The Bone Flower

Charles Lambert is the author of several novels, short stories, and the memoir With a Zero at its Heart, which was voted one of The Guardian readers' Ten Best Books of the Year in 2014. In 2007, he won an O. Henry Award for his short story The Scent of Cinnamon. His first novel, Little Monsters, was longlisted for the 2010 International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award. His novel Prodigal was shortlisted for the Polari Prize for LGBTQ writing in 2019. Born in England, Charles Lambert has lived in central Italy since 1980.

'Dark secrets, forbidden love and a haunting mystery. Written with style and wit, this book is a new classic' A.J West, author of The Spirit Engineer




'Vivid, atmospheric and utterly compelling. The Bone Flower satisfies all the demands of a classic ghost story but also pushes it in unusual ways, showing how misogyny and colonialism lurk in the shadows. Charles Lambert walks a subtle, perfect line between genuine horror and macabre beauty' Bridget Collins, author of The Binding




'A classy ghost story, with just the right amount of atmosphere and subtle scares... If you enjoy Victorian London, ghost stories, or Gothic mysteries, I highly recommend you add this to your reading list' San Francisco Book Review




'Perfect for anyone in the mood for something masterfully spooky' Washington Independent Review of Books




'An exquisitely eerie and sophisticated Victorian ghost story, with echoes of Poe and M. R. James' Essie Fox, author of The Somnambulist




'A dark, beautiful beast of a book, tender and harrowing, full of cruelties and redemptions, ghosts and orange trees, London in filth and luxury. What a delightful gothic trip this book is, what a joy to have another marvel from the ever-wonderful Charles Lambert' Edward Carey, author of Little




'An exquisite, a remarkable Gothic... So entirely atmospheric and eerie that I'm convinced the writer is Poe reawakened' Caroline Smailes, author of The Drowning of Arthur Braxton


Praise for Charles Lambert


'More delicate than Dickens and stranger than Snicket' Nuala O'Connor, author of Miss Emily

'Lambert is undoubtedly a very skilled writer and the reader is immediately engaged and drawn into this family's world' TripFiction