When rich and entitled Sandor Esterhazy makes a Faustian bargain with the devil, he receives an unexpected gift – a creature who looks exactly like him.
The Esterhazys are a family of talented pianists, but Sandor has no desire to play – whereas Ferdi, as Sandor names the creature, wants nothing more than to practise the piano obsessively. Sickened by the sight of his doppelganger, Sandor locks Ferdi in the basement, allowing him into the house only once a night: to visit the piano room.
One night, the two are discovered – with violent consequences – and Ferdi escapes into the world. But a deal with the devil, once made, cannot be unmade. And some bonds can never be broken.
Hardback
Published: 30/09/2021
ISBN: 9781912054893
Length: 320pp
Price: £14.99
Paperback
Published: 01/03/2022
ISBN: 9781912054954
Length: 352pp
Price: £8.99
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A Local Bookshop Bookshop.org Blackwell's Waterstones‘Exploring self-determination and what it is to be human with wit, delicious gothic atmosphere and a compelling sense of ennui, The Piano Room is an immersive joy’ —LoveReading
‘Clio Velentza’s debut novel breathes new life into the familiar Faust myth’ —The Folklore Podcast
‘Like a beautiful melody played on the very edge of hearing, The Piano Room demands your attention while remaining elusive. Utterly captivating’ —Lynda Clark, author of Beyond Kidding
‘A dark and beautifully written tale, seeped in music, yearning and breathless intrigue’ —Edward Vass, author of Milton in Purgatory