The Piano Tuner: Picador Classic

White. Like a clean piece of paper, like uncarved ivory, all is white when the story begins.

One misty London afternoon in 1886, piano tuner Edgar Drake receives an unusual request from the War Office: he must leave his quiet life and travel to the jungles of Burma to repair a rare grand piano owned by an enigmatic army surgeon. So begins an extraordinary journey across Europe, the Red Sea, India and onwards, accompanied by an enchanting yet elusive woman. Edgar is at first captivated, then unnerved, as he begins to question the true motive behind his summons and whether he will return home unchanged to the wife who awaits him . . .

An instant bestseller published in twenty-seven countries, The Piano Tuner is a richly sensuous story of adventure, discovery, and the way we confront our most deeply held fears and desires.

'Engrossing . . . the reader falls under the spell that the author is weaving, surrendering to the story's exotic magic' The Times
'Remarkable . . . a novel that immerses the reader in a distant world with startling immediacy and ardor' Michiko Kakutani, New York Times