An Artist and a Magician

''Black comedy at its most lurid, refined, and raffish... Wilbur George has made court-jester parasitism into an art form: four creepy but wealthy fellow expatriates (who hate each other) contribute to the upkeep of his Roman villa and matchless dinner parties. And when ancient, horrid Pam decides to stop contributing, she dies - moments after taking tea with Wilbur... the three surviving patrons congratulate him on a good clean kill, praise which vain Wilbur can''t quite bring himself to deny...'' Kirkus Reviews''It is Hugh Fleetwood''s great ability as a novelist to analyse the world of the rich, to test it with violence and to subtly probe its corruption.'' Peter Ackroyd, Spectator''Artistically successful and enthralling... It shimmers for a long time in the memory''s eye.'' Glasgow Herald''Extremely readable and suitably chilling.'' Jeremy Lewis, Times