeds to an audience.

So begins a prison confession of a perilously exciting life full