Mr. Chartwell is on assignment. In fact, he’s got two. He’s lingering in the corner of Winston Churchill’s bedroom and he’s come to rent a room from the still grieving young widow, Esther Hammerhans.

Mr. Chartwell, a hulking, shaggy presence is fierce yet attractive, threatening yet alluring, disgusting in his personal habits yet smoothly seductive. He likes to be called Black Pat and he’s not a welcome guest. He’s come to lure his charges into depression. It’s a battle Churchill has been fighting his whole life but is new and highly attractive to lonely Esther.

The sophisticated (when he’s not gnawing bones and chewing the furniture) Mr. Chartwell can, and will, wage a relentless psychological battle to win over his victims. His black presence will infuse their lives and coax them, literally, into bed with him. It’s been two years since Esther’s husband died and she’s made it so far with the support of her zany friends, but as the two year anniversary approaches and Esther allows Mr. Chartwell to rent a room, it takes more energy than she might have to prevent Black Pat from draping himself across her lap. Enter bumbling Mr. Corkbowl and a chance encounter with Churchill himself, to give Esther the strength she’ll need to make Mr. Chartwell heel.

Debut novelist Rebecca Hunt presents this highly original story in a spare, staccato style with subtle humor that beautifully suits the quirky storyline.

Laura