Objects of Desire

Brought to you by Penguin. Hugo Hunter was the most celebrated gay novelist of the 20th century. He published two masterpieces, securing his place alongside the dazzling literary greats of the 1950s, 60s and 70s, and rubbing shoulders with everyone from Truman Capote to James Baldwin, Gore Vidal and George Orwell. But after decades of fame and excess, just as New York City enters the 1980s and awakes to the coming horror of AIDS, Hugo finds himself running out of money. Out of nowhere, he receives an extraordinary lifeline: an offer from his longtime publisher. Two million dollars, for a memoir and a new novel. The money will solve all his problems – except for one thing. Hugo Hunter is an imposter. He stole both of his novels. Now, how far will he go to produce a third? Deliciously vicious and darkly funny, OBJECTS OF DESIRE features an astonishing cast of 20th century glitterati. It is at once a colourful glimpse into the scandalous lives of the cultural elite, and a tense, gripping story of betrayal, backstabbing and literary fraud. 'Razor-sharp and deeply unsettling while being endlessly entertaining. A triumph.' JENNIE GODFREY, author of THE LIST OF SUSPICIOUS THINGS 'A delicious, literary feast. A wickedly funny and sharply relevant novel of duplicity and betrayal with a glittering cast of literary greats.' ANNA MAZZOLA, author of THE BOOK OF SECRETS 'A masterful novel, OBJECTS OF DESIRE is utterly irresistible; it’s dark and wickedly fun. One of my favourite books of the year so far.' FLORA CARR, author of THE TOWER 'A biting, unflinching study of art and deceit . . . Neil Blackmore has achieved his best work yet.' ANNIE GARTHWAITE, author of CECILY © Neil Blackmore 2025 (P) Penguin Audio 2025

About the Author :
Neil Blackmore is the author of five novels. His work has been acclaimed for its radical redrawing of the historical fiction form and the parameters of queer historical fiction. His third novel, The Intoxicating Mr Lavelle, was shortlisted for the Polari Prize for LGBTQ+ Fiction, and he has been celebrated as 'one of the most original voices in historical fiction today' (The Times). He lives in London.

Review :
I adored this novel. It is razor-sharp and deeply unsettling while being endlessly entertaining. A triumph. A delicious, literary feast. A wickedly funny and sharply relevant novel of duplicity and betrayal with a glittering cast of literary greats. A masterful novel, Objects of Desire is utterly irresistible; it’s dark and wickedly fun. One of my favourite books of the year so far. Blackmore writes with rich intensity, he never fails to excite the senses. Objects of Desire is an absolute gem. It is dark, funny and iconoclastic . . . A must-read for anyone who loves books, complete with a moral for wannabe writers: perhaps the only thing worse than failure is success. This masterful novel is a biting, unflinching study of art and deceit – and of what it means to create, to love and, indeed, to live. In this story, which recreates with vicious wit the 20th-century literary scene, Neil Blackmore has achieved his best work yet. A blisteringly sharp, edgy, and diabolical romp through the gay literary scene of the mid-twentieth century, OBJECTS OF DESIRE pulls no punches in its portrayal of cultural darlings, nor in its dark insights into the human heart. Hugo Hunter is one of the best antiheroes I've read in ages, as mercenary as Tom Ripley and as seductive as Dorian Gray. Blackmore's settings - whether it be postwar London, 1960s Hollywood or AIDS-era New York - are so fully realized that I often found myself losing my grip on where real history ended and the fiction began. This book is a true tour de force - I'm so very glad it exists, although in solidarity with its protagonist, I can't help but be deeply jealous that I didn't write it. Objects of Desire’s big soundtrack is all betrayal, plot twists and rivalry – but its power lies in Blackmore’s quiet glimpses of grief and the destructive, deep sadness of shame A vicious, gossipy delight – fans of Yellowface and The Plot will relish this savage, poignant story of lies, identity and ambition.